…I'm not sure what to do with it. 198x ('87, most likely) Ritchey Ascent. All original except for the seat/post and grips. I do have the original pedals as well, just not currently mounted.
Backstory; This was my dad’s bike from his Navy days as a pilot – he flew it around the country and rode wherever he landed. Later, it became our go-to for rides around my hometown. After high school, I gave it new life with knobby tires and took it into the woods where I first tasted riding on unofficial singletrack and torn up moto trails.
Present day; I moved across the country long ago, and just recently came back into possession of this gem. I already have a fleet of bikes – mountain, road bike, gravel, single speed townie… you name it. Simply put – I'm not sure what to use this for. It has tremendous sentimental value, but practically there's no reason I would ever use it over something else.
I took it to the local shop and all the mechanics had a real kick taking a look – there was literally a line to examine. However, when I mentioned giving it new life with a restomod of parts, and eventually doing a full paint restoration, I was greeted with tremendous dismay. In my eyes, the value is the legacy of the frame (and moose bars), and I would rather honor that with modern parts and ride instead of leave it in the garage to be stared at, but I also don't want to commit a serious faux pa.
What does Reddit think?
by SubieSki14