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EB15: Ritchey Hits the Trail with New Timberwolf Hardtail and Ascent Tourer; Plus Pedals and More – UPDATED Pricing

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Ritchey_Timberwolf_steel-trail-hardtail-mountain-bike_complete

Ritchey had a few new off-road toys waiting for an adventure at the Eurobike Demo. We were immediately drawn in by the bright orange Timberwolf, a steel trail hardtail designed for a 140mm fork. But there was also an all new touring bike that can be setup with 700c wheels or 650b tires making it a pretty versatile bike for exploring any kind of terrain. In addition to the two new bikes, there were two new trail tires, a new on/off-road drop bar, and two new WCS pedals.

Hop past the break for pics and details, and a teaser of what else we might expect to find when the show goes inside….

Ritchey_Timberwolf_steel-trail-hardtail-mountain-bike_headtube-detail Ritchey_Timberwolf_steel-trail-hardtail-mountain-bike_thru-axle-dropout-detail

The Timberwolf brings back a name from Tom Ritchey’s early days, and updates it into an aggressive all-mountain trail hardtail built around a 140mm fork. It gets a new version of Ritchey’s forged and machined tapered headtube that yields great stiffness in a light and nice looking shape.

Ritchey_Timberwolf_steel-trail-hardtail-mountain-bike_actual-weight-12310g Ritchey_Timberwolf_steel-trail-hardtail-mountain-bike_bottom-bracket-dropper-post-routing-detail Ritchey_Timberwolf_steel-trail-hardtail-mountain-bike_frame-disc-dropout-detail

The medium sized complete bike weighed 12.31kg with the new trail pedals (below.) The frame gets Convertible dropouts for either a 142×12 thru-axle or a standard QR, and clears up to a 2.4” tire. It also gets a 30.9mm seat post for dropper post compatibility, with internal routing options. Retail is said to be $1200/1300€ for the frame only.

Ritchey_Trail-Bite_650b_2-25-inch_trail-bike-tire Ritchey_Trail-Bite_650b_2-25-inch_trail-bike-tire_tread-detail

The new Timber wolves had a couple of new tires on them. The first, the Trail Bite, comes in a 650b or 29″ x 2.25″ and is designed as either a front or rear tire. The WCS version gets a tubeless ready bead and a soft rubber compound.

Ritchey_Trail-Drive_650b_2-25-inch_trail-bike-tire Ritchey_Trail-Drive_650b_2-25-inch_trail-bike-tire_tread-detail

The Trail Drive is a rear-specific tread. It comes in the same sizes, and both will be available in the 120tpi WCS or 30tpi Comp versions. WCS pricing for either tread will be $75/81€ for the 650b and $80/86€ for the 29er.

Ritchey_Ascent_steel-touring-bike_complete Ritchey_Ascent_steel-touring-bike_Mountain-650b-setup

The Ascent is all about flexibility to take to from commuting to adventures off the beaten path. It comes with a full setup of fender, rack, and bottle braze-ons to support any kind of exploring. It has built-in wheel choice flexibility, and fits up to a 700c x 40mm cross tire or a 650b x 2.1” mountain tire.

Ritchey_Ascent_steel-touring-bike_actual-weight-10790g Ritchey_Ascent_steel-touring-bike_fork-disc-detail Ritchey_Ascent_steel-touring-bike_frame-disc-dropout-detail

It gets the Ritchey forged and machined, straight 1 1/8” headtube and a Ritchey CroMo fork with lowrider mounts. It will retail for $1900/1300€ including the frame, fork, and headset. We, along with you readers, were pretty taken back by the pricing difference between the Timberwolf and Ascent that was given to us at the start of Eurobike. We did get a chance to talk to Ritchey in some more depth today, and they did confirm that the actual price for the Ascent will be $1200/1300€, and will include the frame, fork, and headset.

Ritchey_WCS-EvoMax-flared-road-handlebar_Swiss-Cross

The first of the new bars we got to try, the EvoMax is designed for gravel road riding and cyclocross, or just long days adventuring. It has flared drops to add forearm clearance in the drops for better leverage and control, especially in rough terrain.

Ritchey_WCS-EvoMax-flared-road-handlebar_on-trail Ritchey_WCS-EvoMax-flared-road-handlebar_profile

By spreading out 12° in the drops, the bar gets more comfortable hand positions and is said to alleviate tension and soreness in the wrists after long days on the bike. It also gets a compact shape, with a short reach and drop, and has 4° of sweep on the tops. The WCS triple butted 7050 bar will be available in 40, 42, 44, and 46cm widths (measured at the hoods) and  will retail for $100/108€. A Comp version will also be available.

