lets see your khs's
- Thread starter lewis1641
- Start date
JHD
Dirt Disciple
KHS
There's some threads on the US forums that I read but didn't follow, here's a couple of bits I found. Where all this falls into mythology is anybodies guess.
What I do know is that on mine the enamel is very thick, and wherever the 'Prussian Blue' has chipped off, it's pink underneath, seems a strange way round to paint a predominately blue frame that features only pink on one tube and the forks. To imagine that they were bright pink Ritchey P 23's to start with that got overpainted with KHS blue seems even dafter.
There's some threads on the US forums that I read but didn't follow, here's a couple of bits I found. Where all this falls into mythology is anybodies guess.
What I do know is that on mine the enamel is very thick, and wherever the 'Prussian Blue' has chipped off, it's pink underneath, seems a strange way round to paint a predominately blue frame that features only pink on one tube and the forks. To imagine that they were bright pink Ritchey P 23's to start with that got overpainted with KHS blue seems even dafter.
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khs's were built to make money. i can buy it that the team (as in the actual team, not the bike model) would use rebranded ritchey's - similar happens all through history, but i cant see the economics of rebranding a ritchey frame as a khs for the team (as in bike, not actual team)
JHD
Dirt Disciple
Thanks Dave, do you know if there's any good reading around this?, am getting interested to know about the period where Tom Ritchey changes from being a handmade bike builder (i'm presuming of mostly road frames from Renold's 531?) to his association with Tange, KHS and the Japanese. It's as if 'mountain bike' and 'mass production' become one and the same for him at this point in his career.
I'm trying to make some progress on the history of mine. Has had 2 owners before me who know each other. Fingers crossed.
I'm trying to make some progress on the history of mine. Has had 2 owners before me who know each other. Fingers crossed.
Thunderchild":1fjbhjnp said:Do you know the year of your KHS Alite? I picked up the same frame a few years ago and haven't figured the year. Agree with that it is an amazingly light frame.JeRkY":1fjbhjnp said:Mines a little more modern, great bike though & a stupidly light frame under something like 1450 grams off the top of my head.
It has been rebuilt with more suitable stuff since this photo the deore stuff is now XT, the stem/post are now thomson, and the brakes are now Hope mono mini trials.
Thanks
Thunderchild
Hi, I think it was a 2005/2006.
As per the PM, I have sadly sold this frame on and really regret it.
That is cool.
I think the ritchey thing is a red herring. There is a thread on here with a link to an interview with the big man himself. I am pretty sure he says that the far east frames were jigged and tack welded then shipped to ritchey for welding brazimg and painting. I don't see that being congruent to mass production
I think the ritchey thing is a red herring. There is a thread on here with a link to an interview with the big man himself. I am pretty sure he says that the far east frames were jigged and tack welded then shipped to ritchey for welding brazimg and painting. I don't see that being congruent to mass production
JHD
Dirt Disciple
KHS
It's been pretty quiet on here lately so thought I'd post where I'm up to with my Montaña Team project.
First major problem was a seriously stuck seatpost. That got resolved in the vice, but I lost the Ritchey original that crumbled into bits under some serious pressure, the frame survived intact.
That gave me a chance to assess the state of the paintwork and the rust spots, no holes, but in need of sorting out before it gets any worse.
Don't want to bodge this bike so have decided to get it painted. Both Bob Jackson and Chris Marshall are in my neighborhood, and I've decided to go with Chris Marshall, from what I've seen of his work I think he's a genius.
So first off was to redraw all the graphics. Must admit that I'm not too keen on the pink and blue Team colours, but there's enough of you guys out there going down that route to ensure it gets preserved for posterity.
Ritchey gets his name or monogram on the bike nine times, KHS is on five times, that's the kind of overkill that comes from collaborations, already existing diverse company logos, and the pure sex appeal of sales marketing.
When you add sponsorship and competition it gets even worse. Take a careful look at Wayne Croasdale's Montaña Team bike in the article 'Inside The Pros Bikes' posted on here somewhere, there's even evidence of decals stuck over decals.
I redrew the full set, with a few additions and slight upscaling in some cases. I want it simpler and cleaner. I do love the main 'Montaña Team' badge, so drew up a 'Logic' decal in the same typeface, with a jokey tilde from Montaña to dot the 'I' Comes out looking like a cross between the Olympic torch and a birthday candle, happy birthday Montaña Team, 22 this year?
