Looking for my first bike to turn into an all terrain cruising machine.
This bike is local to me for $250. I think its a 1983 and the frame dimensions appear to be perfect for me, and I love the bars. Although I'm not completely thrilled on the color and lack of graphics. I also don't know much about ritchey/fisher but from my understanding this is a rare bike.
Id like to do 1x drivetrain, with nice wide tubeless tires and v brakes. Maybe replace the saddle and grips and i think I'd have a great all terrain cruiser. What do you guys think?
by addr0x414b
14 Comments
$250 seems steep but that being said it’s a quality old frame. It’s going to need some restoration. If I really wanted it, $250 is OK, but I’d likely say $200 is more reasonable. But it all depends on your market. If these bikes go fast, $250 it is.
Yes, it will cruise. Sounds like you’re prepared to blowup the budget on the build regardless, so just go for it 👍
It’s not what they claim it is. Fisher Mountain Bikes that were made by Ritchey were actually made by Tom Ritchey in California, not in Japan.
This bike doesn’t have some of the hallmarks of even a Japanese made tig-welded Ritchey, such as the fillet brazed seat stay cluster.
Edit: I think this is a Ritchey designed frame produced by Toyo.
Only if it was in better shape. Personally I would pass or offer 140.
Albuquerque
80% sure that isn’t a ritchey.
There’s a 83 Ritchey that looks legit and in like new condition on the Juneau, AK Craigslist for 450. I think it sounds ok on the price, what does the community think?
For $1,000 USD all-in you can have a sick 29″ modern mountain bike that does a lot more cool things and also cruises.
I would be okay with it in my size, because of the deerhead groupset, the bar/stem Combo and the cool frame
Interesting post from bikeforums on the story of these bikes: [https://www.bikeforums.net/15893079-post6.html](https://www.bikeforums.net/15893079-post6.html) I didn’t realize Tom Ritchey was old enough to be making mountain bikes in 1893 he looks good as hell for his age.
*”This is a Ritchey Montare made in Tokyo Japan by the Toyo factory. They were imported exclusively to Canada; and no where else in the world AFAIR. They were a stop gap measure, at the time, to fill the demand for Ritchey mountain bikes, primarily in Vancouver. (In the early 80’s Vancouver consumed 80-90% of Ritchey’s domestic production and there was a several month waiting list for frames. Thousands and thousands of these were sold for just under $1000 from 1893? to 1988? They were so popular that bike messengers called them Camaros. In a way it was an answer to Mike Sinyard’s upstart Specialized Stump Jumper.*
*In 1982?, Gary Fisher, Tom Ritchey and Jacob Heilbron (Rocky Mountain) went to Japan with designs and ideas. Toyo made frames, Nitto made bars and Araya made rims IRC made tires. Information about mountain biking was also disseminated to Shimano, Suntour, Panasonic and other Japanese bike component and frame manufacturers. (The Deore and Mountech components came from these meetings I believe,) From what I recall, Tom Ritchey, Charley Kelly and Gary Fisher had a falling out over the issue of domestic vs Japanese production of Ritchey Mountain Bikes as a way to grow their company “Mountain Bikes. Tom approved the sale of the bikes in Canada but not in the US. Gary broke away and took the Mountain Bikes name and started selling Fisher Montare bikes, in the states. There was a lot of politics involved but I wasn’t really included in it. I was the designer and tester for Rocky Mountain at the time so I had my own problems.*
*This bike is truly a piece of the history of mountain biking but it is not very rare. It has an excellent ride and is extremely robust and durable.*
*Pip”*
$100
Not in that condition, maybe 150$
Id say no way that bike is flying off the shelf
How old is the post?, the older the post the more the price goes down ..on some level. Or at least change of bartering price goes up
Totally unmaintained , a lot of rust and gook. Bottom bracket might have severe problems
Headset bearings look bad
I’m def no expert , this just my shoot from the hip opinion
Id test ride it
And offer $100
If he/she says no, just walk 🙂
I’d say no in this market. $150 maybe. IMHO.