FINALLY - Ritchey in Silver

[RkyMtn]

Finally we get Ritchey components in silver!

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Glad I waited!!!

[jlwdm]

Great looking stuff. Two threads already - here is the most recent (hard to search for with the poor title):

Ritchey Silver (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=80870&highlight=rumor)

Jeff

[ninjaman]

Looks awesome!

[eddief]

look like the old old Ritchey ones. silver is the new black.

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/seatposts/dajia-one-bolt-post.html

[alexstar]

Silver never left, it has always remained classy. I might have to get this stuff for my/Ari's/Tom's De Rosa...

[vqdriver]

them's purty. kinda wish they didn't put the word 'classic' on there tho.

[BengeBoy]

kinda wish they didn't put the word 'classic' on there tho.

Excellent point - if it's really "classic" you don't need to say so. It just is.

Sort of like naming it Klassic. :no:

[staggerwing]

Silver never left, it has always remained classy. I might have to get this stuff for my/Ari's/Tom's De Rosa...

Never left, but finding quality silver bits has been a little difficult over the past several years.

For example, even though I like Thompson stuff, there is nothing classic looking about their setback seatpost, even in silver.

The Kalloy Uno is surprisingly nice for a retro build, inexpensive, very functional, and without logos. Put one on a early lugged Specialized Allez "budget buster special" I built for one of our grad students. Looked quite appropriate. The heavily badged Cane Creek wheels, less so.

I was able to score a couple Ultegra silver posts when Bonktown was first coming on line. Should have purchased more. Their extra length has proven especially valuable on my compact geometry rig.

[Rueda Tropical]

them's purty. kinda wish they didn't put the word 'classic' on there tho.

A little steel wool and or acetone will take that right off.

[Kilgore]

I've been wrestling with whether or not to put the Ritchey Classic post on my new bike, but the Ultegra post is nicer and lighter too!

Agreed on the 'Classic' badging. Kinda like labeling something 'Collectors edition'

[bfd]

What the weight on these "classic" bits? For example, does the WCS "Classic" Curve handlebar weigh the same as the black version? I notice that Ritchey's website list the weight for the black curve (237g), but not the silver. Makes you wonder...or not! Good Luck! :eek:

[jlwdm]

What the weight on these "classic" bits? For example, does the WCS "Classic" Curve handlebar weigh the same as the black version? I notice that Ritchey's website list the weight for the black curve (237g), but not the silver. Makes you wonder...or not! Good Luck! :eek:


The Ritchey website is slowly getting more accurate with these new components. I emailed them about some errors and they have changes most of what I mentioned but not all.

They do list the weight for the stem and it is a little lighter than the normal WCS 4 axis stem.

If you look at the handlebars the color is listed for the three sizes as:

40 Hi-Polish Silver
42 Pearl Silver
44 High Polish Silver

Need someone with a better eye for detail.

Jeff

[Rueda Tropical]

If you look at the handlebars the color is listed for the three sizes as:

40 Hi-Polish Silver
42 Pearl Silver
44 High Polish Silver

Looks like the center is high polish and the arms are satin/pearl.

Bend looks like the new evocurve. While Nitto and GB have several silver bar models and there is still plenty of NOS silver with ergo cable grooves... those are all traditional bends. This is the first silver compact bar I've ever seen and it looks like a nice round curve.

[bikemoore]

I've never liked the stealth, flat-black, naked-carbon, whatever look we've been gravitating towards the last decade. I like frames with a nice colorful paint job (even if its just a single color) and polished Al components. They have been getting increasingly hard to find lately. Now if I just had a project bike to complete.......

[damcyclist]

I need? new bars, but how will an OS silver bar look on a classic lugged frame?

What say you?

Any pics?

[97CSI]

I need? new bars, but how will an OS silver bar look on a classic lugged frame? What say you? Any pics?Until the late '80s all bars were silver and 95% of bikes were lugged. So, it would look........ classic.

[damcyclist]

OS (31.8) no.


I have a silver 3t currently, but it is a 26.0 which was the standard size (if there was a standard) in the 80's & 90's (beside 25.8, 25.4, etc.) These over-size bars seem like they may look 'clunky' on an old fashion steel bike.

The question is how do the Over Size bars look on a classic lugged frame -

Any pics?

I really like the look of these Ritchey bars, but have not seen them mounted on a classic steel bike.


Thanks

[Keith A]

damcyclist -- I was wondering the same thing about the new shinny stuff from Ritchey. I'm looking at making a few changes to my older CSi and like the idea of using the Ritchey stem and possibly the bars too, but wasn't sure how the OS sized bits would look.

[Kilgore]

Looks like the center is high polish and the arms are satin/pearl.

Bend looks like the new evocurve.

The center is high polish, but the shape is more like the Ritchey Curve bar. I wish they offered more bend options in their Classic line.

[spacemen3]

Seriously, there's nothing "Classic" about the look of 31.8 bars on old steel frames. Ritchey: why not produce a 26 version as well? I would think that there's still a market for it.

[Blue Jays]

"...kinda wish they didn't put the word 'classic' on there tho..."Agree 100%. Ritchey, WCS, or Ritchey WCS would be fine.

[bfd]

OS (31.8) no.



The question is how do the Over Size bars look on a classic lugged frame -

Any pics?