The ram illustration came from a 1930's Odgen's cigarette card series called 'Talismans and Charms' It's my birthsign and it's intending to be the headstock motif.
Oh yea, and as Shimano sits there quietly forming 90% of the running gear I thought they deserved a mention too.
I managed to peel off the long Logic sticker from the forks and the Logic shield from the seat tube (with a hairdryer) and got good scans of those.
I printed the whole lot out on paper and taped them on the bike to get a feel of what it would look like and what would work.
Then while I was cleaning up the Mavic wheels, a pair of Ritchey Vantage Comps descended from heaven. The Mavics blow them away on every count really, but the Comps look so cute I gave them a pair of redwall slicks from Curio http://curiouk.com/ to go down the cafe in.
Then the bike came apart and the frame went off to the paint shop. Found a great polisher locally, took the scratched anodising off the levers and pedals and most of the other dinks and scuffs came out too.
The Ritchey bars were split about 2 inches at either end when the grips were cut off and went in the recyclable garbage bin along with the seatpost, and I got Sumo semi risers by Handsome Dog and managed to squeeze them onto a long stemmed Kalin from Velosolo.
Chris Marshall's running tests on the decals to ensure the inks don't run or the vinyl shrivels up in the oven, it's gonna be a one colour, vermilion red,........eventually,........ here's a 'Photoshop' mock up, hope it's gonna work out.
It's been pretty quiet on here lately so thought I'd post where I'm up to with my Montaña Team project.
First major problem was a seriously stuck seatpost. That got resolved in the vice, but I lost the Ritchey original that crumbled into bits under some serious pressure, the frame survived intact.
That gave me a chance to assess the state of the paintwork and the rust spots, no holes, but in need of sorting out before it gets any worse.
Don't want to bodge this bike so have decided to get it painted. Both Bob Jackson and Chris Marshall are in my neighborhood, and I've decided to go with Chris Marshall, from what I've seen of his work I think he's a genius.
So first off was to redraw all the graphics. Must admit that I'm not too keen on the pink and blue Team colours, but there's enough of you guys out there going down that route to ensure it gets preserved for posterity.
Ritchey gets his name or monogram on the bike nine times, KHS is on five times, that's the kind of overkill that comes from collaborations, already existing diverse company logos, and the pure sex appeal of sales marketing.
When you add sponsorship and competition it gets even worse. Take a careful look at Wayne Croasdale's Montaña Team bike in the article 'Inside The Pros Bikes' posted on here somewhere, there's even evidence of decals stuck over decals.
I redrew the full set, with a few additions and slight upscaling in some cases. I want it simpler and cleaner. I do love the main 'Montaña Team' badge, so drew up a 'Logic' decal in the same typeface, with a jokey tilde from Montaña to dot the 'I' Comes out looking like a cross between the Olympic torch and a birthday candle, happy birthday Montaña Team, 22 this year?
The ram illustration came from a 1930's Odgen's cigarette card series called 'Talismans and Charms' It's my birthsign and it's intending to be the headstock motif.
Oh yea, and as Shimano sits there quietly forming 90% of the running gear I thought they deserved a mention too.
I managed to peel off the long Logic sticker from the forks and the Logic shield from the seat tube (with a hairdryer) and got good scans of those.
I printed the whole lot out on paper and taped them on the bike to get a feel of what it would look like and what would work.
Then while I was cleaning up the Mavic wheels, a pair of Ritchey Vantage Comps descended from heaven. The Mavics blow them away on every count really, but the Comps look so cute I gave them a pair of redwall slicks from Curio http://curiouk.com/ to go down the cafe in.
Then the bike came apart and the frame went off to the paint shop. Found a great polisher locally, took the scratched anodising off the levers and pedals and most of the other dinks and scuffs came out too.
The Ritchey bars were split about 2 inches at either end when the grips were cut off and went in the recyclable garbage bin along with the seatpost, and I got Sumo semi risers by Handsome Dog and managed to squeeze them onto a long stemmed Kalin from Velosolo.
Chris Marshall's running tests on the decals to ensure the inks don't run or the vinyl shrivels up in the oven, it's gonna be a one colour, vermilion red,........eventually,........ here's a 'Photoshop' mock up, hope it's gonna work out.
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LesterOfPuppets
Dirt Disciple
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Here's my 1997 Comp. Absolutely no original parts unless by accident, as I built up from bare frame.
Crossing the mighty Columbia on the KHS by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr
Crossing the mighty Columbia on the KHS by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr
