Richie is…well, Richie. We’ve never met but have communicated from time to time, and he built me a lovely frame a couple of years ago. My guess is he’s a nice enough guy to hang out and have a beer with but I suspect, like many of us, that he can be an acquired taste. So to speak.

However, and perhaps this is what was intended, Richie has developed tubing (e.g. Pegorichie), several sets of lugs, fork crowns, a revised and improved seat post bolt and some other specific-to-the-trade toys, all of which are available to the public. There was a period not long ago when building lugged frames out of steel looked like it was going down the toilet. In other words, he took the time and effort to ensure that others might have an opportunity to enter the craft. And that’s exactly how he sees it- as a craft.

Frame builders who are just buying what’s out there and putting frames together aren’t contributing to the craft in the same way- as he sees it. And when folks like Richie retire, who will take the time and effort to continue to advance the craft?