Ritchey Design - 50 years of a well functioning team

They trickled in over the course of a weekend. Each important in their own right, whether a champion by pedigree or integral member of the team behind the curtain. As if waking from a sleep, their faces illuminated as they crossed through the threshold of the venue by deep connections of familiarity. That sense of a shared experience. This was the gathering of Team Ritchey.

2022 marked 50 years of Tom Ritchey’s frame building, component design and growth of the company which bears his name. Over the course of those five decades, Tom’s business grew from a burgeoning teenage racer building a few frames for himself and friends, to the man better known for creations with the mountain bike, to the personality today whose name still carries the weight of a titan who has survived more than himself but the industry itself.

But, as Tom will tell you, it was Team Ritchey who helped him cover the ground he did. Team Ritchey, the mountain bike and road squads who lived on the podium for over a decade. Team Ritchey, the office and operations people who came and went over the years who helped define the business and grow the company to the global brand it is known as today. For the first time in 50 years, the Ritchey team in its entirety gathered to commemorate their shared experience.

It was as emotional as any reunion could be. Joyous as it should have been and frank as Tom often is. From the moment the first world champion stepped through the door to the last pedal stroke of the group ride the team often took together, we all knew our place in Ritchey history was as valuable as any innovation Tom ever created.