This rad bike is now available on auction! Bid today!

On most days, we have volunteers in the warehouse to accept and process donations. A lot of times, our volunteers aren’t able to identify something really special when it rolls through the doors. And that’s okay. The beauty of BBP is that really special things roll through our doors day after day after day. And kids’ bikes are equally as valuable as the priciest rides. Back when this 1981 Ritchey rolled in, nobody with an eye for it was in the warehouse. So we didn’t get to meet the donor, shake their hand, and say thank you. And they didn’t outwardly identify themselves. Again, that’s part of the beauty at BBP. It’s always hard to decide what to do with a donation of this value. There are many ways we could go. Ultimately we decided to auction it at its full value to support our programs. And the auction is finally live! We’ve chosen ebay as our platform, and the auction ends on October 9. We know there’s a special niche of collectors out there who’d like to call this Ritchey their own. Or maybe you’re looking for your own special piece of bicycle history.

Bid today!

-Em

Hands down this Ritchey is the best mountain bike of 2020. Well, maybe you won’t be seeing any World Cup downhill racers finishing the podium on this…. BUT, for us at BBP, this blast from the past is definitely our favorite mountain bike we’ve seen all year. There is no doubt it’ll be yours too after you see how rad it is.

History

This 1981 Ritchey Everest came straight out of someone’s garage from what I like to call klunker heaven (a.k.a. Marin County). It’s where all bikes we know and love today—our Stumpjumpers, Konas, and what not—were initially dreamt up.

At the time, the term “mountain bike” barely even existed. Far away would be the days when everyone and their cats would be riding down mountains in the Foothills..

Instead, as said in a catalog from 1981, Tom Ritchey’s bike was “the state of the art in hand-brazed, custom balloon-tired bicycles.”

Eventually, “balloon-tired” became cumbersome to say, and by 1983 bicycle magazines started bringing the term “mountain bike” to the masses.

The Ritchey we have at BBP actually had two names, as model names weren’t clearly defined until the mid-80s. Depending on who you ask, it’s either called the Ritchey Everest or the Ritchey MountainBike (no space).

Regardless, Tom Ritchey was one of the first to coin the term on a production bike. If it weren’t for him, we’d still be calling our rigs “balloon-tired” (you can if ya still want to though).

But don’t let this bike’s age fool you. It may be from a time when we didn’t use the word “mountain bike,” but it's still got all the modern luxuries we have today.

When you think of a modern mountain bike, you probably picture full suspension, wide gear ranges, disc brakes, and a dropper seatpost all on a sleek, lightweight carbon frame. And let me tell you, this still has all of those and even more.

Full suspension? You got those 2.125-inch balloon tires AND 130mm of travel in your arms and legs.

Wide gear range? A whopping 6-speed freewheel on a Bullseye hub, with TA Cyclotourist 3x cranks (18 speeds—more than the 2020 Specialized Stuntjumper!).

Disc brakes? A massive 26-inch rotor (i.e. your rim) with Mafac Cantilever Tandem brake arm—it’s meant for two people so you know it’s good.

Dropper post? State of the art, infinitely adjustable 150mm SR Laprade quick-release seatpost.

Even more? Friction shifting smoother-than-GX Eagle, and the widest, fileted brazed Bullmoose Handlebar sure to get you a free beer at any bike bar.

This “lightweight, extremely rugged” steel frame bike was meant to be taken down any mountain trail, up any muddy slope, and back down every city street. Each component was intentionally picked, and their craftsmanship and durability speak for themselves.

Bike Nerdy Specs

Make: Ritchey

Model: Everest/MountainBikes I 

Year: 1981

Serial Number: 1R010 

Frameset: Reynolds 531 Steel 

Bottom Bracket: Custom Ritchey Press Fit Bearings

Crankset: TA Cyclotourist (26/38/48)

Pedals: MKS Grafight 2000 BMX Pedals

Rear Derailleur: Suntour MounTech 4900

Front Derailleur: Shimano XT Dear Head

Shifters: SunTour Mighty Thumb shifter.

Handlebars: Tom Ritchey custom “Bullmoose” bar/stem

Seatpost: Extra-long SR Laprade

Saddle: Avocet Touring II

Brake Levers: Magura motorcycle levers

Brakes: Mafac Tandem Cantilever

Who is this bike for?

This bike has been sitting at the BBP collecting dust and constant stares from our staff every day. It’s too pretty not to be preserved. And when I say preserved, I mean it still has many mountains to send, dirt to shred, and miles to ride. This bike is begging to be your life-long commuter, and it won’t disappoint you.

Ride it like a BMX bike. Ride it like a road bike. Ride it like your full suspension mountain bike.

Come check out this bike at BBP, and ride it home today.