Ritchey Rebuild - I Rebuilt My 80's Ritchey Ascent 

I have an 80s Ritchey Enduro that's been hanging in storage for many years. You've just inspired me to get it out and into condition again to ride. Thank you.

I usually don't comment on videos. It's not my thing, really. But recently, ive been getting more and more excited for your videos. Just something about the aesthetic of the talking, and the silence during the building process, makes it just nice to watch. Your videos have been inspiring me to go out and pull apart my old bikes, to try and breathe new life into them. So I'm set for the next 20 minutes, thank you for what you do from the UK

This video is one of the reason why i am so excited to rebuild and restore the bike of my grandfather that is sitting for about 20years at the back of his house. Thank you old shovel for inspiring me 🙏🙏❤️😊

That can of green grease is the unsung hero of this channel

If you have room in the bottom bracket shell cable guides, I’d suggest installing cable sheaths or liners in an effort to maintain the paint.

This bike made someone happy in the 1980s and 30+ years later it's making someone happy again.

First thing I look at on a bike is the rear dropouts. That tells me a lot about the quality of the frame. Little details like brazed on cable guides. If I’d not known this was a Ritchey, those lovely rear dropouts would have told me quality frame. I was taken aback by the rear brakes. As many bikes I’ve seen, I’ve never noticed/seen brakes mounted on the chain stay such as this. It was a pleasure to watch this wonderful build/resto. You brought life back to a classic.

I can see why it’s your favorite, those Paul components are beautiful, they definitely match the quality of the build and the effort and passion you put into this bike, yet another work of art. I have to say this is my favorite out of your builds as well, it’s definitely a beautiful bike, much respect.

Another fantastic build and restoration. I love the calm, deliberate aesthetic of your videos, thank you for making them. It seems like myself and many others watching have been inspired to restore those old bikes we've got lying around. Can't wait to take apart my old hardtail MTB!

It is highly appreciated that you share your video. Every time I see it, I really enjoy the delicacy and love put in every step, in every detail! It really is a real pleasure!

I'm not qualified to critique how you build a bike, so I will not do that. But I will nod to the love you have to these instruments. You are speaking from the heart of so many bike lovers, and that is something I admire. I wish you many awesome miles.

Thanks for sharing. What an amazing gift of restoration, could not stop watching.

This is probably one of my most favorite of your restorations to date. What a timeless masterpiece this bike is.

I'm in the middle of restoring my 1999 Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo. This video got me so psyched. Thanks

I'm passionate about bicycles and I'm fascinated by your work! You show us that these machines from thirty years ago are still so beautiful and elegant. In my opinion, much more than today's bikes. Congratulations and thank you from Brazil!

This is an absolute work of art, love so much that you have so much sentimental connection to this bike and rebuilt it with such reverence for original styling

Why does it seem that everything was better in the 80s and 90s...lol. There definitely is a freedom in riding a good bike...no doubt. It's such a win/win mode of transportation. Keeps you in shape while putting no pollution in the environment. There should be bike paths throughout every city that connects all parts.

oldshovel, this might sound weird but can you do bed time stories? Your voice is so relaxing and soothing.

Old shovel I really enjoy watching your videos. The quality of these old Ritchey bikes are amazing.

I had one of those. It was stolen back in 87 , 88 from the house at 780 Riverside Drive. Never to be seen again but I worked for Rocky Mountain Cycles at that time and had access to many cool rides. Good to see someone taking time to spruce up one of my familiars from the days of yonder.

i like how you calmly said, contacted Paul, got some pulls....dude those pulls are worth more than the entire setup by far, whats next are you going to pull out your alligator fade Klein with cook bros crank! awesome job, keep it up!!!

Beautiful bike! Greetings from Poland! I love your movies, always inspire me.

I know this is an old video but I'm just going through some of your past rebuilds and wanted to say how awesome this bike is! I love those brakes, they look so cool.

this is a great video. lots of youtube creators and tutorial could learn a lot from this. excellently framed, well narrated, no music, nice.

Very satisfying bike builds and restoration of yours. ☺️🤗

You have a very interesting, educational and thoroughly entertaining channel which I enjoy watching very much!