Ritchey_WCS-Trail_mountain-bike-pedal_side Ritchey_WCS-XC-Trail_mountain-bike-pedals

Ritchey’s WCS XC pedals get a complete design overhaul and add a new Trail friend. The big change is that the front claw of the engagement system is fixed on the pedal (only the rear claw moves) which was a direct response to their top pro Nino Schurter, who wanted a more solid entry and release. The axle system gets updated too, with an even lower axle-to-cleat height, and a wider pedal body. The 298g XC pedals will sell for $150/162€, and the 347g Trail pedals will be $170/184€.

Besides all this, it looks like Ritchey has a few new road wheelsets to show us this week, as well as a new integrated road bar/stem, and some 700c tires. Keep an eye out for a whirlwind of more new products from Eurobike for the next couple of weeks.

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sporobolus
sporobolus
8 years ago

worth noting that Ritchey had an Ascent model circa 1985; as i recall it was a stab at mass-production, not fillet-brazed, but still a bit classy and quirky (came with black bull-moose bars and roller-cam brake under the BB); mine was stolen in Minneapolis in 1998, may it ride on

sevy
sevy
8 years ago

So the Ascent is NOT a break-away frame??

Mike A.
Mike A.
8 years ago

The timber wolf is just the sort of bike I want next, basically a all mountain/trail hardtail, and Ritchey is debuting theirs, while other companies have been dropping their versions. I guess it goes on the shortlist

WillyB
WillyB
8 years ago

Anyone know if that Ascent is a threaded BB? If so, I’m in.

Josh
Josh
8 years ago

$1900 m-fing dollars for that Taiwanese tig-welded Maxway frame? Is that a joke?

You can get an American made Elephant Bicycles NFE for ~$1300. This one doesn’t half-ass it, and goes all in on 650b wheels.

He’ll even do full-custom for $1700.

john
john
8 years ago

i think its great ritchey is coming out with new bikes, expanding the line up. I would also prefer if it was made in america but to be fair i bet they are very good bikes. I’m interested the ascent myself, looking forward to seeing it in person

butt
butt
8 years ago

Mike: Kona Honzo.

pmurf
pmurf
8 years ago

@John, I normally hate “cost complaint” comments, but in this case I have to side with you. I think the Timberwolf price was on point, but just shy of $2K for the Ascent is lofty, especially since there are similar options for a lot less, both stock and custom.

Prices aside, so glad to see Ritchey branching out from their normal vein – great looking bikes!

pmurf
pmurf
8 years ago

I meant @josh – sorry @john 🙂

JBikes
JBikes
8 years ago

Don’t almost all disc equipped bikes with ample clearance have “built-in wheel choice flexibility”

Josh
Josh
8 years ago

@pmurf – Yeah, I actually like Ritchey a lot. I had a vintage Road Logic that I’ll always regret selling, and I’ve been mulling over buying a new one for two years. Also, I rode a friend’s Swiss Cross and felt some magic in the Ritchey Logic tubing. But this Ascent, for me, just totally misses the mark.

gatorskin
gatorskin
8 years ago

I don’t like how ritchey design is always chasing after trends few years behind. Red touring bike looks cool, but the orange one could be better.
I had upsetting experiences with ritchey design products, including one of the new frames, pedals and carbon-noodle fork.

that said, i would love to have any TOM Ritchey bike/parts pre-1995.

gatorskin
gatorskin
8 years ago

Also, riches design bros… shoppers are looking for frames that can take 27.5×3… you missed the boat there.

Mike S
Mike S
8 years ago

I’ll be that $1900 price quoted for the Ascent is wrong. Maybe for a breakaway version but I think that the basic version will be quite a bit lower… or they will never sell.

Mike S
Mike S
8 years ago

and yea… the Timberwolf missed the 2016 boat without having room for 27.5plus tires. Some minor changes to chainstays and you’d have a bomber hardtail.

Ck
Ck
8 years ago

The Ascent is exactly the type of bike I want, but as others have said, it’s price point misses the mark. I’d buy an NFE before it.

Stan P
8 years ago

If that weight for the Ascent is correct (10.79 kg or 23.78 lbs), that is fairly light for a steel touring bike with a rack.

Reformed Roadie
Reformed Roadie
8 years ago

How is the Timberwolf almost a grand better then an On-One 45650B? That is on expensive sticker on the downtube…

Sully
Sully
8 years ago

Ritchey built themselves a Kona Explosif!
Great looking bike though!
Love me some hard tail.

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