Tom Ritchey

Tom Ritchey ( born 1956 ) is a bicycle frame builders and designers. He is the founder and owner of the brand Ritchey Design. Considered together with Joe Breeze and Gary Fisher as the inventor of mountain bikes. In addition, he is still known as a successful mountain bikers and road cyclists.

Mountain bike

With his friends Gary Fisher and Joe Breeze Ritchey drove in the early 1970s in California with old bikes down the hills. Gradually, the technology of these wheels has been modified so that higher and higher exit speeds were possible at ever more difficult terrain. Since there were no all-terrain bicycle parts at this time, parts were used from the motocross area or even manufactured. The ever increasing demand for these parts moved Tom Ritchey, Charlie Kelley and Gary Fisher mountain bikes establishing the company. This was the first manufacturer of parts and complete bikes.

Ritchey Design

Tom Ritchey broke up in 1983 by the company mountain bike and started to build his own bicycle parts and frame with the company Ritchey Design. Many innovations in the mountain area go to Ritchey Design back (eg clipless pedals ). Today, Ritchey Design focuses only on the construction of bicycle parts and to the designing of the bicycle frame.