
See this link
Lovely example of Tom Ritchey's first "production" frame. 1985 Vintage. Tig welded front end in Japan by Tange, fillet brazed rear, hand finished in the US.
I believe this was the first MTB to utilise Tig welding, have vertical 130mm rear drop outs, a Unicrown fork and a Splatter paint job.
The frame and fork are both DB Tange MTB specific 4130 and was designed in conjunction with Shimano for their MTB specific M 730 Group.
The Geometry was a move away from, the slack angles of old also, with much sharper steering and a more centrally based weight balance, than the previous offerings...
I believe this was the first MTB to utilise Tig welding, have vertical 130mm rear drop outs, a Unicrown fork and a Splatter paint job.
The frame and fork are both DB Tange MTB specific 4130 and was designed in conjunction with Shimano for their MTB specific M 730 Group.
The Geometry was a move away from, the slack angles of old also, with much sharper steering and a more centrally based weight balance, than the previous offerings...
- Wold Ranger
- Replies: 50
- Forum: Reader's MTBs --> 1997
Please read through it all, there are a lot of thoughts what it actually is.
I have zilch knowledge about bikes, I just got on and rode it. So please don’t beat me up.
Is it a Ultra, Outback, Ascent ?
It does indeed have the ladies name painted in the same black paint under the top tube (as mentioned in one of the posts in the above link)
There appears to be a Diamond stamp by the frame number on the BB shell, as described in the link, but it’s under the plastic cable guard = see pics = you can just about see the corner of it.
It looks like it might damage the paint to take it off, plus I don’t know how to undo the cables and put them back on properly.
The frame/serial number is not listed in any of the Ritchey catalogues from online = its just 4 numbers.
I’ve had this bike since 2014, but it’s not been used since Summer 2015.
It’s been kept inside the house.
It was mechanically overhauled in 2014.
The seat tube came out fine today, when I measured the frame, which is 16 inches. (see pictures)
I am 5ft 6, and its a great size for me.
I rode an Alpinestars Cro-Mega lx for decades until I had this, and OMG this was sooo much better.
(Alpinestars is For Sale too in a different post)
The paint is supposed to be speckled (Read the thread) it was the start of the crazy 90’s paint schemes,
and it does indeed have a raised textured effect as described in the link, Some of these have been touched up over the years.
Obviously this is a very old bike, so please don't expect it to be perfect. I have tried to show a few scuffs and chips.
I have no idea how to put an asking price on something so special, so totally throwing a price up.
£600
Collection would be from B43 Walsall/B’ham boarder , 10 mins from M6 Junc 7.
Also selling Alpinestars Cro-Mega lx bike, and Cannondale Pepperoni Forks.