[RBW] Tom Ritchey, in His Own Words
In December, 2010 there was some discussion on the Classic Rendezvous (CR) email group about Tom Ritchey, the frame-builder and component and tire designer who was a co-founder of the first mountain bike company and built the first large run of mountain bikes ever sold. The main question on the CR forum was How does one tell which Ritchey frames were made by Tom himself? I've been a fan and friend of Tom's for a long time, so I contacted him directly with the questions, so that hearsay would be replaced with the true facts and history. Tom and I had an extensive back-and- forth, much of it via voicemail as he was traveling in Asia. I've typed up our correspondence, both written and verbal, which explains why it sounds a bit breezy and conversational, and present it here as Tom Ritchey in his Own Words: http://www.XO-1.org Permanent Link: http://www.xo-1.org/2011/01/tom-ritchey-in-his-own-words.html Tom provided lots of historical photos, too, plus some current shots of him brazing a frame, so I hope you enjoy the post! Yours in sport, Chris Kostman La Jolla, CA -- AdventureCORPS, Inc. 638 Lindero Canyon Rd #311 Oak Park, CA 91377 USA http://www.adventurecorps.com http://www.badwater.com http://www.the508.com http://www.XO-1.org -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
[RBW] 80 For Haiti: DATE CHANGE to February 13
We are dismayed to announce that we are forced to change the date of the 80 FOR HAITI event. Rather than February 6, the ride will take place February 13. All other details will remain the same. In response to the tragedy in Haiti, we have been pulling this event together quickly. We chose the original February 6 date because it is soon and because no other century or double century cycling event is happening in Southern California on that date. Unfortunately, there is a traditional bicycle road race (Boulevard Road Race) happening on the very same roads that we intend to use on February 6. They use the roads all day long. They do not shut down the roads to traffic, but bicycles are not allowed to be on the route except for racers. Riding in the opposite direction is not allowed for any cyclists. That means we can't get through. Finally, please tell a friend. In fact, please tell lots of friends. We have had a good response in terms of fundraising (over $2000 so far, although our goal is $20,000) since we announced this ride a few days ago, however actual ridership is nowhere near what we hoped or expected. To be honest, as of right now, just six people have signed up for the ride. So please help spread the word. Hosting the event a week later than originally planned will give us another week to promote it, which is the silver lining of this unfortunate date change. Thank you for your support and understanding. We hope to see you out there on February 13. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! PLEASE JOIN US! PLEASE DONATE! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 80 FOR HAITI BENEFIT CYCLING EVENT (FEB 13, NOT FEB 6) PLEASE distribute via all possible email groups, blogs, and media channels. Thank you! L'Union Fait la Force / Strength Through Unity = National Motto of Haiti LA JOLLA, CA - AdventureCORPS, Inc., an athlete-run firm producing some of the world's toughest sports events - including the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508 races in Death Valley - will host 80 FOR HAITI, a cycling benefit ride for Haiti relief supporting Mercy Corps on Saturday, February 13, 2010. The event will feature an 80-mile ride along Old Hwy 80 in southeastern San Diego County. There will be an $80 entry fee and 100% of the entry fees will go directly to Mercy Corps, one of the most respected relief organizations worldwide. AdventureCORPS will absorb all costs, but food, drink, and support sponsors are being sought. The 80 FOR HAITI cycling event start / finish line is just 44 miles east of San Diego, in Pine Valley, CA. The route is spectacular, on absolutely quiet roads through rolling terrain. As international relief efforts continue in Haiti, a Mercy Corps earthquake response team is in Port-au-Prince responding to urgent needs. Registering for this ride - or donating to the cause, if you can't do the actual ride - will help families in Haiti recover from the most powerful quake to hit the country in more than 200 years. Mercy Corps relief workers with experience in disaster responses ranging from Hurricane Katrina to the Myanmar cyclone are converging on Haiti from Africa, Asia, and North America. They're focusing first on the immediate needs -- for water, food, temporary shelter supplies and much more -- and expanding their work to three areas: clean water, post-trauma support for children, and job creation. The needs in Haiti are immense. Its capital lies in ruins, as many as 200,000 may be dead, and survivors are increasingly desperate for food, clean water and shelter. Please ride 80 For Haiti and/or give what you can to help families recover. Cycling participants in 80 FOR HAITI must pre-register for the event, so that we can plan accordingly. PLEASE register prior to February 6 for the ride. Donations will be accepted through February 13, and beyond. Click here for all the 80 FOR HAITI information and the Link to Registration / Donation: http://www.adventurecorps.com/80/index.html Don't Want to, or Can't, Ride 80 FOR HAITI, but you still want to donate? Or perhaps you and your friends want to ride your own 80 FOR HAITI near where you live? Go for it! Please use this link and DONATE NOW directly to Mercy Corps: http://www.mercycorps.org/fundraising/adventurecorps 80 FOR HAITI HIGHLIGHTS: • February 13, 2010 • Held along Eastern San Diego County's Old Hwy 80: Minimal traffic, no traffic lights, and just a few stop signs. • Three well-stocked checkpoints, plus roving SAG support vehicles on the course. • The entry fee is a minimum $80 donation: 100% of ALL entry fees will go to Mercy Corps. ABOUT THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake with the epicenter near Léogane, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:10 local time (21:53:10 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010
