1981 Ritchey

I picked-up this bike in the spring of 2003 for what I thought was pretty cheap. I bought it based on pictures that a shop employee took. When it arrived from Florida, I found that it was a rust bucket. I had to decide if I was going to fix it, or junk it. In the end I decided to save it, and in July '03 it was off to CycleArt for repairs and new paint. (So much for a good deal on the bike.)

The bike came with a mix of original parts, and crappy components. Finding the "correct" components (particularly the crank arms) was a bit of a chore, but it came together after nearly three years of half-hearted looking. In a few cases I opted for components that weren't exactly what the bike had originally, but were things that I wanted on the bike.

The frame is painted it's original color, and the decals were the last of the originals that CycleArt had. The saddle, seat post, rear derailler, and cranks were all found "along the way." The end product is a bike that looks like a new 1981 Ritchey.

- el