The Ritchey Project

Given to me by the owner of my childhood bike shop- Backroad Bicycles in Richland Center WI. He closed up shop years back and I was asking him about vintage mountain bikes as he's been an avid MTB'r since the beginning. He said, "Well, I do have this Ritchey in the barn..." It was a total basket case he rescued from a traveling carney who came into the shop to hawk it. Broken spokes, house paint splashed on it, broken and shoddily welded rear brake post, stuck seat post, etc etc. But all the important original stuff was there: wheels, crankset, handlebars, brake levers, brakes. They got the seat post out after a month of penetrating oil applications, but fast forward 30 years, here it is in boxes in the barn. I showed some interest in it, and a month or so later he handed it off to me with the only request being that I get it back on the road. Quite the gift!! I tracked down (mostly) correct parts and had it repainted and the brake post re-done with a NOS Mafac post by a local shop. They did a nice job, but unfortunately followed neither my paint color nor decal request- so it's close...but not quite right. Likewise I ditched the Duopar RD for a Deerhead XT setup that works much better and doesn't make me worried it's going to fold up into my rear wheel. The Swift Tire 'Ripp Johnson Jr' is a great gumwall by Panaracer that's good on-road and off. Great, comfortable, smooth-riding bike. I'm unsure of the year and model, but based on all the clues it seems to be an '81 Everest. Original color I believe was Imron 'Dark Continental Blue' (now 'light rich blue').