[RBW] Please support 80 For Haiti on February 6
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE distribute via all possible email groups, blogs, and media channels. Thank you! L'Union Fait la Force / Strength Through Unity (National Motto of Haiti) LA JOLLA, CA - AdventureCORPS, Inc., an athlete-run firm producing some of the world's toughest sports events - including the Badwater Ultramarathon and Furnace Creek 508 races in Death Valley - will host 80 FOR HAITI, a cycling benefit ride for Haiti relief supporting Mercy Corps on Saturday, February 6, 2010. The event will feature an 80-mile ride along Old Hwy 80 in southeastern San Diego County. There will be an $80 entry fee and 100% of the entry fees will go directly to Mercy Corps, one of the most respected relief organizations worldwide. AdventureCORPS will absorb all costs, but food, drink, and support sponsors are being sought. (A county permit is being applied for today for this event.) The 80 for Haiti cycling event start / finish line is just 44 miles east of San Diego, in Pine Valley, CA. The route is spectacular, on absolutely quiet roads through rolling terrain. As international relief efforts continue in Haiti, a Mercy Corps earthquake response team is in Port-au-Prince responding to urgent needs. Registering for this ride - or donating to the cause, if you can't do the actual ride - will help families in Haiti recover from the most powerful quake to hit the country in more than 200 years. Mercy Corps relief workers with experience in disaster responses ranging from Hurricane Katrina to the Myanmar cyclone are converging on Haiti from Africa, Asia, and North America. They're focusing first on the immediate needs -- for water, food, temporary shelter supplies and much more -- and expanding their work to three areas: clean water, post-trauma support for children, and job creation. The needs in Haiti are immense. Its capital lies in ruins, as many as 200,000 may be dead, and survivors are increasingly desperate for food, clean water and shelter. Please ride 80 For Haiti and/or give what you can to help families recover. Cycling participants in 80 FOR HAITI must pre-register for the event, so that we can plan accordingly. PLEASE register prior to January 31 for the ride. Donations will be accepted through February 6, and beyond. Can you ride 80 miles for Haiti? | Can you donate $80 (or more) for Haiti, whether you ride or not? | Can you help us spread the word about this event - RIGHT NOW? Please do! Click here for all the 80 FOR HAITI information and the Link to Registration / Donation: http://www.adventurecorps.com/80/index.html Don't Want to, or Can't, Ride 80 FOR HAITI, but you still want to donate? Or perhaps you and your friends want to ride your own 80 FOR HAITI near where you live? Go for it! Please use this link and DONATE NOW directly to Mercy Corps: http://www.mercycorps.org/fundraising/adventurecorps 80 FOR HAITI HIGHLIGHTS: • February 6, 2010 • Held along Eastern San Diego County's Old Hwy 80: Minimal traffic, no traffic lights, and just a few stop signs. • Three well-stocked checkpoints, plus roving SAG support vehicles on the course. • The entry fee is a minimum $80 donation: 100% of ALL entry fees will go to Mercy Corps. ABOUT THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake with the epicenter near Léogane, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, striking at 16:53:10 local time (21:53:10 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of at least 33 aftershocks, fourteen of them between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake, and the Haitian Interior Minister believes that up to 200,000 have died as a result of the disaster, exceeding earlier Red Cross estimates of 45,000–50,000. Several prominent public figures are among the dead. The Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive recently announced that over 70,000 bodies have been buried in mass graves. Source (and more details): Wikipedia.com OFFICIAL CHARITY The Official Charity of 80 FOR HAITI is Mercy Corps. Mercy Corps is a team of 3700 professionals helping turn crisis into opportunity for millions around the world. By trade, they are engineers, financial analysts, drivers, community organizers, project managers, public health experts, administrators, social entrepreneurs and logisticians. In spirit, they are activists, optimists, innovators and proud partners of the people they serve. According to their website: Mercy Corps has long been recognized as an excellent steward of the resources entrusted to it. Over the past five years, more than 89 percent of our resources have been allocated to programs that help people in need
[RBW] Rough Riders Rally: registration open for July 23-25 multi-surface cycling festival
