2020 Ritchey Outback - NOT What I Thought! đ€Ż
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 31. 05. 2020
- Long chainstays, skinny headtube? What's going on here? Review of the 2020 Ritchey Outback, a completely different bike from the 2018 model.
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A hack for the top tube cable is to put a length of cable housing over the exposed cable. Then you can clamp your bags and such around it and it would bother the cable.
This is quite clever. I have a bike with 2x setup and the cable runs down the seat tube. I want to use it as a kid carrier but that is where the seat clamps on. You have inspired me to see if this hack will work for that. Thanks!
Yep. Good call.
It's really cool to see a bike company making great bikes by using great design instead of gadgets!
I love the straight steerer tube on my Ritchey. A cool fact is that if you're on a budget it takes integrated BMX headsets. There's really no reason to have a tapered head tube if you're not running suspension or racing.
@@NoBrakes23 lol its so nice isn't it. I wish the rest of the bike industry would take more ques from BMX. So many simple inexpensive and durable standards. BMX even did press fit BBs better than mainstream cycling. My next bike will probably be custom so I plan on never going back to pressing in headset cups, buying proprietary parts and diagnosing creaky bottom brackets.
For today's crap Asian production bikes, press fit $hit BBs are a horrible idea. In fact, its just a part of my job security!đ€
Pressfit $hit is marketing BS in general. Any decent mechanic hates it.
A few metal frames had PF back in the day. My Fisher did, Klein, Merlin..... Its a very simple machining process to run a freakin reamer thru a metal tube after the frame is welded. Reamers are used to produce extremely precise holes, which is what precision bearings require.
For the majority of average use bikes, there was never ANYTHING wrong with BSA though.
Glad you enjoyed the bike, Russ! Tho, we kinda knew you would. Thanks!
I really like what youâve done with this bike Ritchey Design. Iâm 5â9â tall with average proportions and a saddle height of 742mm - what size would you recommend? I donât want a big saddle to bar drop, neither do I want a particularly long reach. Thanks in advance
@@davidh5500 You sound like a medium would fit well.
Ritchey.. loving my Road Logic a 2015. Lifetime keeper thanks!
@@davidh5500 Too many variables to make a good suggestion online. If you really want to try to achieve the ideal fit, do a thorough fit that entails all of your pertinent body measurements to narrow it down. Bu the best way would be riding the two. I'm right in the same size and I'm guessing a L would be a better choice for me.
Something not to be overlooked about that cable routing is that it makes shouldering the bike for stream crossing and steep scrambling waaaay more comfortable. definitely a more cx style feature but something I've always appreciated on bikes with that routing.
How often are you shouldering a bike though, versus having those cables in the way? This is one thing I love about the Fargo cable routing as it keeps water ingress away from cables.
Not easy to do with a frame bag.
So glade you mentioned the head tube being 1-1/8 and non tapered making it more compliant. I just don't understand why companies are making tapered and larger head tubes for stiffness then trying to make the front more compliant, it's counter productive to desired outcome.
I challenge anyone to notice the difference with 2 inch tyres at low pressure which provides way more compliance in the suspension chain than whatever headtube you're using. Carbon superbike on 18mm tyres @130psi you could maybe detect some difference but on this bike the fork and tyres would make vastly more difference.
@@seanparker7415 agree. There's ZERO difference in "compliance" between the two design options in this application. Strength and failure point? Surely, but not that BS term "compliance."
My steel road bike has a cable routed along the top of the top tube. I was able to mount a top tube bag by 3D printing some TPU clamps with a flat top that raised the bag up ~8mm and had a cylindrical cutout for the cable to pass though. There's always a way.
That's pretty cool. Could be a market for them.
That guy knows how to build bikes. Beautiful color. I'm sure it rides awesome. I still have my Ritchey CPR 14 multi tool from when I was a kid.
The bike looks fantastic. My one thing with it is how they chose to do the cabling. For a adventure bike, I see that style as an ingress point for nasties that one will encounter, i.e. fine dust building up. Of course, Iâm totally nitpicking at this point. and I do own an early 90âs steel road bike with the same style of cable routing, and itâs never given me problems.
Dang, that color though. I love it!
Top tube cable tip (top tip for cable tubes?): To run a top tube bag, you can put 6" of cable housing along the cable aft of the forward cable stop. Tape it down with some electrical tape and nothing you strap to the top tube will interfere with the cable. I've had my Soma Doublecross set up this way for about 9 years, no issues yet.
After writing this, I took a look and realized that the cable stops on the Soma DC are two sided, meaning they have an open (housing) end on either side. Looks like the cable stops on the Ritchey are one sided, so that may make my hack a little problematic. I think for a one sided cable stop, I would take a ferrule and expand the hole in the end a little bit, then hot glue it to the back (closed) end of the cable stop (open end towards the back, obvs). Run some tape around the ferrule and it should keep everything in place.
Never underestimate the inventiveness of a lazy man.
