# Ritchey Everest



## KingSized HD (Nov 11, 2018)

Just brought this back to life. It’s a 25” frame in Imron Firethorn Red, biplane fork, Campy BMX pedals, Araya rims, DT Swiss spokes, Smoke/Dart Panaracers, Phil Wood hubs, etc The previous owner added the SE Pedersen brakes.  I’m the second owner. The frame is dated 1981 but the Ritchey Mountainbike partnership started for the ‘82 model year. It rides like a dream. I already have another Ritchey so not sure how long I’ll keep this one.


----------



## GTs58 (Nov 11, 2018)

Geeze, look at that tall frame and rear gears. I bet that would climb 50 + degrees with the rider throwing down a Coors and smoking a cigarette.


----------



## fat tire trader (Nov 12, 2018)

I would expect an Everest to have a clamp-on fillet brazed bar. I would call this a "B" model.


----------



## fat tire trader (Nov 12, 2018)

Also the shifetrs and brake levers are newer than 81. There might be a year in the plastic under the saddle.


----------



## KingSized HD (Nov 12, 2018)

Good catch on the shifters & brake handles! Unfortunately, when I found the bike it had been converted to a cyclocross (See below) so I had to make some choices with replacement parts in the handlebar area. Bullmoose bars with the built-in stem and expander wedges are correct for '81 & '82. The catalog only specs "Suntour thumbshifters" so I used the ST Power Thumbs but I have a pair of ST XC shifters which I now think were correct for '82. I have to decide how original I want to make the bike, including correct Magura brakes & brake handles, Avocet Touring II saddle, derailleurs (which I hear didn't work well) and even replacing the cracking decals. The bike shows some scratches you'd expect of a used mountain bike and I decided I'm leaving original paint so this isn't going to be a complete restoration. 
Through my research the frame features show it's definitely an Everest, no question. One quick tell-tale sign are the bump-outs top and bottom of the lightened headtube you can see in the below pic. There are other things but that's easy to see right off.


----------



## fat tire trader (Nov 16, 2018)

I'm sorry, I disagree with some of your assumptions about your bike, model and parts. I bought my first Ritchey in 1981 and I used to hang out in the Mountainbikes shop in San Anselmo and go for rides with them back then. I opened my first shop, The Fat Tire Trading Post in 1986 in the very same location where the Mountainbikes shop had been at 1501 San Anselmo Avenue.


----------



## KingSized HD (Nov 16, 2018)

Great, maybe we can set the record straight for anyone using this for reference in the future and I'm looking for help with what parts would be correct.  I've used the Ritchey Project website here for most of my research. I've also read a lot of forum comments on mtbr.com from Charlie Kelly who helped build these bikes.
My bike's serial number is 1R0161, it has what I believe (based on the battle scars) are original paint and decals. I believe it's a late 1981 produced in the period they were switching over from the "Ritchey" branding to the "Ritchey Mountainbikes" branding.
Below are pages from the first catalog year showing the "Ritchey Mountainbikes" branding, 1982. The Everest model was made on the custom "Mountainbikes I" frameset. The cheaper McKinley, Tamalpais and Sierra models were built on the standardized "Mountainbikes II" framesets. I've circled a few points to note:
1. Only the Everest frameset was available with a max 25" size; the size of my bike. The Mountainbikes II frameset had a max. size of 23"
2. Only the Everest was available in ten colors. My bike is the Firethorn Red color. The other models were only available in two colors: Metallic Blue or Dark Grey.
3. Only the Everest had the lightweight headtube resulting in the unique (to that model) top and bottom bumpouts in the headtube. The headtube on the cheaper Mountainbikes II frameset is straight from top to bottom.
4. Tom Ritchey only allowed custom frame options (extra water bottle mount, front rack drilling, rear rack braze-ons, mud flap bosses, full cable tunnels) on the Everest model.  (mine has additional water bottle bosses and front rack drilling)
Finally, it's not noted in the catalog but only the Everest had a ring around the top of the seatpost, as mine has, which was to be a mounting point for a rubber seatpost boot they planned but never put into production.

If any of the above seems wrong to you let me know where you disagree, I've only got the Ritchey catalogs as a reference source.