Thanks

I believe Richard Sachs cross team uses origin 8 bars and stem that are 31.8mm. If so, then it would look like this on one of his framesets:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/5011157103/sizes/l/in/photostream/

There maybe other or better photos if you want to do more searching on his site. However, he has 11K+ photos, so knock yourself out!

Further, I believe the 31.8mm portion is only at the bulge where the bar meets the stem. Otherwise, the bars are standard size. Good Luck!

[sixfootbrit]

Love the classic Ritchey look, wish they would do the same for the MTB components so I can liven up my Bridgestone MB-0 wannabe!

[blackmoth]

Love the classic Ritchey look, wish they would do the same for the MTB components so I can liven up my Bridgestone MB-0 wannabe!

I agree 100%! It's really hard to find decent cranks in silver these days too. Wish Ritchey would start back making their "classic" cranks again, well of course sugino made them...........

[sixfootbrit]

I agree 100%! It's really hard to find decent cranks in silver these days too. Wish Ritchey would start back making their "classic" cranks again, well of course sugino made them...........

Indeed. I've searched high and low for a good cold forged low-Q silver MTB crankset. Wish Mavic would get back in the game!

[bfd]

Indeed. I've searched high and low for a good cold forged low-Q silver MTB crankset. Wish Mavic would get back in the game!

Have you looked at Sugino cranksets? Sugino use to make cranks for Ritchey, Specialized and many others.

Velo orange sells a variety of cranks from Sugino and its own house brands - Grand Cru and VO that might meet you needs:

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/cranksets/cranks.html

Good Luck!

[akelman]

The question is how do the Over Size bars look on a classic lugged frame -

Any pics?

I really like the look of these Ritchey bars, but have not seen them mounted on a classic steel bike.


Thanks

I'm not sure it's classic in the sense you mean, but my Vanilla is pretty old-school in its way: i.e. lugged steel/skinny tubes. If you want to see pictures of it with an oversize bar and a Ritchey classic stem, shoot me a PM.

[sixfootbrit]

Have you looked at Sugino cranksets? Sugino use to make cranks for Ritchey, Specialized and many others.

Velo orange sells a variety of cranks from Sugino and its own house brands - Grand Cru and VO that might meet you needs:

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/cranksets/cranks.html

Good Luck!

Thanks for the leads, I will give them an open minded look. Still have a Sugino crank around here someplace...

[Marcusaurelius]

I've always liked ritchey stems and handlebars and now I like them even more.

I did have a slight problem with an older ritchey (nitto) seat post that was very hard to keep from slipping. Of course they fixed it with the twin bolt design but I had many struggles with the single bolt design.

[damcyclist]

I believe Richard Sachs cross team uses origin 8 bars and stem that are 31.8mm. If so, then it would look like this on one of his framesets:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/5011157103/sizes/l/in/photostream/

There maybe other or better photos if you want to do more searching on his site. However, he has 11K+ photos, so knock yourself out!

Further, I believe the 31.8mm portion is only at the bulge where the bar meets the stem. Otherwise, the bars are standard size. Good Luck!

I'm pretty certain that Sachs racing uses Oval Concepts bars - in 26.0

I saw somewhere (don't quote me) that the 31.8 standard was created by Italian manufacturers that had difficulty creating a strong & light 26.0 - mostly due to the inability to butt the tubes - whereas the Asian & American manufacturers did not... but again this is from memory. There is always NITTO - but the $$$ for their grooved bars & silver stems is a bit over the top - For me any way. I just received the VO stem in silver - and will mount my old 3T silver morphe & see how that looks. I would prefer to have bar & stem by the same maker - hence the questions about the Ritcheys

The Ritcheys sure look good in Pictures

Thanks all
Here's the discussion on cycling news 31.8 vs 26.0 by the Oval Concepts dude-
http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/letters.php?id=letters/2008/07-03letters

[DHallerman]

Looks like the center is high polish and the arms are satin/pearl.

Bend looks like the new evocurve. While Nitto and GB have several silver bar models and there is still plenty of NOS silver with ergo cable grooves... those are all traditional bends. This is the first silver compact bar I've ever seen and it looks like a nice round curve.

But no cable grooves in the silver Ritchey bar, that I can see from the pix.

I like cable grooves, for a smoother grip once all taped up.

[rw229]

Finally. Very nice looking stuff!

[michael white]

Ritchey, if you're listening, I want just one 26 bar with a compact curve, preferably in silver. Just think of all of us boomers with our threaded forks and bad backs!

[RkyMtn]

If you have not run across the Kirk I built up with the new Ritchey Classic parts, Here it is. I have not installed the bars yet. Will do that this spring when I change bar tape (the Cinelli Gel Cork is too pricey to just tear off and throw away.)

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=81072

Cheers,

Eric

[jlwdm]

I have the Ritchey stem on my CSI. Unfortunately no pictures and the bike is in another state.

I have been considering the Ritchey Classic Curve bar but Ritchey customer service is driving me crazy. I emailed them a few times about all of their errors on the website. They now have all of the stem angles right except one size. A while ago they added the weights for the stems but still not for the handlebars. I have emailed them nicely 6 times for the weight of the bars with no response. I have Ritchey stems on my three bikes and two Ritchey bars but I am having a hard time understanding why I should buy anything else from a company with such poor customer service.

Jeff

[jakez]

Very nice! I'm glad to see silver back - at least for awhile until there's another trend.