1983 Custom Built Ritchey

This bike is a great example of a early, high-end, custom Ritchey mountain bike. The original owner discussed the details of the bike with Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher in Fairfax, CA, and using a "money is no object" approached designed the best bike they could. A mere $3,000 later (in 1983 dollars) the bike was ready to go.

Bob, the original owner, drove from southern California to Fairfax to talk with Ritchey and Fisher. According to Bob, "once Tom, Gary, and I began talking design and finish elements my wife (who thought I was just going to 'buy a bike') finally walked out and went shopping. I was in the back of their shop for well over two hours, everyone sketching stuff, Gary putting together a list. The objective was to come up with the very best, most dazzling thing the three of us could put together."

The bike was delivered by Ritchey with a custom paint from CyclArt. The overall color is a pearlescent black with gold highlights. The Ritchey logo on the head tube, and the custom logo on the down tube ("RLM" - the original owner's initials - in the form of a Ritchey logo) are painted on the bike, they are not decals. Highlights around the "lugs" are hand-painted as well. Both the front and rear of the bike are chromed. Additionally, many of the components were gold anodized.

The bike as it sits today is exactly how it was delivered by Ritchey in 1983. According to the original owner, "the bike has the same seat, pedals, everything.. nothing has been added or deleted." The tires appear to be the only non-original part.

The frame was given special treatment, with fake "lugs" being created by brazing an outer sleeve onto the tube, and sculpting it into the shape of a lug. Lugs appear around the head tube and seat tube junctions; the bottom bracket area looks like a standard fillet brazed Ritchey. The gold highlights around these lugs make them stand out.

Although this bike is listed as an Annapurna, I'm not sure when that model name was actually created. Bob, the original ower, does not remember any model name ever being mentioned. The bike was built with custom geometry for him. This may not truly be an Annapurna, but most certainly shares the features (i.e. the fillet brazed "lugs") that are associated with the Annapurna model.

This must be one of the rarest Ritcheys to be found.

Close ups of many of the components and additional pictures of the bike can be found at www.oldmountainbikes.com.

- el