I'm not certain which parts you are referring to. I concede many of the components on my bike were changed out over the years as parts broke (it's a mountain bike after all) or were replaced with improved technology. I'm the second owner of this bike and don't have the original receipt so it's also possible the original owner only ordered an Everest frameset and built it up with whatever custom components he liked. But that wouldn't change the fact that it's an original Tom Ritchey built Everest. 
The 1982 flyer below discusses Ritchey Bullmoose bars and indicates the bullmoose bars for the Everest would have been clamped however there also seems some room for a stembolt/wedge option being made available as well. Remember that the Everest was a custom ordered bike and I'm pretty sure that option would have been allowed if a customer paying $1500 in '82 requested it. Again though, my bike had it's handlebar area modified so we'll never know how it was ordered.

I haven't represented this bike as an NOS, Original equipment only bike, far from it, as parts were changed by the previous (1st) owner. I'd like to make it closer to original and if you can tell me which SunTour thumbies were the correct model I'd change them out(I don't think the SunTour XCs were right either). I'm looking for Magura clutch levers, I had the heavy motorcycle cabling installed when I recently replaced it so it's ready to go. I'm considering going to the original Huret and Simplex derailleurs but have to decide if I want originality (and the related $500 expense) or the derailleurs it carries now that reportedly work better. I'm also patiently waiting for a clean Avocet Touring II saddle to become available as well as some actual Ritchey bullmoose bars to replace the Nitto bullmoose bars, but they don't come up often. I've given up on a Ritchey clamp-on stem as it appears those were brazed into the steertube and would require a color matching, 25" headtube fork, a near impossibility.

I'm happy and proud to have the bike, it rides awesome since I've rehabbed it and I can overlook the non-OE components while I wait to find out what is "correct" and wait for those parts to become available.  I'd like to hear what your thoughts are on the bike or Ritchey Everests in general since you were around back in the day. Maybe you can also give me some direction as to what you would change most if you owned it, that would be helpful and I'd appreciate that.





L


----------



## Sevenfooter (Nov 16, 2018)

KingSized HD said:


> Great, maybe we can set the record straight for anyone using this for reference in the future and I'm looking for help with what parts would be correct.  I've used the Ritchey Project website here for most of my research. I've also read a lot of forum comments on mtbr.com from Charlie Kelly who helped build these bikes.
> My bike's serial number is 1R0161, it has what I believe (based on the battle scars) are original paint and decals. I believe it's a late 1981 produced in the period they were switching over from the "Ritchey" branding to the "Ritchey Mountainbikes" branding.
> Below are pages from the first catalog year showing the "Ritchey Mountainbikes" branding, 1982. The Everest model was made on the custom "Mountainbikes I" frameset. The cheaper McKinley, Tamalpais and Sierra models were built on the standardized "Mountainbikes II" framesets. I've circled a few points to note:
> 1. Only the Everest frameset was available with a max 25" size; the size of my bike. The Mountainbikes II frameset had a max. size of 23"
> ...


----------



## Sevenfooter (Nov 16, 2018)

Sevenfooter said:


> View attachment 902783
> 
> View attachment 902784
> 
> View attachment 902785



1983 26 inch everest frame 26A3


----------



## Sevenfooter (Nov 16, 2018)

Sevenfooter said:


> 1983 26 inch everest frame 26A3



Original paint and decals


----------



## Sevenfooter (Nov 16, 2018)

Sevenfooter said:


> Original paint and decals



I would be interested if you ever wanted to sell


----------



## fat tire trader (Nov 21, 2018)

I think the biggest mistake that you are making in identifying your bike is this

" it's not noted in the catalog but only the Everest had a ring around the top of the seatpost, as mine has, which was to be a mounting point for a rubber seatpost boot they planned but never put into production."

This is not true.

Also, when you read catalogs, you should allow some room for things to be different than the catalog states.

The real serial number records and dates were not saved. What you read on the website is an attempt to piece the information together.

I looked at some of my bikes. I have one frame, the same as yours with the grooved seat collar and the same head tube, it has a fillet brazed bar, but its not clamp-on. I have two other frames that have the grooved seat collar but have a plain head tube.

The very large gun metal grey frame in this thread is an Everest frame.

You should look for a fillet brazed bar for your bike.


