The Ritchey Montebello is a new lightweight, fast randonneur-style steel frameset for long-distance riding, spotted at this year's Sea Otter Classic in California.
Featuring 36mm tyre clearance with full-cover mudguards/fenders or 40mm without, the bike also has mounts for a front rack and dynamo lighting – key accessories for serious audaxers.
Ritchey marketing manager and keen audax rider, Fergus Liam, tested a prototype Montebello at Paris-Brest-Paris – a gruelling 1,200km randonneur event that runs every four years.
![Ritchey Montebello - front wheel detail](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2024/04/Ritchey-Montebello-randonneur-bike-BikeRadar-Sea-Otter-2024-8.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Full figures weren’t available at the time of writing but the geometry is slightly more relaxed than the Ritchey Road Logic and Road Logic Disc, to better suit endurance riding.
![Ritchey Montebello - seat cluster](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2024/04/Ritchey-Montebello-randonneur-bike-BikeRadar-Sea-Otter-2024-10.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
The Montebello is built with Ritchey’s proprietary triple-butted steel tubing, with the brand's signature fastback-style seat cluster and custom thru-axle flat-mount brake dropouts.
![Ritchey Montebello - drop out detail](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2024/04/Ritchey-Montebello-randonneur-bike-BikeRadar-Sea-Otter-2024-12-2.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
The latter were updated last year and are now used across all of Ritchey’s road and gravel disc framesets.
![Ritchey Montebello – paint detail](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2024/04/Ritchey-Montebello-randonneur-bike-BikeRadar-Sea-Otter-2024-4.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
The custom-forged 1-1/8in head tube is machined to reduce weight. Headset bearings fit straight into cups on either end of the head tube.
The frame is paired with the all-new Brevet fork, which will also be available separately.
![Ritchey Montebello – Brevet fork](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2024/04/Ritchey-Montebello-randonneur-bike-BikeRadar-Sea-Otter-2024-2.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
In addition to mudguard mounts, the rack features two threaded bosses on the outside face of each fork leg. These can be used to mount a rack or additional bottle cages. The brake cable is routed externally but dynamo cables are routed internally.
![Ritchey Montebello – cockpit detail](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2024/04/Ritchey-Montebello-randonneur-bike-BikeRadar-Sea-Otter-2024-9.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
As with Ritchey’s other bikes, the Montebello is only available as a frameset. It’s expected to be available from August in all territories for $1,599 (international pricing TBC).
Ritchey Montebello key details
- Steel road bike designed for long-distance audax and randonneur riding
- 36mm tyre clearance with mudguards, 40mm without
- Mudguard mounts
- Front rack mounts
- 27.2mm seatpost
- 68mm bottom bracket
- Heat-treated, triple-butted Ritchey Logic steel tubing
- Forged and machined straight 1-1/8in head tube
- Custom flat-mount dropouts
- 100x12/142x12mm thru-axles
- $1,599