Game changer (Ritchey content)

Hi,

I may be able to shed some light on this bike. My guess is that this is a 1989 Ritchey Outback. This was a Canada only model that came through Rocky Mountain. It was a full Deore DX II group with a u-brake and rack braze-ons on the front fork. The frames were built and painted overseas but assembled at Rocky Mountain and included Wheeltech wheels.

It was a weird one because it was still called an Outback even thought Ritchey had the US model in 1989 which was a fillet brazed model.

The Outback had a little brother that year called the Force Comp which was a Mountain LX group - same idea, Canada only model through Rocky Mountain.

I have soft spot for this bike as it was the second bike I ever built during my first job in a bike shop as a kid. The first bike was a 1989 Rocky Mountain Hammer also with Deore DX. After I built (rather poorly) that first Hammer, the mechanic teaching me told me to build the Outback next because it had the same DX group I just learned on.

I have been keeping my eyes open for either the 1989 Outback or Hammer as I have a soft spot for both of them.

I am going off memory here but here but the pics might help. Although my pic of the Outback doesn't show it well, the paint does match the frame in question. If I recall correctly, it was quite textured when you touched it.

Hope that helps.

Ha ha that answers my question about this Force Comp I just picked up. The orig owner says he bought new for wife in 89 which makes sense with your time line. Man they were really pumping them out at the Rocky Factory back then at the height. It is truely amazing the conection between Ritchey and RM. The previous juicy tib bit info about TR/Graison/Pippin in Japan wanting to mass produce bikes and Tom rejected the idea because he didn't like the welding quality. I love Tom for the fact he really cared about his name and the quality it stood for. Well I think Grayson had other idea's $$$$$$$ Toyo did do nice tig bike tho. And the lugged ones produced at Panasonic almost identical to the RM Sherpa called Cannapurna's were exactly what Tom didn't want but probably never knew they were being produced

The two toyo build rockies I have ('91 and '92) look like they were welded on the first day on the job. I'd love to see examples of nice welding from toyo. Maybe the early 1990s demand was so great the quality suffered, I don't know. It's good enough to be strong but they are ugly. I just chalk it up to being early years of TIG and the methodology not really being dialed.

My bro had a Ritchey Force in grey and yellow like the ones posted above, but it was the U-brake model - probably from 88. I found it at CheapSkates and bought it for him while he was working up north. I bought a Rocky Fusion the year later as an end of season clearance from West Point Cycle that was almost identical except it was the mint green/white and had Rocky Mtn. branded parts rather than Ritchey.

Thanks for posting - and yes it does shed light, definitely.

I now own the bike that Wold Ranger started this thread about. I have now built it up with DX. See below:







Cheers for the informative post - I've always wondered exactly what it was..... but just bought it because I liked it and wanted to treat the missus to justify me building more bikes for myself

I actually used DX on this simply because it works so well and assumed it was too new for the frame. Nice to know I got it right even if I didn't do it intentionally

Cheers

That bike is even nicer than I remember...ahhhhh. Great job on the build! I quite like the blue highlights on cable ends, chainring bolts and grips. Just the right amount of highlights for my tastes.

Thanks - but out of that lot I can only take credit for the blue cable ends

I bought the frame, fork, stem, bars, seat, crank, brakes and all the cables as a package deal from Wold Ranger.
All I did was add the wheels (proper mint M650 hubs / mavic 231 rims from Ant Stark. Bargain - cheers Ant ).... the mechs - front was NOS from ebay, NOS shifters from Makster (cheers ).... then build it back up with fresh cable inners. Mrs 311 loves it and tends to ride it in preference to her other bikes most of the time.

She is bloody fast on it too - I leave her behind when she rides anything else. On this she is always right behind me unless I'm on my other Ritchey - a P29er

Hey just picked up the 89 force comp in grey yellow
All original parts added some Ritchey tires
$80 here in Vancouver

Interesting read - history - entertaining disagreements and comments - love the bike
Show us your please Geoff