Ritchey bike with funny frame...
 

Please let me know your thoughts on the seldom-seen soft ride frame.

Did this experimental frame style from the mid-1990s disappear because it is truly awful?

Is this bike OK to buy and ride or is it very likely to be a lemon ??

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zmzoi3w64mutge6/Soft.jpg?dl=0

Binky

Haha i saw that exact bike pop up on my newsfeed today.
Was actually considering asking about this abomination myself. Unless you collect unique bikes id stay far away.

Ritchey Lite Beam
 

Tthe above pictured Ritchey Lite Beam still has a dedicated following, some like it, many don't.
I've been riding them since their inception in 1990-91
I still ride 6 days a week average, 1-2 hr loops, My back doesn't hurt(ever).
NOT a big hit DH bike , but climbs like a goat, smoooooth cruising bike and I do all my own maintenance.
Bottom line, this type of bike fits my riding style perfectly,
I also use the Softride stems on mine, never was able- willing to put one of those moto forks on my bicycles.

Most of the bike is perfectly normal. Maybe the fork angle is a bit slacker.
Unless the hinge for the suspended saddle is worn, it should ride very similar to any other bike with a sus seat post.

They were popular in the tri crowd before UCI banned them kinda killed the company

I understand they worked well from those that rode them

This one, very similar to the other one, just showed up locally on the local BBS with a link to eBay... where it is listed under "Ritchey Softride MB" if you want to have a look. He says it is basically unused. Its a big bike and eBay Shipping is pretty expensive (if required) but I emailed the Seller & he agreed to let me pick it up and pay nothing for shipping since I live in the neighbourhood, so that makes it a bit more reasonable. I think I'll watch it and bid a few hundred on it just for giggles. It looks clean.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8212f16fbf.jpg

It probably never took off for the same reason suspension seat-posts in general have never really taken off.

And what little market there is for saddle-only suspension was taken over by suspension posts.