The FIRST Gravel Bikes? 🤯

We get a tour of Ritchey HQ and learn about historical frames as well as their approach to bike design today.
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[@ritcheydesign]

Thanks for visiting! It was great to catch up and share some history with you.

[@greggr1591]

"Here's a bike, do whatever you want on it." Exactly! 👏🏻

[@antoniocruz8083]

And that's why it should have a 2X or 3X system. How else are you going up double digit hills and still pedal at 28 miles/hour.

[@lchav420]

@@antoniocruz8083 hey, I guess that’s the point! You’d much appreciate the higher gear range, which is valid, but some just like the simplicity of the 1x, which is valid! Right to choose is what he was advocating though.

[@antoniocruz8083]

@@lchav420 If the front shifter is so complicated howcome on my last two bikes they lasted 20.000km without any adjustment. Most of the time it is the last piece of gear to break. Sorry, but 1X is just a way for the industry to save money and charge more, by saying the bike is 250g lighter.

[@rollinrat4850]

@@antoniocruz8083 I just built up a vintage custom steel frame with a well used 50 year old Sun Tour front derailleur, triple chainrings and friction shifting. With 1x systems, you'd not only give up gear range, you give up usable gears. There's huge gaps in between the gears on ultra wide range cassettes. To get exactly what you really want, 1st ignore marketing BS, then think for yourself and learn to DIY. To each his own. Purchase decisions are a consumer's responsibility. As long as ignorant consumers believe marketing BS, nothing will ever change.

[@Exgrmbl]

@@antoniocruz8083 it's not really much weight saving either. On my last 200km trip i went for a 2x, saving like 200g. I regretted that afterwards, i really couldve used that smaller gear on some 25% climbs. If you are already riding a 10+ kg bike its a no brainer i think.

[@Spindatt]

I like how much Ferg likes bikes. It’s pretty neat

[@kayzinti4452]

"To him, bikes were just bikes - like, you just ride them. And you didn't need a specific purpose bike, you just went out." Yup - that was the ethos in the mid-'70s when I started riding. I still have that bike, a 1974 Atala Competizione. Well, kinda - about the only things left on the bike that came out of the box with the frame are the brake levers and the seat post clamp bolt. Still, day rides, club time trials, paved, gravel, touring - one bike to rule them all.

[@eddieallen6401]

Same here. I ride a 1983 Raleigh Clubman. It’s done gravel, commuting, S24O and the Fred Whitton, which is a 120 mile road sportive in the English Lake District with over 3,000m of ascent. One bike is all I need.

[@davetbassbos]

I like the modesty of the room compared to the high polish of some of these other companies, It says good things about this company to me.

[@55whiplash]

I live and worked in the region Tom rode in. He had a little 50 mile loop he'd do after work 5 days a week. (3000" + elevation change). I saw him often in Sam McDonald and Pescadero Creek Park flying down gravel roads and single track trails, always on a road bike with narrow tires and road gears. Thanks for the great interview. Fergus is a great spokesman for their company.

[@hamm410]

So great to hear Fergus talk about the Ascent. From cruising around Seattle to bikepacking in the Olympics, I would absolutely agree the best word to describe this bike is “capable.”

[@aaronbehindbars]

Russ, I've got a super clean, 18.5" 1986 Ritchey Ascent with your name all over it. Might be cool to see you compare it to the new Ascent you reviewed to find out if gravel bikes are just 90's (or in this case, 80's) mountain bikes. Ritchey has done some amazing things and this was a treat to see inside their shop. I think Fergus might have been the one to answer my email I had sent about this Ascent.

[@BluecollarBackcountry]

Great to hear the "Logic" behind Ritchey's thoughts on frame design. Nice interview✌

[@anielyantra1]

Thank you for this one. It confirms exactly why I love the 1986 Rockhopper. The geometry key points are exactly the same as the Ascent. It is very satisfying to hear from a pro why the longer chain stays are so desirable. If I ever get a disc brake bike it would be the V2.

[@vaquerosupreme3189]

Love the "here's a bike, do whatever you want with it" instead of having it dictate on you. I have a stodgy Lekker Amsterdam 8, a supposedly commuter bike. I slapped on Ultradynamicos on it (rear-Cava, front-Rose) and take it on single-tracks. People look at me as if I'm crazy. I just smile back.

