1988 Ritchey Force Comp - I'm pretty sure

[NigelFinnighan]

This was a project I was hot and cold on and back and forth on for a long time. I found it in a shed of a vacant house we were listing, so naturally, I inquired about it. I threw out an offer, and after a little back and forth we settled on a price. It was in decent shape, but I quickly fell out of love for it. I realized that though super cool, it's just a little too old for my liking and couldn't justify explaining to my wife why I need to keep IT, along with the others. So, I did what any man like me, like us, would do... I asked around to the people closest to me to see if they would be interested in riding around and taking care of an old cool Ritchey. I started with my dad. He said yes- So thus began my first ever commissioned bike project! or at least this is what I've told m wife! (wifey if you read this I'm obviously joking)

Because it was now going to my dad, I wanted to keep the costs low on it. I didn't want him freaking out about it getting stolen. So all I did was strip it, clean it, rebuild it. Replaced the cables with grey JagWire, which I think are super cool. I found a cheap "vintage" looking seat online, and took these grey Kendas off a stalled project. In the end, I fell in love with it! It's so fun to ride, just different enough from everything to be interesting, and I think it looks super cool!- it's still going to my dad, so he will be bombing to and from the coffee shop on it- But It'll officially, but secretly staying in my collection.


From what I know understand it's a 1988 Ritchey Force Comp- A Canadian market only name- but basically what would have been an Ascent Comp everywhere else. I guess there was an agreement up here for a while that Rocky Mountain Bikes distribute Ritchey. (I've read differing accounts to this so I'm not sure). The frame is a M (I would believe) @ 18.5. Due to it being pre-internet, and a Canadian only type thing, there isn't a bunch of information out there. I believe these were offered 88 & 89, this one being an 88 because it has the 88 only Shimano "Mountain LX"- or had anyway, I took the LX shifter/levers off because I hated the cheap plastic levers (they're being kept aside safely) and I believe it's an early 88 because it still has the U-brake. I've seen others out there listed as 1988 with the "Mountain LX" but with rear Canti's.

 

[joglo]

Cool storry and nice find. We're all somehow hopeing for something like this

Just not sure if you've done your dad a favor by mounting those grey Kendas.
Maybe it has changed, but the colored Kenda tires i have experienced so far had been extremely cheap produced, very thick sidewalls and so enormous heavy and also not fitting well at all.
Its a pitty but there are no other new and affordable choices for grey MTB tires, but too me those Kenda are simply a bad choice other than looking good on wallhanger bikes (from distance).

 

[Tsundere]

Goes without saying that frameset is beautiful, grey and yellow is quite an unusual pairing but it works really well, the fact it's being ridden and enjoyed on a regular basis and was put together by a son for his old man just adds to its charm.

 

[NigelFinnighan]

Thanks joglo- yes I admit these Kendas are form over function, they're not the best, but an upgrade from what he's got!

Tsundere- Yeah it's an unusual colour choice for sure- but this is as factory assembled colourwise. it's grown on me.

 

[pw_pw_la]

Your old man is gonna smash it around town on this!

Good work.

Quite fancy a Ritchey at some point...

 

[donk]

This was my first "real" mtb bike, except it was silver with a black fork. Lost the frame in a house fire, sold the fork here a few years ago, still have some misc parts in my parts bin.

It was a fun bike to ride, yours looks great.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Cool old ritchey. Back in the 80's my brother asked me to buy him a used mountain bike and told me I could use it for the summer until he went back to university. I found a Ritchey Force Comp at the local consignment place - probably a year old. Since it was in his budget and ticked off all the boxes I bought it and rode it that summer. One day I was riding to the gulf islands for a day trip on the bike and a guy passes me in the line asking how I liked it and telling me that he worked for RockyMountain and that they built it. Next year I saved up enough to buy my own mountain bike and I picked a RockyMountain Fusion. It was effectively the same bike just with RockyMountain branded bars, stem, saddle over the Ritchey ones.

They were great bikes - we beat the hell out of them. I never liked the U-brake. If mine had come with Canti's I probably would have kept it longer. I sold the Rocky to a friend who had it stolen shortly after. My brother kept his for a long time and then finally pitched it when disc brakes and suspension ruled the roost.

I believe they were both made by Toyo in Japan for Ritchey/RockyMountain.