Tom Ritchey and his designers produce a seemingly perpetual flow of new products for sister brands Ritchey and Syncros, with the latest kit often containing nods to their past classics.
At this year's Sea Otter Classic they were showing off a new road groupset and composite bar, plus carbon mountain bike kit and a range of off-road wheelsets.
Ritchey
The latest eyecatching gear to bear the Ritchey name is a trio of cockpit components called the Classic road group, which consists of a WCS stem, Comp handlebar with Ritchey’s Curve profile and a Pro two-bolt seatpost, all of which sport polished aluminium finishes and subtle black logos.
Old school looks with new features and shapes, for those with an eye for the 'Classics'
The latest carbon bar from the brand is the Evo Curve, which combines the Evolution top with the Curve drop bend. The Evolution top offers a slight back sweep, which is refined from the brand’s Biomax profile. The WCS Carbon Evo Curve costs US$284.95.
Syncros FL components
Syncros are promoting and adding to their new FL (Freakin’ Light) component line, which encompasses carbon cockpit kit – a seatpost plus a choice of bars and stems – wheels and saddles.
The new FL Carbon 25 wheelset uses a 310g 3k carbon rim that’s handbuilt with 32 DT Competition spokes laced three-cross to Syncros’s own cold forged FLH hubs, which have options for 9mm quick-release, 15QR and either six-bolt IS or Center Lock rotor options. The rims do not come tubeless ready, but are said to be compatible with NoTubes’ tubeless tape.
Syncros's new FL Carbon 25 rim is said to weigh 310g
According to Syncros brand manager Maris Adamovics, in testing the rims proved more than 15 percent stronger than a competitor's carbon mountain bike rim that they used as a benchmark. When impacted and cracked then impacted again, the initial cracks didn’t spread and the rim continued to hold up.
Maris Adamovics, Syncros brand manager, lives in Taichung, Taiwan to oversee production
The FL Carbon 25 cross-country and marathon racing wheelset has a 19.5mm inner rim width to offer good support to tyres up to 2.2in. The wheels have a claimed weight of 1,488g, with 15QR axle and Center Lock rotor mounting. The set costs $1,874.90.
The new carbon cockpit range is made up of the FL Micro-Adjust Carbon seatpost, FL Carbon bar and FL Carbon stem. The seatpost pairs a classic Syncros micro-adjust head with a uni-directional carbon shaft, bringing the weight of a 27.2x350mm version to a claimed 210g.
There's a choice of bars – 660mm wide with a 25mm rise and nine-degree backsweep, or flat with a 600mm width and five-degree sweep. They weigh 175g and 130g (claimed), respectively. The riser costs $189.95 and the flat bar hasn’t been priced yet.
Syncros's FL (Freakin’ Light) carbon cockpit kit
The FL Carbon stem has a bi-oval design and is made using a moulding method that Syncros call 4D forging. It’s said to be extremely stiff at a claimed weight of 113g (70mm length). For those who need even more stiffness, Syncros offer a carbon wrapped alloy version, which is claimed to weight 127g (70mm). Prices TBC.
The FL Carbon saddle is said to weigh just 200g and features carbon rails mated to a slim composite shell that’s covered with superlight foam and real leather. Aramid rear panels are placed to protect probable crash areas. The foam is contoured in the centre to relieve sit bone pressure and the saddle is available in black or white. Pricing has yet to be set.
New alloy trail wheels from Syncros
It's not all about carbon for Syncros, as the new DS25 alloy wheelset shows. Built using the company's new DS25 rim with TrueTrack Technology, it's said to be their strongest wheelset for cross-country and all-mountain riding.
The DS25 features Syncros's new AM hubs with single row bearings
TrueTrack is a patented process that is said to help eliminate the compression and stretching of the alloy’s grain structure that occurs during typical rim shaping. The rims are joined at the ends using a unique sleeve design instead of pins, and for better spoke alignment, they're concentrically drilled.
The robust rim is laced to 28-hole cold forged hubs with sealed bearings using DT Competition 14 gauge spokes. The DS25 is available with a 15QR or 9mm quick-release axle. The set weighs a claimed 1,748g. Pricing hasn’t been set.
The new DS28 wheelset uses the same construction and design as the DS25, but with 28mm wide (vs. 25mm) rims for increased strength and durability for all-mountain riding. The DS28 is for through-axles only in either 15mm or 20mm diameters. Its weight is claimed at 2,232g.
The DS28 features a wider rim to better support larger tyres