[@rollinrat4850]

Ive got a lugged steel BRIGHT RED Miyata Sportcross. I got it for free. Originally it was a basic flat bar dad bike, forgotten and dusty, but perfectly clean! I've converted it to fixed/free 'dinglespeed' 4 different gears!, 40c Xplors, an ultra high & 52 cm wide dirt drop bar position. I added some bikepacking luggage and my 'Crossafix' is a rolling party down retro lane. Once you get accustomed to 'pedaling always' you find you only need one gear(simply the right one) I'll ride it almost anywhere I'd ride my other fancier derailleur bikes. Even rocky technical singletrack. It's still a 'dad bike'! I'm a 60 year young dad with a married daughter! Its fun to talk about bike junk, fiddle with and wrench on bikes. Once you actually start riding, It will ALWAYS be the RIDER, not the freakin bike! Just put your mind to it and go for a nice ride!! It doesn't matter what you ride. Pedal, Spin your guts out, Grind, SMILE, stop to smell the flowers (catch your breath!) and enjoy your surroundings! What I took away from this video is what I realized riding trail on road bikes back in the '70s. Bikes have wheels that are round. They ALL roll on the ground. NOW, make them go where YOU want!

[@dgc-3554]

I love the geometry spec on Ritchey bikes. I only wish they built them with a taller stack. My suspicion is 1/2 the 40+ year olds buying the Ritchey’s are doing some interesting things to raise the stack up quite a bit to fit their current xy fit measurements. I need the XL stack on the size L outback frame size (stand over, reach, etc)

[@Parkyy16]

Huge fan of Ritchey. Love my Road Logic.

[@SiopaoSauc3]

Gotta love Fergus' honesty. The bikes only have thru axles because that's what the market thinks it needs. I do realize for the ascent it also needs it to accommodate boost spacing and bigger clearances.

[@phillipcowan1444]

I love that Ritchey has kept the 1 1/8" steerer. I never understood why you would want to take compliance out of the frame at that spot. When someone is busy telling me why a modern frame needs to have a tapered head tube I always want to say tell me again why you want the bike to beat you up. I'm guessing the archaic 1" steerer may be even better in this regard.

[@pfunklife9379]

Nobody that buys this bike is 'hucking' it hard enough to necessitate a tapered steer tube. Kudos to Fisher for keeping it simple and elegant.

[@The1trueDave]

@@pfunklife9379 I like that honesty in their approach. There is too much 'aspirational' BS in bike marketing IMO. I mean I know there has to be a little bit but...

[@chrislukes9037]

The only reason I might ever desire a tapered-headtube frame would be if it gets to a point where that's the only way I'd have any selection of compatible forks (particularly for suspension forks where it would be more common to swap in an after-market fork). The compatibility issue just gets worse as they continue to proliferate the number of different tapered standards.

[@cjones7854]

My midnight special has a big head tube but the stock fork is still straight steer tube, supposedly still giving you compliance. It is not a really light frame but I'm running a suspension fork sometimes and it's really fun.

[@jeffandersen6233]

Loved the "content". I'm old and remember having one bike that I rode on pavement, rutted roads, carried over streams, gravel, whatever. Five speed, friction shifters, centerpulls. Always on 28c tires. Never thought about about much other than just riding and exploring. Great days with a good friend. My last new bike may just have to be a Ritchey.

[@stevec.1319]

met ferg on dustin klein's channel. awesome guy!

[@tauncfester3022]

I'm friends with Dwan of CoMotion and he had a story he shared back in back in 1991-ish, I seem to recall.. When he, Butch and Danny were at their first, I think it might have been the Handmade Bike Expo, or could have been Interbike. And Tom approached Dwan and said he'd been watching them improve their craft and products and said they were doing good.

[@experimentaldave7607]

Ritchey bikes are the real deal. Love my Road Logic. It's my reference bike for all others. Russ, great to see "behind the scenes" at Ritchey HQ. Keep up the awesome content!

[@dannystarkridesfixed]

Good old Fergus haven’t seen him in a YT video in awhile since he stopped popping up in d Kleins lol. Got me in with the thumbnail. Richeys look nice and fun. Haven’t ever ridden one but they seem nice.