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE ASAP Rough Riders Rally is AdventureCORPS' new multi-surface cycling festival based in Marin County which celebrates the Any Bike, Anywhere ethos. The first event of its kind, the Rally includes three days of world-class cycling on trails, fire roads, and pavement, a display of participants’ bikes, photography competition, dinners, and a live webcast. MILL VALLEY, CA - AdventureCORPS, Inc. an athlete-run firm producing and promoting ultra-endurance and extreme sports events, lifestyle, and media, is pleased to announce the inaugural Rough Riders Rally, a multi-surface cycling festival based in Marin County on July 23-25, 2010 which celebrates the Any Bike, Anywhere ethos. Rough Riding is not defined by the type of bicycle or type of riding surface. Rough Riding is a state of mind, a riding style with limitless freedom and an all-pervasive sense of adventure. The Rough Riders slogan is Any Bike, Anywhere and the general idea is to use as little technology as possible while traversing a variety of riding surfaces and terrains. Hence, one of the Rough Riders' mantras is technique beats technology. For some Rough Riders, that means riding a road bike with 25mm tyres on mountain bike trails. For others, it means tackling any and all surfaces while riding a cyclocross bike, an old-school mountain bike, a 70s or 80s era road bike retrofitted with 650B wheels, a classic touring bike, or a world tour-ready 29er rig. The current bicycle industry, from major manufacturers to boutique frame builders, is also beginning to address this niche market, creating bicycles, or even lines of bicycles, under such monikers as All Road Bikes, All-Rounders, and Adventure Bikes. Regardless of bicycle choice, the goal of Rough Riding is to tackle any and all possible combinations of trails, fire roads, gravel roads, paved roads, singletrack, and any other possible riding surface - all within one ride, on just one bike. Perhaps the greatest beauty of Rough Riding is that any possible ride route can be created and enjoyed: Rough Riders do not choose between road biking and mountain biking and subsequently let the bicycle determine the route and terrain of any given ride. Instead, creative, first ascent- style rides can be strung together in one epic route which involves all manner of riding surfaces, sights, sounds, and scenes. The Rough Riding goal, perhaps? To see it all and do it all, to truly have an adventure. The Rough Riders Rally will include a Friday afternoon ride, followed by a pizza party catered by Stefano's Solar-Powered Pizza and hosted at Tam Bikes in Mill Valley. Saturday will be the big day: a six hour ride in spectacular terrain, with each rider and their bike being photographed with a scenic backdrop along the route. Later that afternoon the bikes will be assembled for a bike show. (To enter a bike in the show, it must have been ridden on the full route, including the photograph. No for looking only; not for riding bikes may be shown.) There will also be a Rough Riding Photography Competition for which Rally participants may submit images in advance; the images will be shown during the Rally weekend. At the Saturday night Rough Riders Annual Shindig, all the bikes will be on display, awards will be given for various bike AND photo categories, and a tasty dinner will be catered by Punjabi Burrito. It will be a fantastic, fun evening of story-swapping and camaraderie. Sunday morning, Rally participants will ride Railroad Grade to the summit of Mt. Tam, then return to Mill Valley for a social hour or two at The Depot Café, before departing town. The Rough Riders Rally will be based in Mill Valley, CA in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking. Marin County offers truly superb cycling, with fantastic views of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, Mt. Tamalpais (Mt. Tam), Tiburon, Mill Valley, the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and dramatic, rugged Northern California coastline. Marin County is cycling paradise, a region unparalleled for its beauty, diversity of scenery and riding surfaces, and its cycling-friendly trail signage and local population! It promises to be a very fun weekend in an absolutely spectactular cycling paradise. The host hotel for the Rough Riders Rally is Acqua Hotel of Mill Valley. The official bicycle shop, and venue for the pizza party, is Tam Bikes of Mill Valley. The official nutrition sponsor is Hammer Nutrition of White Fish, Montana. The Rough Riders Annual Shindig will take place at Tam Valley Community Center. Additional sponsors are being sought, including a Marin-based brewery. A “live” webcast of the Rough Riders Rally will be produced by AdventureCORPS throughout July 23-25. Additionally, all participants, and all participants' bikes, will be photographed
[RBW] Rough Riders Semi-Epic on November 21
Hi! You're invited to a Rough Riders Semi-Epic in the Santa Monica Mountains on Saturday, November 21. Please join us for this multi-surface, multi-terrain ride and please help spread the word! Info here: http://www.xo-1.org/ Yours in sport, Chris Kostman -- AdventureCORPS, Inc. 638 Lindero Canyon Rd #311 Oak Park, CA 91377 USA http://www.adventurecorps.com http://www.badwater.com http://www.the508.com http://www.XO-1.org -- Sign up for our email newsletter! Click here: http://www.adventurecorps.com/lists.html -- --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups RBW Owners Bunch group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