Time and effort well spent. It’s always wonderful to see something old, be given a new lease of life. 👍🏼

I just stumbled upon this video and you channel for the first time. I've found myself riding regularly for the first time in decades recently (a silver lining to sheltering-in-place for 10+weeks), and have begun looking at some videos regarding modernizing old school bikes. This video was so inspiring, and largely suited my ideas about rebuilding my 1991 Fat City Yo Eddy that's still sporting most of the components I originally built it up with. I'd like to modernize it in some ways, but only in the service of making is a simpler ride. The true joy I experience riding this bike is qualitatively different from (also joyful) suspension bikes; it's the pure riding experience that a beautifully-crafted rigid steel frame designed by intuition and experience (rather than finite element analysis) provides us. A quality less and less common in our increasingly complicated, media- and technology-rich world. Anyway, the narrative content of your video explicitly resonate with that sentiment. Furthermore, they style of yourvideomaking seems to as well. Your measured use of narrative, music and editing brings a focus to the bike itself and the act of building and even riding, while not depicted. It has a meditative quality that perhaps reflects a reverence of the process of building, the product and the act of riding. It's helped to remind me of some long dormant love of bikes and cycling. Its refreshing and inspiring. Thank you for making this video. I am looking forward to watching more. PS: too bad there was nothing you could do with those chainstay-mounted U-brakes. Heavy, mushy feeling and prone to massive mud clods. Probably the worst mountain bike technology trend to come out of that era (with the possible exception of Biopace). Fortunately, one of the shortest lived.

Now, more than ever, thanks for the ~20 minutes of peace.

Beautiful story telling. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome. When old bike looks better than modern. Piece of Art ! 😊

The great thing about your videos is not just the ethos of recycle & re-use, or the beautifully relaxed style of editing, music & commentary but that you showcase just how fantastic a design bicycles really are. It's been around for over 100 years yet hasn't really changed much at all. Simple engineering at it's very best. Well done on another great video and what a cracking bike & paint job!!

Beautiful bike! Great job! I really like 80s-90s bike's!

I was hoping you’d do a disc conversion.... then I saw all Paul. Absolutely awesome build!

this video kind of heart warming. the way you talking about this bike its like meaning something huge for you, nice to watch this vid. im made my own bike, my own design, my own effort, from cutting the steel tube, welding the frame, starting from zero, one part after the other, some mistakes, its make me happier cuz my bike isnt like the other bike. that something i can proud off.

Great video. I've done similar work with my old Marin, Team Marin from early 90's. That old steel bike ride like dream.

Such an exciting Episode again! But in my eyes this is by far the most impressiv one😍 When you talked about this feeling ,in the beginnig, i thougt you read my mind because i know this feelig soo good! I have a kona cinder cone,my father bought back in the 90's and gave it to me last year, and restored it, influencend by your channel! I looked up some great parts i like and when i rode it for the first time it was such an awsome feeling! And riding this bike and spending time on it helped me through a hard time! This will be my favorite episode by far because of: an awsome talk a great sortiment of parts the information that you will maybe do some tutorials a great bike and how it came out Thank you soo much oldshovel!❤ Stay healthy you all Greets from Germany✌

When I was a kid I used to dream I could hold a super computer in my hand and talk to people that were the other side of the world. I didn't realise how tame itd be.

Oh wow ... I didn’t want to watch the whole thing, I just wanted to see what you did to this great old bike. You got me when you scrapped off the Ritchey decals ... SACRILEGE! LOL! I watch it twice ... great job. I own a 1987 Fat Chance Wicket that I bought new in the Haight/Ashbury of San Francisco and a date bike the next year and that was an affordable but not cheap MB-2 Comp. I still have them both and the woman that rode it. Your video has inspired me to do what you just did, but I don’t know about the wheel build ... that is tough to do right. Those two bikes have holy grail status because they have competed against Tom, Gary, Otis, Joe and Jacquie Phelan. Thanks man for the motivation!

@oldshovel, thanks from the bottom of my heart, my Dad had a Ritchey, amongst many wonderful bikes he owned, road bikes, Romani, Battaglin, Dacordi, Pinarello, another mountain by a long lost company called off road, I belive they also made suspension handlebar stems, and the Dacordi had a campagnolo delta groupset, it was beautiful, a true work of art, anyway I'm rambling, suffice to say this made strangely shed a tear, I would give anything to ride my bike with him again, I miss him on the oddest moments, thank u for reminding me of his bikes, and my Dad,

Phenomenal !! Best vid yet for me and the finished product is outstanding !! Well played OldShovel

..looks great, a first bike is one's first taste of mobile freedom..lol..good job. keep safe..

Passion and expert workmanship.Bravo.

The fade on the bars and the comp sticker with the paul brake levers 😯👌

I'm rebuilding my bike too. I hoped for some good hints how to replace old parts. I waited until 13:20 just to realize I have to reuse my old rear brakes again 🙃

I love these so much, keep them coming

So satisfying to watch. Like watching Bob Ross of the bike world.

