Long ago you may remember JP and I heading off on a couple of cold and wet jaunts around Canberra on what we called soft-roading expeditions. On these rides JP rode a very special bike, one that I'm willing to bet neither you or I have ever seen in the flesh; and other than his example, are likely ever to. Even Google provides virtually nothing. The bike is a Ritchey Mount Cross.
Legend has it that Tom Ritchey only ever planned to make 50, that it was designed for the legendary Thomas Frischknecht to compete in the CX worlds (he didn't like drop bars, and he won) and that it is the first 29er EVER!
Either way, it was too small for JP and now it's mine - Merry Christmas to me.
Legend has it that Tom Ritchey only ever planned to make 50, that it was designed for the legendary Thomas Frischknecht to compete in the CX worlds (he didn't like drop bars, and he won) and that it is the first 29er EVER!
Either way, it was too small for JP and now it's mine - Merry Christmas to me.
I picked it up yesterday in all its handmade Tom Ritchey fillet brazed goodness, with most of the parts that it originally came from the USA shod with. I spent most of today (when I wasn't at the doctors, but that's a different story) rebuilding it. The drivetrain has come from another bike I bought specifically to canibalise, the idea being that I will run another White Industries eccentric hub to rid the bike of the ghey chain tensioner.
Yes, those wheels do have tie-dye coloured titanium spokes and 26 inch rims. They will soon be in many pieces and the hubs laced to Open Pros.
Much excitement was had today as I revisited the art of tuning v-brakes (something I lost in 1999) and I found nail polish in exactly the same colour as the original midnight blue metallic paint scheme!! Oh, and of course I was also excited to find that in its current guise it weighs in at 8kg.
It feels like quite an honour to have a bike handbuilt by one of the creators of MTB in my house, I can just imagine it back in 1999 cooling on the rack in his workshop............
Much excitement was had today as I revisited the art of tuning v-brakes (something I lost in 1999) and I found nail polish in exactly the same colour as the original midnight blue metallic paint scheme!! Oh, and of course I was also excited to find that in its current guise it weighs in at 8kg.
It feels like quite an honour to have a bike handbuilt by one of the creators of MTB in my house, I can just imagine it back in 1999 cooling on the rack in his workshop............
Of course I couldn't neglect to mention the other new addition. Practically painful to look at less than a few days ago; $25, some elbow grease, a few swapped parts and the Folder is ready to roll. Even smaller wheels than the Cyclops make her even better for indoor shenanigans - must clean up those skid marks before Rach gets home.......
EDIT: 23 Dec 2010
Well she had her maiden voyage today. I'm quite bewildered to say the least.
If you know me well enough you know that I think CX bikes are a complete waste of time for anything other than well groomed dirt roads, well groomed CX race tracks and people who occasionally jump a gutter or take a shortcut on their commute to work. I've built many of them just to ensure I wasn't wrong, and they all sucked - Kona Cindercone 26er with 700c wheels, Ventana 29er with skinnies, Karate Monkey with Rohloff and skinnies and finally the SlingShot with skinnies and drop bars. The last straw was the Slingshot and I believe I've got the ideal long distance trail basher in it with full sized 29er tyres - not skinnies (which makes it a drop-bar 29er, not a CX bike). The issue I had over and over again was the fact that just a couple of corrugations, golf ball sized rocks, loose ascents or long technical descents can really ruin your day, and other than fenced national parks such as Mulligans Flat, where are you going to get perfectly groomed roads? I saw a couple of riders well and truly hating life at the highland fling and that sealed the deal. I now stand corrected, there is one bike that can do it.
I haven't studied the geometry or frame material for an explanation and I haven't had a drink in hours but the Mount Cross just works. I took it out for a short burn through Mulligans Flat, planning on returning home after that, an hour tops. Three hours later I returned. I could not stop riding. So here she is in her natural habitat.
EDIT: 23 Dec 2010
Well she had her maiden voyage today. I'm quite bewildered to say the least.
If you know me well enough you know that I think CX bikes are a complete waste of time for anything other than well groomed dirt roads, well groomed CX race tracks and people who occasionally jump a gutter or take a shortcut on their commute to work. I've built many of them just to ensure I wasn't wrong, and they all sucked - Kona Cindercone 26er with 700c wheels, Ventana 29er with skinnies, Karate Monkey with Rohloff and skinnies and finally the SlingShot with skinnies and drop bars. The last straw was the Slingshot and I believe I've got the ideal long distance trail basher in it with full sized 29er tyres - not skinnies (which makes it a drop-bar 29er, not a CX bike). The issue I had over and over again was the fact that just a couple of corrugations, golf ball sized rocks, loose ascents or long technical descents can really ruin your day, and other than fenced national parks such as Mulligans Flat, where are you going to get perfectly groomed roads? I saw a couple of riders well and truly hating life at the highland fling and that sealed the deal. I now stand corrected, there is one bike that can do it.
I haven't studied the geometry or frame material for an explanation and I haven't had a drink in hours but the Mount Cross just works. I took it out for a short burn through Mulligans Flat, planning on returning home after that, an hour tops. Three hours later I returned. I could not stop riding. So here she is in her natural habitat.
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