Ritchey Palo Alto Road Tandem
08-01-20, 02:49 PM
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Ritchey Palo Alto Road Tandem
My recent Craigslist purchase...1977/78 Ritchey Palo Alto road tandem, something I have been lusting after for decades after seeing the Anchor Steamer as ridden by Joe Breeze and Otis Guy...also read article on their bike in some tandem mag back in 80s/90s. Their bike is now in the US Bicycling Museum in Davis. CORRECTION, THEIR EISENTRAUT IS IN DAVIS, THEIR RITCHEY IS IN FAIRFAX!! Mine used to be in the Marin Bicycle Museum...that is where it was when I first saw it several years ago.
I posted earlier for info on Shimano Gen 1 Dura Ace tandem cranksets...not in catalogs but evidently Santana could procure directly from Shimano. This tandem has 1st Gen Dura Ace for captain while the stoker has the Dura Ace on the timing side (cross over set up) with a later Specialized triple on drive side. I assume a previous owner wanted a triple and pulled off the Dura Ace double and replaced with the Specialized triple...little odd, I’m contemplating next moves. Also appears to have had wheel change, has later generation Phil Woods...the one piece with polished hub. Has Arai drum that appears to have never been hooked up (to this frame at least). I’ll yank that off...I’ve been riding tandem since 80s and I have never run a drag brake...I have a NOS Arai in box that I have had for decades....now I have two. Few other odds and ends need to be addressed but an absolutely beautiful Ritchey frame in lovely shape. Maybe my Eroica ride in 2021.
I posted earlier for info on Shimano Gen 1 Dura Ace tandem cranksets...not in catalogs but evidently Santana could procure directly from Shimano. This tandem has 1st Gen Dura Ace for captain while the stoker has the Dura Ace on the timing side (cross over set up) with a later Specialized triple on drive side. I assume a previous owner wanted a triple and pulled off the Dura Ace double and replaced with the Specialized triple...little odd, I’m contemplating next moves. Also appears to have had wheel change, has later generation Phil Woods...the one piece with polished hub. Has Arai drum that appears to have never been hooked up (to this frame at least). I’ll yank that off...I’ve been riding tandem since 80s and I have never run a drag brake...I have a NOS Arai in box that I have had for decades....now I have two. Few other odds and ends need to be addressed but an absolutely beautiful Ritchey frame in lovely shape. Maybe my Eroica ride in 2021.
Last edited by Markeologist; 10-08-21 at 05:04 PM. Reason: Auto correct error
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08-01-20, 03:27 PM
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Markeologist
Fantastic! Again, Tx for sharing.
You could try to reach out to Tom Ritchey, he's on here a little and may chime in.
And retired custom builder, Jim Merz, he is the guru of modified triples, I have 2, invented a tripleizer way back in the day, worked at Specialized and also built a tandem that's on display here in PDX at West End Bikes.
He has a FB page and is on CR.
Fantastic! Again, Tx for sharing.You could try to reach out to Tom Ritchey, he's on here a little and may chime in.
And retired custom builder, Jim Merz, he is the guru of modified triples, I have 2, invented a tripleizer way back in the day, worked at Specialized and also built a tandem that's on display here in PDX at West End Bikes.
He has a FB page and is on CR.
08-01-20, 03:36 PM
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Here are some pix of the Anchor Steamer, the Ritchey Tandem Otis Guy and Joe Breeze had built up for their second cross continent record attempt....Joe's knees flared up and they had to give up (Joe's knees are being iced in second photo). They had sponsorship from Anchor Steam/Fritz Maytag...beer and bikes, love it...hell, I love beer with almost anything!
08-01-20, 03:37 PM
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Fabulous
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
08-02-20, 08:02 AM
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My knees hurt just looking at that gearing.
08-02-20, 04:44 PM
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08-02-20, 05:05 PM
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Any other people in that photo who's name we'd recognize?
Maytag repairman seems to be thinking "I could never ride that thing"......
Maytag repairman seems to be thinking "I could never ride that thing"......
08-02-20, 05:22 PM
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In the early half of the 1970's there was a fellow who rode the coast highway from Santa Monica to Malibu seemingly all the time.
Elmer.
He rode a bike with a 60+ tooth single chainring up front and a 13-17 freewheel.
We sold him chainrings when he wore them out.
a label on the hook, 63 to infinity for Elmer.
Elmer.
He rode a bike with a 60+ tooth single chainring up front and a 13-17 freewheel.
We sold him chainrings when he wore them out.
a label on the hook, 63 to infinity for Elmer.
08-02-20, 07:02 PM
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In his post Joe Breeze states: "Otis Guy and I commissioned Tom Ritchey to build us a tandem for our cross-country (SF-NY) record attempt. Early in 1979, I showed my Breezer #1 MTB to Tom. Specifically I wanted Tom to join the two sets of twin laterals to the seat tubes on our tandem-to-be the same way I had joined them on my Breezer, with an elliptisized cross tube." Joe was posting on a Mt. Bike focused website as he was showing the link between his Breezer, the Anchor Steamer, and subsequent Mtn. Bikes built by Ritchey.
1979 Ritchey "Anchor Steamer" tandem | Retrobike
Last edited by Markeologist; 08-02-20 at 08:50 PM. Reason: auto correct error
10-08-21, 04:56 PM
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So I posted this on the general Ritchey thread but belongs here…looks like my Ritchey tandem was owned by the late Owen Mulholland, renowned cycling scribe and racer. Here is pic of Owen with his former wife and their infant son Emile strapped to dad’s back. I’ve since communicated with Emile and he told me that mom said “ no more family tandem rides” after a descent from Pantoll to Stinson Beach where Owen was passing tourist buses on the winding mountain road.
I also recently rode it over to the Marin Bicycle Museum so I could visit the Anchor Steamer, the famed Ritchey tandem of Breeze and Guy’s. Joe was working there that day but he spared some time to talk tandem with me, probably a little change in pace from all the mountain bike questions he gets…THANKS JOE!!
The Anchor Steamer has unique parallel braces from other Ritcheys…they flare out to create more lateral stiffness and attach at seat tubes with bladed struts of Joe’s design as opposed to the “X” brace commonly seen on Ritchey’s tandem…so *****’n!
I also recently rode it over to the Marin Bicycle Museum so I could visit the Anchor Steamer, the famed Ritchey tandem of Breeze and Guy’s. Joe was working there that day but he spared some time to talk tandem with me, probably a little change in pace from all the mountain bike questions he gets…THANKS JOE!!
The Anchor Steamer has unique parallel braces from other Ritcheys…they flare out to create more lateral stiffness and attach at seat tubes with bladed struts of Joe’s design as opposed to the “X” brace commonly seen on Ritchey’s tandem…so *****’n!
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10-08-21, 05:01 PM
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…and here is a newer shot of my Ritchey after some correcting:
10-08-21, 06:03 PM
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What a precious photo; dad's looking with joy at the camera, mom's looking with great care at Emile, Emile's looking with awe into the future.
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10-08-21, 06:14 PM
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…and here is my Ritchey from a moment ago parked over San Anselmo Creek on new bridge in same general location as Owen and family!
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10-10-21, 06:12 PM
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Fairfax today:
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10-10-21, 06:49 PM
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It's ok to buy new tires, lol. Wish I could fit on my Jeffrey Richman tandem...
10-10-21, 06:55 PM
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They are 27 inch, easier said than done! I have some nos Specialized 27 inchers I think I’ll try. I run Gatorskins 27 inchers on my Rodriguez tandem but they feel kind of sluggish which is fine for a distance rider but this Ritchey is a sports car.