Perfect restauration mate.Very nice mountunbike. Best regards from Croatia.

I love your channel so much love your soothing voice. Great content. Greetings from sLOVEnia east europe 🇸🇮👍 it's funny i understand everything but when it comes to write down what I want to say I'm lost hehehe so sorry for my mistakes stay awesome and stay healthy and stay at home so we can soon go outside best wishes

Love the Office Space reference.

Because of this channel I decided to pick up a 2000-01 Marin palisades trail. I’ve fixed it all up and I love it! Did everything but paint as it’s just clearcoat. Reminds of when I was younger and saw these bikes at shops

I have an 87 Ritchey timber comp and it had the roller cam rear brake which are awesome.........for catching great big piles of mud. Have plans to build that up as a gravel bike.

I've never seen that sort of dropper post before.

“As a kid I used to have dreams” Me too, buddy. Me too...

Great video. thank you for sharing. There are some amazing old steel bikes. I had a Fat City buck shaver back in the day. The frame I miss the most.

Paul components representing the 530.....great looking build. A piece of art.

“As a kid I used to have dreams...”

I’m building a 04 Kona stinky

Thank you sharing this video of your 80’s bike! I too still have bikes from my teenage years (Ridgeback Madison; Tange 5 frame) that still runs so well. Cheers! ✌️

Dear Friend. You are inspiring people all over the world with your rebuilds. Best regards and admiration from South Africa.

No way that rear brake cable runs through that guide without some kind of chaff guard

Will you restore my bike?

Thank you for this video. I have a '94 Ritchey P-22 that needs some TLC, and watching you deal with the headset and bottom bracket is very helpful.

You have a passion for bike building and as art is subjective this is art. The almost wistful memories attached to this Ritchey bordered on poetry. You have real skill and an eye for restoration. Beautiful work👍

Why do some people think that paint is not important? Paint is the BIG THING. It is ridiculous to take all that time and patience to restore a bike to ending up painting in such a childish homemade spraycrap way. Love your restoration videos, but this has to be said.

Thank you for doing this bike right. It was a pleasure to watch!

Beautiful. Tom would be proud. Those Pauls are sweet looking! Old school is always fun.

Bravo! Amazing video. Really beautiful build. Not only is the bike art, the way you present in the video is art too. Great work.

The polished paul components are so nice . You definitely captured that 80s look with that paint job . Beautiful bike thanks old shovel

Man, this old bikes really had a soul. I totally feel what your telling about that feeling riding one of these, just thinking: “dam, everything just feels right...”. I own a 1992 Rocky Mountain Hammer, with which I did some cc-racing back in the nineties. It still is in my garage and I left it as it was back then, with a fried out out RockShox Mag10. Now I only use it for a quick ride to the bakery on Sunday mornings… Nevertheless, it is every time like meeting an old friend from school, with whom you had some of your greatest times. I now decided to give it a rebuild, and go using it again. My project for the winter days.

Nice videos! Enough dealing with snooty rude bike shops that don’t want to help or listen to their customers! I’ll build it myself! Thanks man!

Truly living the dream! Wow! Mouth was slack-jawed through most of this.

Oh man, you already know how I appreciate your work. You're so inspiring! You tell the truth: give back a new life to the old things makes you feel better! This is a costant in my life. Hope everything is ok, stay safe! Ciao!

Nice job!congratulations.....❤👍👍💪💪 New life for "old" bike. I love to see when someone has a fillings for that kind of job!I am doing also some repairs and restaurations....and I am proud when I am giving a new life for old bike,like you.RESPECT.

How much you can learn from a 20 min video and have a mindfulness session at the same time. Really great and thanks for sharing.

Gotta love these old bikes. I got an old diamondback that i'm inspired to do this too now. Thanks

really enjoy to watch. first time I'm watching without skip the process.

I love watching your builds man. This one turned out stunning. You motivated my wife to paint her bike again. thanks!!

Out of all the bikes you've done, and you've done some amazing builds, I really like this build. I had a simular Ritchey bike and I loved that bike and it's been hard to find another Ritchey frame to rebuild what I had. So, it's really cool to see you build this. I'm living vicariously through your builds....thank you.

Give the old things new life ... great job 😄😄😄

I admire people who can do this type of work, I have a early 70s Raleigh Royale that was creaking and was thinking of trading it, my pal said I can sort it for you, he did a great job, every time I go out on it I get comments and have had enthusiasts ask about taking photos.

Total ASMR build. Love All Things Richey.