[@Nahhnope]

DKlein/Ferg fallingout was kind of a bummer. I miss those old vids.

[@dannystarkridesfixed]

@@Nahhnope yeah I figured such happened after he just stopped appearing but it unfortunately happens.

[@2321brendan]

DK is Still tryn to catch the Ferg!

[@rollinrat4850]

In the bike industry these days, as well as all over our world, 'LOGIC' appears to be (not so) common sense. My take on this video is what I've known since I've ridden road bikes on trail back in the '70s. I've met Tom Ritchey riding in his backyard. Bikes have round wheels. They roll on the ground. A rider NEEDS to make them roll on this round planet.

[@Lestat1795]

Excellent! Ritchey is literally the GOAT.

[@gregbragdon6946]

Great interview Russ, much appreciated. Also enjoyed your review of this bike. So much to like about this bike, especially those steel forks! It would be awesome to have this bike with cantilever mounts instead of or in addition to the disc mounts. I can appreciate the good parts of new technology, but grateful that I got to experience being a bike mechanic in my golden era of ‘89 to ‘90, which has me comparing everything to what it was like back then. Keep up the great work Russ and all the folks at Ritchey.

[@sheilastallard]

"It's a bike" , best description I've heard xx Stay Safe!!

[@waltjohnszczepaniak9664]

I am star struck ! I love this the back story of gravel more videos PLEASE

[@michaelhotten752]

I can vouch for High Note coffee. Terrific stuff. And a great match for one of the most important bike companies ever. Ritchey Logic, never give up on that 1.125 head tube. See you at Sea Otter.

[@OscarNunezHighNoteCoffee]

Thanks Michael. I appreciate the support and kind words

[@Marco_Dubbleyou]

Amazing visit. I love Fergus and Ritchey. Ross, thanks for making such a cool content.

[@patrickwilson623]

Great video. I recall reading in a bike magazine from long ago that Tom Ritchey used to love riding offroad on his road bikes, testing his skill, the limitations of the tires and the compliance of his frame and fork. It always impressed me that he chose a different path from the over building designs of some from back in the day. I am proud to have a Ritchey Logic 1" fork on my 30 something year old Cannondale mountain bike, along with a Ritchey headset with larger ball bearings in the bottom cup. Kinda strange to pair that fork with such an oversized frame but it works!

[@rollinrat4850]

Back in the '70s we explored new places to ride on whatever bikes we were on at the moment. As a kid, a Schwinn Varsity was my first mtb. Then I discovered singlespeeds. Ive often ridden trails on road bikes with sew ups too. Underbiking rocks! It builds real skills. I often ride in Mr Ritcheys backyard. Ive been by his house dozens of times over the years. Ive met him out there on the trails several times over the years as well. Way back in the day there were very few people up in the Santa Cruz mtns. We'd rarely even run across the entitled hikers and equestrians. They'd look at us like we were aliens from outer space.

[@davidlewington1674]

Thanks Russ and Laura, great content as ALWAYS!

[@mattkavanaugh5623]

Great video, and great reminder of cycling history and what really matters while riding - tell the bike what to do!

[@dennisviquez7636]

Love the visit! Strong interview thank you

[@TheVintagesteal]

One of my Favorite bike videos of all time. I could watch Fergus talk shop for hours. Lousy week and this made my week.Thanks guys. ( will be supporting channel next check).

[@outbackwack368]

This was an EXCELLENT interview! Kudos and Thanks!

[@nickporter3531]

Great show 👍 and some interesting comments on bike design from Ritchey World!

[@patrickethridge]

Awesome vid! I loved getting to check out the Ritchey bikes with you!

[@cdmiller51]

Great interview and content. I learn so much when you "nerd out" on bikes. 🙂

[@Timmeh2Buck]

Fergus!! That guy is a beast on the bike.

[@jeffreyrule8143]

Great video Russ. Thanks for sharing.

[@mtwmbw]

One of your best videos. Really great content. The Lezyne video was great as well.

[@sbsb4995]

Excellent episode

[@karlnorgaard6077]

Regarding handlebars...I'm lucky enough to have a good collection of vintage parts. One of my favorites is my NITTO Randoneur drop bars. Very functional.

