Tom Ritchey
Encyclopedia
Tom Ritchey is an American bicycle frame
builder, designer, welder
and founder of Ritchey Design. He is an accomplished road and mountain bicycle racer.
and Charlie Kelly in MountainBikes. In 1983, the partnership dissolved and MountainBikes was sold to Fisher, who renamed the company Fisher Mountain Bikes. Ritchey began building mountain bikes and other frames for his own company, Ritchey Design, expanding into bicycle accessories. Ritchey was as an innovator of parts designed or optimized for mountain bikes, including clipless pedals and threadless headsets
. Ritchey mostly built mountain bikes but he has also produced road and cyclo-cross
frames, usually of butted chromoly steel
tubing. He has produced frames made using aluminum, titanium
alloys, along with composition frames using carbon
fiber and titanium tubes.
In 1988, Ritchey was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
.
Ritchey is known for his handlebar mustache.
On September 16, 2006, the first annual Rwandan Wooden Bike Classic was held in Karongi. More than 3,000 Rwandans filled Karongi Stadium and lined the streets to watch the country's first mountain bike race. North American Tour de France pioneers Jock Boyer and Alex Stieda raced alongside Ritchey. Ritchey continued to help Project Rwanda by participating in Ride 4 Rwanda, a fundraising event in Santa Barbara, CA, on February 2, 2008. Ritchey joined 100 participants, many students at Santa Barbara Middle School
, in a coastal bike ride to raise funding for bike parts and mechanical support for Rwandan coffee workers. Ritchey helped the non-profit organization
Bikes to Rwanda
.
Bicycle frame
A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle, on to which wheels and other components are fitted. The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle, and consists of two triangles, a main triangle and a paired rear triangle...
builder, designer, welder
Welder
A welder is a tradesman who specializes in welding materials together. The materials to be joined can be metals or varieties of plastic or polymer...
and founder of Ritchey Design. He is an accomplished road and mountain bicycle racer.
Early years
Ritchey began building mountain bike frames as a partner with Gary FisherGary Fisher
Gary Christopher Fisher is considered one of the inventors of the modern mountain bike.Fisher started competing in road and track races at 12. He was suspended in 1968 because race organizers cited a rule that his hair was too long. By 1972 this rule had been repealed and Fisher's career continued...
and Charlie Kelly in MountainBikes. In 1983, the partnership dissolved and MountainBikes was sold to Fisher, who renamed the company Fisher Mountain Bikes. Ritchey began building mountain bikes and other frames for his own company, Ritchey Design, expanding into bicycle accessories. Ritchey was as an innovator of parts designed or optimized for mountain bikes, including clipless pedals and threadless headsets
Headset (bicycle part)
The headset is the set of components on a bicycle that provides a rotatable interface between the bicycle fork and the head tube of the bicycle frame itself. The short tube through which the steerer of the fork passes is called the head tube. A typical headset consists of two cups that are pressed...
. Ritchey mostly built mountain bikes but he has also produced road and cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
frames, usually of butted chromoly steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
tubing. He has produced frames made using aluminum, titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
alloys, along with composition frames using carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
fiber and titanium tubes.
In 1988, Ritchey was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Crested Butte Colorado. The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1988 to chronicle the history of mountain biking....
.
Personal life
Ritchey was married to his second wife, Martha, on his ranch in Northern California on October 24, 2009. He has a son, Jay Ritchey, who works for Rivendell Bicycle Works in Walnut Creek, CA, plus two daughters, Sara and Annie.Current production
Ritchey no longer makes a full line of frames, but he continues in bicycle design and engineering. One recent design is the Break-Away Bike, racing road and cyclocross bikes that separate to pack in a suitcase for travel.Ritchey is known for his handlebar mustache.
Film
- Tom Ritchey was profiled in the 2007 documentary film Klunkerz: A Film About Mountain Bikes.
Project Rwanda
In December 2005, Ritchey and Gary Boulanger were invited to tour Rwanda by bicycle. They were asked to develop a racing team, opening a bicycle assembly factory, designing a transportation/cargo-hauling bicycle, and establishing a mountain bike safari touring company. Three months later, Ritchey sent his friend Jared Miller to Rwanda to explore possibilities, and Project Rwanda was born.On September 16, 2006, the first annual Rwandan Wooden Bike Classic was held in Karongi. More than 3,000 Rwandans filled Karongi Stadium and lined the streets to watch the country's first mountain bike race. North American Tour de France pioneers Jock Boyer and Alex Stieda raced alongside Ritchey. Ritchey continued to help Project Rwanda by participating in Ride 4 Rwanda, a fundraising event in Santa Barbara, CA, on February 2, 2008. Ritchey joined 100 participants, many students at Santa Barbara Middle School
Santa Barbara Middle School
Santa Barbara Middle School is an independent private school for grades six through nine, located in Santa Barbara, California. A coeducational day school, it is accredited by , the , and . Santa Barbara Middle School was founded in 1976 and specializes in the early adolescent years. For more...
, in a coastal bike ride to raise funding for bike parts and mechanical support for Rwandan coffee workers. Ritchey helped the non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Bikes to Rwanda
Bikes to Rwanda
Bikes to Rwanda is a non-profit international aid relief organization established in Portland, Oregon, United States in 2006 by Stumptown Coffee Roasters founder and CEO Duane Sorenson following a business trip to visit coffee growers' cooperatives in Rwanda....
.
External links
- Ritchey Bicycle Components
- Ritchey Bicycle Components International Webstore
- His page on the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.
- Rough Riders interview: 'Tom Ritchey, in his own words'
- Project Rwanda
- A short history of Tom Ritchey's frames on Old Mountain Bikes.
- An interview with Tom Ritchey, where he discusses Rwanda, faith, and (of course) bicycles.