Awesome👍🏻. I love to spent much work on bikes like that for giving a new life. And you enjoy the ride much more when you build everything by your self🚲💨💨💨

This is wonderful. I was recently given a '93 Bianchi Virata in good shape but needed some basic mechanical TLC. I've really enjoyed getting it back ride-worthy again and hope to keep riding it for a while.

In Germany we would say "Sehr geil". Absolutely stunning piece of work. I enjoyed every minute of this video. Go on and cheers.

Great vid again 👌 inspired me to bring new life in to old things ! Not a bike but some old furniture that I sanded down then stained and waxed ! It looks amazing now 👍

Nice to rebuild an old bike with new components. Changed the components on my (not new) bike. Rides better than before, but with the same old magic!! I also used spray bike paint (more affordable than having a 'professional' doing it). Built my own wheels....you can't beat it!! But, also nice to have a 'lil bling on it from time to time. It's the only bike I have now, but if I had more bikes (like I used to), this would still be my go-to bike 🚲

Those components are pretty sweet. Beautiful build!

Beautiful. I have a Trek Mountain Track 820 I can't wait to rebuild. I love the look of new tech fat tires on old school skinny steel tubed bikes. Great build. Keep gettin' those smiles for miles.

I just ordered a trek marin 29er frame that I will be building up. I use vittoria/geax 29x2.2 for my builds. I like watching people build bikes. It makes me feel better that I'm not the only one that does.

Love it ,I just dug out my old giant terrago and gt avalanche from the mid 90s both pre suspension aka gravel bikes, lol cleaned and greased them up ,new tyres ride like new ,gave them to my daughter and her boyfriend great to see them in use again, steel is real,I just treated myself to an orange p7

I'm with you 100% totally get the same feelings with my steel bikes 👍🏻

Beautiful! I love Ritchey... Excellent work, buddy!

The Caad3 Cannondale f1000 I'm doing up now has a beautiful Black to silver to white fade.. original paintwork too in great condition for 20 years old.. can't wait to get it on the hills.

Top notch! Just my style of everything. much respect on your bad ass build,choice of EVERYTHNG!,& your skills. I have a fav custom build much like yours, and I absolutely love it. Its a early 90s Breezer Storm with Ritchy Logic steel. I love restoring & riding 80s/90s mtn bikes,they are so much better in my opinion! I dont usually comment on videos either but yours really hit home with me,& I just want to say thanks for being you and doing what you do!

Beautiful Ritchey rebuild! I really like the graduated blue and red color scheme. You did a great job on this bike! I feel like I am flying every time I ride my Ritchey Ultra. It has something to do with the balance and weight of 26 lbs. The bike gives you a secure feeling that you are in totally in control. It is effortless to peddle forward and your leg muscles want to make it fly as fast as it will carry you. In the spring, I replaced my worn out Ritchey SpeedMax 26x2.1 tires with Continental CrossKings 26x2.2 front and back. I find the slightly wider tire cushions the bumps nicely. On pavement, the more aggressive tread pattern is a bit squirmy during corners, so it is necessary to reduce speed a little before I lean into the turn, but going in straight lines, which I do 95 percent of the time, they are great. Off-road is where they perform magnificently, cornering isn't an issue, speed and traction is amazing!

What a beautiful looking bike, well restored, good job. Good to see you kept it original, with poetic licence. Love the thumbies, not so much the bottom bracket lol. I've recently built my GF a 96 Stumpy, xt through out, Rockshox Indy XC, new headset, new BB, new saddle (fat arse)😁 I'm working on a 92 Rockhopper sport comp atm, getting some XT on it with an XTR front mech(get me)only one I could find on flea bay at 31.8 bottom pull. Got panaracer Dart/smoke to boot the beast.

What a great video- I have a Bridgestone MB1 with XT thumb shifters and cantilever brakes. My MB2 was stolen back in 1990 and I found the MB1 on Craigslist and like your Ascent, it is a favorite of mine. It handles all of the trails in the Bay Area, not as fast of course but still fun and challenging. Great video.

I've been sub'd for a few months, but just stumbled upon your Ritchey videos after having found a really, really gently used 86 Ascent. The original paint needed little more than a light polish and I stopped it apart to regrease the BB/headset and clean the components. It has flippin' Dura Ace hubs and those were smooth as the day they left the factory, so why mess with a good thing? It is a thing of beauty and I wish it was my size. It even has the original tires still with the mold release wax. Other than being switched to indexed shifting with first-gen XT SIS shifters and rear derailleur, it's like the catalog listing. Still, an incredibly period correct machine. Such a treat to get to hold one of these in my hands.

Great job! To ride and feel that beauty must be a real back to basics of MTB! Kudos, and thanks for another great video! Big hug!