fender1

This is the fender profile I was mentioning earlier in the thread:

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

and the "notched" rear fender

[IMG][/IMG]

ish

I'm still looking for an excellent condition early black "drillium" Dura Ace group for it.

bconneraz

what a truly beautiful bicycle.

LeicaLad 

Such nice lines. For some reason, I have yet to be successful at installing fenders. I have a nice hammered VO kit that I repeated failed in efforts to install on my Hetchins. I might be inspired to try again. For the Ritchey, tho, I'll think about it for a later window. I still haven't fully stripped it down for cleaning. Work really intrudes on my time to play with this!

When cleaned, re-lubed and rebuilt, I think I'll start a fresh thread for the Ritchey Road Bikes. There aren't many, so it is good that we document them well.

More thanks to all the nice comments, too.

The Golden Boy 

I don't think one could congratulate you enough for this. It is a stunningly adorable bike.

miamijim

Why? $12K Madones come in cardboard boxes. Have you even seen the minimal amount of packaging material the OEM's use? But enough of this.....at least not in this thread anyways. If you want to debate the demerits of packaging a bike feel free to post in this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...highlight=pack

LeicaLad 

Really, I will probably break this off and start a new thread as the build looks more presentable.

But a small detail or two. This bike does have better clearances than the “usual” Ritchey road frame (our sample size is very, very small, so what's "usual"?).

To test out clearances, I pulled out my gravel grinder wheels, which are on Phil mtb hubs, VO Diagonale rims and 35mm Schwalbe Marathon XR tires.

Surprisingly, the front wheel clears. If the brakes were installed, the tires would have to be fully deflated, but I have that trouble on the Hetchins, too. The Hetchins was built for 27” with fenders, but these are tight there, too. I also had to remove my front rack off the Hetchins because of the daruma bolt under the fork crown issue.

Here’s the Ritchey clearance:



The rear was tighter. The tire DOES clear the chain stays, but does not clear the brake bridge. This is with the tire very under-inflated. It moves, but touches. If the tire was inflated, it wouldn’t turn nor even fit.



But, that should mean I can easily push the 30mm tire boundary with something cushy but durable. The Paris-Roubaix, perhaps? Or Challenge 30mm?

The real eye-opener is the bottom bracket. As I pulled out the axle and bearings, I was surprised that there was no plastic protector sleeve. Then, I looked inside the perfectly spotless and dry BB shell! Wow!



Dressing her up should be fun. I think I should pull out some treasures. I mean, what the hell have I been holding on to these bits & bobs for, anyway?

Crank rings 49/42 NR have been replaced with SR50t and TA41.



I have options for the RD, but I’ve decided to go with some bling. The Bullseye pulley’s are NOT better than the Campy pulleys, but they are period correct bling on a not-period correct bling RD.



I’m still futzing about with the handlebar wrap plans. I kinda want to keep the upper GrabOn pads, but I'll probably wrap them with cotton tape, and then double tape the lower sections.



This is a sweet bike, and I am certainly looking forward to the first ride.

Oh, and P.S. –

I’M IN SEARCH OF:

Does anyone have a Specialized Turbo folding tire, either in 25 or 28mm? Thanks.


:-)

ish

An interesting difference between my frame and your and fender1's is you have threaded BB shells and my frame has Merlin/Klein style pressed cartridge bearings with a Phil axle.

That clean BB shell bodes well for the internal condition of the frame.

LeicaLad 

True. Both of my Ritchey mtn bikes were the press fit. I even still have a spare NOS axle, although I cannot image a need ever arising for it.

Using flashlight to look down tubes and inside braze-ons show the inside of these tubes to all be spotless. Frankly, I've never seen anything like it before. It's simply stunning. They're like new shiny steel in there!


I will have to do something about the decals. They appear to have been applied on top of the finish and have zero clearcoat on top of them. So, owner used so polish and simply wiped away decal colors. Sigh.

The Golden Boy 

"Treasures" certainly belong on this bike. This is the bike that you pull the stops out.

I'm kind of where you're at- whatever could be "stock" vs. bling vs. non-period correct bling...

While my bikes aren't quite as "grail-ish" as a hand made, FB Ritchey... To make things easiest on myself, I'm going to build up my bikes to my own particular... idiom of vintage cool. So as long as it suits my ideals- they can go on my bikes.

That includes something period correct, and even something "modern" that, to my mind, won't look outrageously out of place on a bike of a particular vintage. And really "outrageously out of place" will mean different things to different people.

Not that I would unless I absolutely had to (for some reason), but I would be able to see a modern Ultegra derailleur on an 80s bike, but not a modern XT derailleur.

balindamood

My '85 DiNucci had a simial tire clearance issue. Wads of clearance side-to-side, rubbed the brake bridge/fork crwon with anything over 28mm for tires. Not as much of an issue for your bike.

BTW, I solved my desire for wider tires by re-lacing the tires 650B. Now running 35C's with fenders.

LeicaLad 

I am definitely one for the idiomatic build. Nothing horribly jarring, but stuff I like.

Oddly, I DO have a NOS Ultegra 6500 RD, but this Euclid wins by a mile.

The thoughts about a 650 wheel build was toyed with before, but then I'd want the 42mm Hetre beauties. . .

The tires on the existing wheelset are Specialized Turbo 25mm. They are showing their age, but I will try to ride them.

I'm dreaming of the Veloflex Master 25s or maybe something like the Challenge tires at 29mm. No rush to decide there. I haven't built those wheels yet.

The Golden Boy 

EASILY.

NOS Euclid is in it's own league.

That's kind of where I'm going. Euclid's from like... 88 or so? But I think it's not out of place. IMO- stuff until 1994 or so still has a pretty classic look.

My 86 Trek is wearing 1990-93 ish stuff. But I think it looks fine in context with the bike.

LeicaLad 

Yesterday's shake down ride #2 .




It IS everything I could have hoped for in a ride. Stable, smooth, comfortable. Bl**dy perfect!


And, yes, I readjusted the tool bag. They all shifted when I lifted the bike over the ditch to set it here. . .

noglider 

It was worth it, wasn't it? Not that you doubted it.

Michael Angelo 

That looks great.