----------



## fat tire trader (Nov 21, 2018)

Here's a picture of me at the starting line of Repack on my first Ritchey Mountainbike.


----------



## KingSized HD (Nov 23, 2018)

Here’s a picture of my wife and I in Bishop with our Mongoose ATB & Alta MTBs,1987. lol


----------



## eshew (Dec 18, 2018)

Digging that Ritchey!

I would agree with the Everest ID. Relieved head tube is the identifier. From what I gather it's unique for the Mountain I / Everest frames. I really do quite like mine


----------



## fat tire trader (Dec 19, 2018)

Your blue bike is an example of an Everest without the clamp-on bar.  The red bike at the beginning of the thread is not an Everest. It is a B model also called a Mountainbikes II frame.


----------



## eshew (Dec 19, 2018)

Are you certain? It was always my understanding that the mountain bikes II frame didn't have the relieved head tube. The red one above has a relieved head tube that's why I assumed it was  a Mountain Bikes I (Oops on the Everest tag, my bad).

Catalog from '82 states the same. That's my only reference as I was 3 years old at the time.  *3rd paragraph states that Mountain Bike II's have straight head tubes*, Mountain Bike (not II's) have relieved.

Or is an 81 B/Mountain Bike II frame identified by something else other then the relieved head tube. It was my understanding that the relieved head tube indicated a Mountain Bikes I frame & that was carried forward to the Everest.


----------



## KingSized HD (Dec 19, 2018)

fat tire trader said:


> Your blue bike is an example of an Everest without the clamp-on bar.  The red bike at the beginning of the thread is not an Everest. It is a B model also called a Mountainbikes II frame.




I think you're mistaken, it is an Everest. Review my post of 11/16. I gave 5 different points of reference pointing to this frame being an Everest including catalog documentation. So you're contradicting all that with an opinion based on the fact that you hung around the shop in the 80s? Or that you've ridden Repack?
Again, ONLY the Everest was made in this frame size, ONLY the Everest (Mountainbike I) frame was available in colors other than blue and grey, ONLY the Everest offered custom braze ons like the extra bottle bottle mount and rack mounts this  bike has (and that's reitereated in the Gary Fisher letter @eshew posted above). I've already said that the handlebars are replacements so don't focus on that but on the frame characteristics as I have above, that's what separates the Everest from the Mountainbike II bikes after all. 
Until you can produce some documentation backing up your opinion, as I have, it's just that, one person's opinion.


----------



## fat tire trader (Dec 22, 2018)

Eshew, Everests always had the pointy seat cluster like your bike has.  The first batch of B models had the special head tube. The subsequent batches did not.  Even when Tom Teesdale took over production, the Everest had the pointy seat tube. I own the first Teesdale 21"Fisher Everest.




More photos can be seen here.
http://fattiretrading.com/fisher.html


Be careful how you read catalogs.

“The text has disappeared under the interpretation.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil


----------



## eshew (Dec 22, 2018)

Gotcha. Totally agree with you on the pointy seat tube.

For the first batch of B models with the relieved head tube, what specific difference identifies those as a B frame as apposed to an A frame?


----------



## SKPC (Dec 23, 2018)

Cool historic bicycle no matter the details.   That RePack photo brings me back to my early MTB days (80's) on fully rigid 18-21speeders.   "Whamo-Bammo"  bikes are what we used to call these early off-road machines as they fed  back every bump or rough spot you rolled over.   Nice historical piece of metal here and very interesting regarding the T.Ritchey early bikes....


----------



## KingSized HD (Dec 23, 2018)

Thanks SKPC, i

“Everests always had the pointy seat cluster like your bike has...”

Incorrect, the grooved seattube collar was on the Everests, you can see it in the Everest catalog page above. Here’s a close-up:





Here’s a quote from Charlie Kelly, who helped build the Everests, at the time, about the groove:
“the groove around the top of the seat clamp was for a short-lived design idea to put a rubber accordion boot on the seatpost. It was lubricated and presumably you raised it and lowered it, so you might as well keep it clean. The groove was to seat a circular clip to hold that end of the boot, with the other end clamped to the SP.”
From this link: https://forums.mtbr.com/vintage-retro-classic/1981-ritchey-everest-s-n-1r0079-467157.html


----------