[@LarryMullins111]

Great video Russ...thank you!!!!

[@Barry101er]

One day-get a Ritchey!

[@outdoor_jared]

Ferguson is always a great interview!

[@automat8]

great content. Thanks Russ, Laura, Fergus.

[@gavinm9507]

Damn! Now I want a Ritchey. Really enjoyed this video.

[@brendaleetv]

Wow! I just came across your channel! Its awesome!

[@ericpmoss]

Awesome timing for this video -- I'm looking to build a bike to go through Italy on side roads, and the Ritchey is in the run-off for the frame to get.

[@marcpauly8699]

Great video!

[@jeffdible8171]

I'm so geeking out!!!

[@rogerervin4972]

Great video! Love Fergus!

[@paddyredbeard]

Awesome! Great to see a lot of background to Ritchey, and especially loved the extended conversation about the Ascent (particularly since I have one 🙃). I keep wondering whether/how the Ascent compares to some of the Rivendell models (barring the Boost spacing obviously).

[@BruceChastain]

this was really a great talk.

[@jojoanggono3229]

Love the carbon fork on Outback. It is slim and matches well with the head tube. Feels like a continuation of the head tube.

[@kylehoover114]

So much beautiful steel

[@paulsmarino]

Another great one!

[@theovanzyl7133]

“Frame barnacles” Such a great description!

[@hibob288]

It was the propane grill that did it for me

[@EntropyOCD]

Excellent tour and stoked OG vibes are alive and pedaling bikes that are genuine. Bike makers need to understand the general cyclist want a fun and multipurpose bike.

[@seanrequiredfieldcannotbel1362]

The most Path Less Pedaled bike brand out there. Ritchey seriously out-Path-Less-Pedaled Path Less Pedaled!

[@DaveCM]

It is kind of funny about the first frame he showed you. It was a great idea and great bike. It was literally to ahead of its time. That is a frame I would love to get my hands onto.

[@rossbodenmann]

"don't let your bike tell you what to do"

[@johnmayo3255]

Great video thank you.

[@corrado9076]

14:30 Great Advice!

[@rolfaalto]

Thanks for doing this tour ... great history here! I'm a Keith Bontrager fan, pre-Trek. Similar genius innovation.

[@rollinrat4850]

Bonty's are the bomb. Wish I still had mine. I'm looking for another. I met Keith a couple times. He's a nice guy and a very sharp engineer. My friend attended some engineering courses at San Jose State with him. I rolled into the local Ritchey dealer near here and the snobby sales guy says "You've got a boat anchor". I reminded him that my motocross buddy kept breaking their P23s! I did all sorts of stupid stuff on my Bonty and never could break it. My friend still rides it! He won't sell it back to me!

[@rolfaalto]

@@rollinrat4850 I lucked out and picked up a used TiLite about 20 years ago, when everyone was moving to full suspension. It climbs gravel faster than any other bike I've ridden -- the plush flex of the frame 'planes' perfectly, and the 71degree headtube angle is exactly where modern gravel bikes have ended up. Over the years I've converted it to 2x monstercross, with a rebuilt superlight SID RaceTi fork for when going gets really rough.

[@rollinrat4850]

@@rolfaalto Very Niiice! I think the Ti Lites were made by Litespeed or something. Not in Santa Cruz like the old Bontys though. I'm working on doing about the same thing to my 20 year old Rock Lobster. Im using some bitchin dynamo hub light set ups for non stop riding. This is the way to go if you like really long rides! Dusk to dawn rides! Im going to try the Surly Corner bars when I can finally get 'em. They're drop bars you use all your mtb controls on. It saves lots of money on new parts. Eventually all my bikes, even my fullys will have dirt drops. The key piece fit wise is to use really high stems. Its makes ALL the difference. Ive built a couple dozen bikes this way for myself and my customers. Everybody loves the higher position. A low roady position on a dirt ridden bike is plain dumb. Velo Orange, Crust and some custom builders make 'limp dick' or LD stems. The stem is just a piece of bent tubing. The VO stems I'm using are called Cigne stems. I also like their Happy stem, it's a bit less expensive and it's forged, not welded. They look lots better than a high rise stem and a huge stack of spacers. Of course on the old Bontys 1" steerer you can use an extra tall quill stem. I like that option even better. It offers actual adjustability. I love how riding drop bars in the hooks put your hands and your body in an aggressive position, ready to power down and attack. You can hang on and brake waaaay better riding in the hooks. The tires stick in corners better because your weight is better distributed between the wheels. I don't loop out or slip the rear wheel much climbing hard up steep loose trails as well. I modified an old Sun Tour thumb shifter to go under the hood on my monster cross. Friction shifting never dies! I dig simple, ultra reliable set ups I can ride lots and not fiddle with much. I wrench in a shop, so all the newer junk, it's complexity and cost turns me off. All that new stuff is nothing but job security for me!

