RITCHEY – “COMP”
Type: Early “Comp” Competition Model
Circa: 1982
Serial #: 20c5
Purchased: From the cousin of Tom Ritchey’s photographer
Technical Features:
Lightweight tubing, full fillet brazing including bullmoose bars
The finest example of Ritchey’s unique brazing/faux lugwork.
Greaseguard BB retrofit by Mark Slade. Greaseguard wheels by Mark Slade.
Pre-Microdrive gearing formulated by Steve Banks using Mountain Tamer Quad.
Dubbed “Queer Gears” by Steve “Gravy” Gravenites.
Original Paint
Repair to Rear Dropout by Otis Guy (Lots of miles on this repair)
Personal Notes:
When you ponder Tom Ritchey’s fanatically perfect false lugging, it’s hard to imagine someone having the time to do the work. But, Tom was known to be an incredibly fast builder of filet brazed frames and so you can also imagine that he could sculpt such lugs in no time.
As to the bike’s geometry, I believe it to be as most of the early bikes with a somewhat slack front end, a downhill bike. It rides great, everyone who has ridden it says so!
Extremely rare and beautiful. An aesthetic statement.
