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    It’s come to this.

    Ok. I built this cool cat up with period parts and it rides nicely. The deal is I don’t reach for it. It’s a great bike but I don’t like the angle of the bars and I’d rather ride something else. It seems to me that it would be a collectible or nostalgia ride for someone, so for that I’d tend to want to keep the original bars on it. Now help me decide if I should kit it out for my personal preferences or pass it on to someone who would want it for its original coolness. Realistically I’d rather have something with fenders and swept back bars as a bad weather bike. I’m leaning toward selling it. Don’t want space taken up with things I don’t ride. 83ish Japanese built ritchey “mountain bikes” brand

    by ibeforeexceptexcept

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    11 Comments

    1. Commiefornian on

      Neat. You don’t see many Mountain Bikes-brand mountain bikes.

      Why not uncrimp the cable caps, and pull off the whole handlebar assembly intact? Then build another. It’s not that much more expensive, and you’d be able to revert easily.

    2. PoisonIvyPrince on

      You do you, buddy – but never feel bad about building up a bike the way you want it. That bike will accept fenders and swept back bars, no problem. You can even throw on a different drivetrain, V brakes, whatever wheels you want, dynamo, etc. None of this stuff is irreversible. Life is short. Do what makes you happy.

    3. Busy-Course-9855 on

      This is a low end Ascent, why not go for one of the better Ritcheys? “B” frames are relatively inexpensive, if you have deeper pockets go for a “C” frame or one of the other Bay Area fillet brazed bikes?
      Potts, Otis Guy are good choices.

    4. psyentologists on

      > Now help me decide if I should kit it out for my personal preferences

      Unless you’re assembling it to hang in a museum, why would you build a bike any other way?

      I have a number of friends who get obsessed with their builds, waiting for their preferred color of Crust frame to come back into stock, attempting to create perfect reproductions of vintage bikes, or constantly searching for the correct expensive Japanese bell they feel they need to finish their bike, and they’re the friends who ride the least.

    6. MonsterKabouter on

      It’s a nice package. I would try to sell and just build something else, there are plenty of unoriginal bikes around to mess with. But if there’s no takers, also wouldn’t worry too much about taking this apart

    7. frogs_fear_me on

      This is the age old conundrum! I’ve sold bikes I thought were too original to take apart and the next owner took it apart (or might have let it rot outside).

      Just do what you want. The important thing is it’s getting ridden.

    8. Psychological-Tell21 on

      Dude I’m in the same boat. I have two beautiful (I think resto’s) that took a fine tooth comb too. With no intention to sell initially. Just wanted cool, period correct shit. Then they just sit. Getting clanked around next to my go-to bikes. I feel bad. If I had the space I’d be a collector. But I don’t.

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