[@geraldhaueisen6481]

Nice insights and nice guy, so... nice video!

[@mokujinsan9946]

I've never had a Ritchey Frame but I have been using WCS Logic parts for years. ❤️

[@astro61362]

Cool show. I will definitely subscribe to Ritchey's channel.

[@pauljohnson7733]

I used to build bikes in the late 70s early 80s using a frame bullhorn handlebar knobbly tyres and go off road with it down muddy paths.

[@tardigrada6000]

that p-21 is beautifulll

[@courtmarker1779]

masterclass

[@ziggypi4813]

really great content

[@mikeray8473]

Awesome!

[@faithinverity8523]

650 tires (both A and B) were used on fendered bikes. Their size lent itself to toe clearance. When that 650 frame was built, there were no 559 tires.

[@raygalloni]

Russ and Ferg in one video?!? Great episode! Thank you.

[@whirving]

Head tube size increased when front suspension forks and stronger brakes came on the scene. The standard 1" diameter was just too flexible for the combined forces of the two. Headsets would start loosening up, a juddering front end and some terrifying flex spurred the 1 1/8" head tube "standard". I'm sure some adjustments in frame build could have kept the 1" head tube viable but the larger size was easier and allowed a more substantial steer tube for the suspension fork, especially for aluminum steer tubes where diameter and not just tube wall thickness is important for increasing strength. Ritchey is always so elegant in their design, down to every seemingly simple connection within the frame there is considerable thought and experience. How they managed to continue this philosophy at production scale is impressive and maybe magic.

[@stefhirsch6922]

the optimal diameter of a structure largely depends on the material used. With Al or carbon you need bigger diameter top and down tubes. Assuming that the steerer tube is carbon/Al you need bigger diameters to compensate for the weaker (and more brittle) limitations of the materials used. Tom Ritchey and Keith Bontrager both kept to 1” steerers long past the rest of the industry and their bikes worked fine. Also assuming that the bike frame is using a 1” steerer the frame will have a 1.25” head tube. A 1.25” head tube makes it hard to use a down tube over 1.25.” Aluminum is weaker and requires a down tube bigger than 1.5” and it’s usually considerably bigger. The old school standards or 1.125” seat tubes with the small clamp for the front derailleur, 26 something to 27.2mm seatpost, 1” steerer/headset, 25.4/26.0mm clamp diameter handlebars… all are more than adequately strong when using steel (frame, fork, handlebars…) but when using materials such as aluminum, Ti or carbon they just have a hard time holding up. The industry moved away from steel everything and standards are being rewritten.

[@whirving]

@@stefhirsch6922 The change followed the wider adaptation in suspension forks not frame material. There were several aluminum bikes made that used the 1" standard and that only changed at scale with the proliferation of front suspension forks. Klein and Gary Fischer bikes are a couple pioneers that made their own larger diameter standard for the sake of material science but the rest of the bikes all ran with the 1" standard until about 1997 or so.

[@stefhirsch6922]

@@whirving it was both. By the mid-late 1990’s steel was no longer the dominant material. Mountain bikes require bigger diameter tubing than road - plus by that time old school standard diameter lugged construction had lost out to tig. Pipes got bigger. Also 1” steerers are typically adequate - in steel.

[@whirving]

@@stefhirsch6922 Sounds like you also worked in bicycle manufacturing. Aren't we a coupl of nerds ;) I really like the stage that cycling has been in these last few years, so much going on and the old standards don't rule. Also, so much possibility for smaller makers.

