The original Ritchey Ultra mountain bike frame was a true wonder of it's time, with a responsive feel, innate handling characteristics, and a ride quality only found with a properly built steel steed. Thirty years on Ritchey has released a contemporary Ultra, optimized for 120mm suspension travel, for disc brakes, Boost 148mm thru-axle spacing, the capability and design to run 29 and 27.5" wheels, and a ultra-light forged and machined tapered head tube. And yes, you get stealth routing for a 30.9mm diameter dropper post. In other words, this a quality steel frameset that is modern and ready for current equipment all presented in a 50th Anniversary paint scheme.

This special 50th Anniversary Ultra pays tribute to Tom’s distinguished history – giving an aesthetic nod to the past while emphatically delivering the breathtaking modern mountain bike experience for which the Ultra is known. As an homage to the rich history of Ritchey and its sport-defining heritage of legendary mountain bikes, the 50th Anniversary Edition frame is wrapped in an iconic Red, White and Blue fade paint scheme and features logos that reference the company’s history and the influence Palo Alto, California has had on Tom.

The heart of any Ritchey steel frame is Tom's proprietary Ritchey Logic Tubing. Developed for it's resilience, compliance, strength and lively feel, the heat treated tubing is triple butted as necessary for the requirements of each frame section. We love the integrated headset receiver of the forged and machined tapered headtube, which keeps headset installation and maintenance simple while adding strength to an already stout head tube. Handling the loads and physical requirements of 68.5° angle and 120mm of suspended travel is no joke, and the Ultra has no worries as it ably handles the rough stuff. The internal dropper routing is smartly done and obviously required for such a trail-ready hardtail. The wheel versatility is also appreciated, with capacity for a 29 x 2.4" or 27.5 x 2.8" tires hitting the sweet spot options for both wheel standards. The 439mm chainstay length may seem a bit long but was selected to best handle the tire options, and naturally feels just right with the rest of the geometry. The handling is quick, fluid and smooth- in other words, this is a Ritchey trail bike design. Your fork sag set-up impacts the overall numbers, but with a 73.5-74° seattube angle ,68.5° headtube angle, and 51mm trail, you can carve corners and rail berms, but still maintain great straight line stability and power going downhill or climbing upwards.

Is a steel hardtail right for everyone? A steel advocate would say "why not?", but the reality is some people ride for what may be best described as a tactile relationship with the trail, terrain, and environment. The average trail ride for this rider is about fun, appreciation, internal achievement and simply the love of riding. This is not to say the Lycra wearing, short travel, carbon 29er rider who has a time goal and training metrics in mind is not a real mountain biker. We are all real mountain bikers, we just choose the steed and equipment that appeals to our priorities. Riding a steel frame like the Ritchey Ultra speaks to the soul and heart. If you are willing to feel and listen as you ride, it will sing with the same energy you feel within while you ride. If you have read this far, you get that, and perhaps a Ritchey Ultra Frameset is your next love.