Some cool news out of San Carlos, California. It seems that Ritchey Design is bringing back the Road Logic Frameset. This time, it’s the Signature Edition, with Tom himself putting his name right there on the top tube. The frame is beautiful and covered in Ritchey Classic Red.
Tom Ritchey has been bending, brazing, and welding steel tubes since before some of us were born; I mean, not me, but some of us. And having his signature on this particular frame is actually making a statement, and not some marketing trick.
The statement is a “yeah, I stand behind this one” kind of statement. There is something very beautiful about a skinny-tubed, svelte road bike frame. Look, I don’t even ride road anymore, but I would love to build this frame up.
Steel is Still Real…
Ritchey Design Marketing Director explains, “There is still real demand for high-quality rim-brake steel road framesets. Devotees of such bikes know that this special Road Logic will deliver on the promise of a ride feel that moves the soul of its pilot. And they’re going to love seeing Tom’s signature on the top tube.”
The new Ritchey Road Logic uses Tom’s own heat-treated, triple-butted Logic tubeset, with short-butted sections specifically tuned for TIG welding. Tom’s attention to detail when frame building after fifty-plus years in the game is either admirable obsession or just what happens when framebuilding is literally in your actual blood. Either way, I think it’s the good kind of stubborn.
The new Ritchey Road Logic is spec’d with Ritchey’s carbon fork. A carbon fork on a steel frame is a great idea to keep overall weight to a minimum. But it’s also great for some vibration damping and steering precision. Not to mention, the fork allows for tire clearance up to 30c tires.
Combine the lightweight steel tubset, bigger tires, and a carbon fork, and you get a steel bike doing what a steel bike does best… smooth out bad pavement while still snapping back when you stand up and sprint. The new Ritchey Road Logic is built for the long haul, but not scared to deliver the juice when you ask it to.
The Geometry
Ritchey Road Logic Retail & Detail
Retail: $1,759
- Sizes: 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59cm
- Heat-treated, triple-butted Ritchey Logic tubeset
- TIG-welded
- Ritchey full carbon fork
- 700x30c tire clearance (depending on tire/rim manufacturer)
- Headset: WCS drop-in 1-1/8” (included)
- Weight: 1.77kg (55cm – frame-only)
If you are a cyclist who’s been faithful to the good ol’ rim-brake, this is a nice reminder that some builders are still making bikes that are “simple and light. No discs, no calipers to bleed, no hydraulic lines, and no extra weight. Just a beautiful frame doing its job.