[@stefhirsch6922]

@@whirving I’ve never worked in manufacturing - bike or otherwise. I have however worked in bike shops off and on for a few decades including the now defunct shop in Berkeley called Velosport where Eisentraut used to work out of in the 1970’s and Santa Monica’s Bicycle Workshop which was owned by a guy who used to be a frame builder under his name (Victor Larivee) as well as a few others. For years I wanted to make frames. Then I got metal splinters in my hands enough times to learn that it sucks plus another time having an aluminum shard in my eye (my eyes are fine now btw). I realized that it takes a lot of time and effort to make jigs and gain skills and if I’m only going to make a handful of frames I’m going to have better results from paying a builder who’s been doing it for years vs my 3rd. Yes i do qualify as a bike nerd and despite paring down my library still have several feet of bike books plus my collection of bikes/bike parts - in a tiny house.

[@slowwerthensnot]

The cycling industry is really good at recycling ideas

[@peterbedford2610]

I had a custom road frame from him in 1982. Should never have sold it

[@tacconelli]

I miss seeing Fergdog on DK's videos

[@spswlch]

Great video

[@solarheat9016]

Tapered head tubes are for carbon fiber forks. Steel does not need to be larger than 1 1/8 inch at the bottom. The Velo Orange Pass Hunter is an exception. Besides I think they say something about customers possibly wanting to upgrade to carbon fiber forks. But if you like and want a steel fork then 1 1/8" is the way to go. It looks better.

[@simonguard5087]

Thanks Russ that was great to see inside the genius that is Ritchey and Fergus is a great front man for the company. Can you tell me where Ritchey frames are made and finished now?

[@slantedorbit]

That first frame though, so smart.

[@CristianValenzuela2155]

Incredible how, little by little, PLP channel is getting closer and closer to Dustin Klein's channel. I love it!

[@a3aan__uit389]

How so?

[@VisualAFMedia]

FERGDAWG

[@Sapoguapo]

Ferg dawg!

[@tmagee27]

Given that you review a lot of Ritchey stuff, I've been wanting for this one. You should take it to the next level and do 'Two Bourbons with Ritchey'!

[@maciejzielinski4033]

Okay this is insane, especially the dad bike

[@bcmtnbka]

Something I have been saying for the long time. Gravel Bikes are just 90's mountain bikes Thank you.

[@GeekonaBike]

I think it was actually 650c at that time & mainly used by the randonear touring crowd.

[@Shen986]

I would have loved to know what years those frames were made! I don't have much context with which to guess.

[@jonpoon3896]

Well, there’s someone that could be a guest on ACN

[@lukehendrickson3669]

Ritchey (& Fergus T.) are the best.

[@jasonisaac1]

Really enjoyed the video, discussion with Fergus, and history of Ritchey Bikes! I just got my Ritchey Ascent frameset last week. Will do a drop bar mtb/gravel bike build, 27.5” wheelset. Got most of the parts already. Ritchey Venturemax XL handlebar, Ritchey saddle, Redshift Shockstop stem, PNW Components Coast suspension dropper. Will run 1x12 mullet drivetrain, SRAM Rival levers, Ratio 1x12 upgrade kit, Eagle GX derailleur and e*thirteen 9-50 cassette. Crankbrothers flat pedals. Thanks for the all the inspiration in your videos Russ!

[@libraryofpapel]

good content

[@edwardshelton7365]

Its the guy from dustin kleins videos!

[@joeumbrell8774]

Sign me up for the orange Ascent with tan whitewalls and bar end shifter please. Also, Ritchey Crossmax is one of my favorite all around use tires ever made.

[@reiddryden9805]

Could you please tell me where the “Ultra” come into the stable. I have a ’91 serial # 4746 , 18.5 WHT and I’m trying to get back in to shape on my pedlac. Thanks

[@bigmikeshooter]

Very interesting. My opinion is steel frames are much better than cheaper aluminum's. Greetings from Greece...

[@thinkpadBentnoseTheBlind]

My buddy has a frame that looks like a Ritchey Ultra but has Shimano SFR rear drop outs. Is that normal for a 90's frame?