Any design that runs an exposed cable instead of a full length housing loses serious design points from me. Exposed cables create extra maintenance while offering very little benefit, and exposed brake and shift cables in the mostly wet and muddy climate where I live are the epitome of unnecessary maintenance. I'll suffer the slightly increased drag of a full length outer because the drag stays almost unchanged at that level for years rather than ramping up as more crud gets into the cable. I have one bike that's been running the same full length cable for at least 10 years - the shifting is gone a bit rough, but that seems to be more due to the sloppy derailleur than the cable - it's only getting shopping/commuting/cafe runs with the odd bit of towing these days, so performance remains adequate.
The only exception to the exposed cable rule is when suicide shifters are combined with under BB routing (The cables slide on a plate on the BB) for the gears, the performance of which remains remarkably durable, even with contamination, provided you use stainless steel cables. But in this case only about 6" of cable outer is needed for 2 derailleurs worth of shifting.
I'm usually pretty decisive when it comes to the look of a bike, I either like it or I don't. This one I really can't decide whether I like it or not. I would like to see it with steel fork, something like a Surly Ogre.
I really like your channel. When I decided to get a 2020 Bombtrack Hook 2 I came to your channel for research and things to consider on gravel bikes. I love Mountain Biking, but I love how functional and efficient gravel bikes are. Great content.
Did you get one in the end? I had one custom built a few months ago, and it's a incredible bike!
@@sndrgrmns8910 I did!! I actually had bought a 2018 Version in Medium but after riding it a few weeks I felt it was a little too small for my taste. Talked to one of the Bombtrack dealers in northeast and they recommended a large. They had one 2020 left in size Large and they offered 30 day return and waive restocking fee. I really like the large better! So now am selling the medium. Apparently there are not more 2020s coming to states for the hook 2.
I had to replay the first bit of the video, because I thought I heard the phrase, "adventure nipples".
Well played, Russ.
Well played.
I purchased the Ritchey Venture Max Comp Bars and put them on my 2018 Specialized AWOL (all steel), and I agree with you about them being (I think) a fantastic design. I love the 'bump' on the drops. That's why I bought them. The bars that came with the AWOL were flared the same as the Ritchey Venture Max bars, but they made it problematic sometimes to ride in the drops, and use the brakes effectively because of the larger radius on the drop portion. On sketchy descents the original bars were scary, and my hands kept slipping further down towards the bar-ends, and away from the brake levers. Since then, I've found myself in the drops a lot more with the Venture Max bars than ever before. Ritchey has some very interesting designs and their bikes look awesome too. If I didn't have the AWOL, I might go with this newer iteration of their Out Back! Nice review as always. Thanks!
love their breakaway frames.... makes traveling so sweet being able to bring my bike at the cost of a reg suitcase
I just love Ritchey stuff I have there Stem seat post bars and other bits.I ride a steel bike.And yes it should have a steel fork option.
Ritchey headsets too!
I ride a Road Logic, Dura Ace equip. Ritchey stem, seatpost, seat, headset. My expensive carbon bikes all broke. The last one hangs on a hook . Last 3 bikes 2 steel. 1 alum. No more carbon it has no soul!
LOVE this channel. So glad I found you. :)
That is a nice looking bike but I'd rather have a steel fork also.
Deal breaker for me. Has to have a steel fork
@@thomask837 And steel fork would have tubing proportional to frame, instead of looking overbuilt. Choosing between esthetics and strength, speaking of carbon forks, I'd choose fugly looking overbuilt one, if really nice steel fork isn't available. Fork is a life!
I own a 2016 Ritchey Ascent frameset that I built into my flat bar Adventure/Commuter bike. Super-nice frameset. 445mm chainstays. I ride a size large and my build comes to 26-ish pounds w/ Race Face Chester pedals, 2 bottle cages and 700cx40 tires (w/ tubes) on a set of Oval Concepts MT400 wheels which come in @1850g for the set. Going with lighter tires set up tubeless I could lose a pound of rolling weight off the bike, which is the best weight to lose. Ritchey makes great products. Nice review! Thanks!
I know full carbon forks are the thing now, but I wish more manufacturers would do carbon forks with aluminum steerers. I like to stack up the spacers under the stem to get that comfort fit, but you can't do that with a carbon steerer. Really nice looking bike though, steel is real.
Maybe try a riser bar?
I'll say after buying this bike the thing I hated the most was the front derailleur shift cable routing, it rubs against the bottom bottle cage mounts.
For people who want this but also want a steel fork you can get the Super Professional Urban Cross fork from AllCity bikes and it will fit it pretty well.
other than that its great
I'm loving that color. Not sure I want to replace my Ascent frameset though.
Thanks for another great review. It goes to show how numbers alone do not define how a bike will ride. Glad to see that you were pleasant surprised.
Good review as usual. I like the aesthetics of the bike. Steel fork will add weight but full steel frameset should be an option. So many choices out there.
Awesome color! My commuter is Sterling Moss Green but that lighter matte green looks so tasty and organic.
I love Ritchey products. Bought a Road Logic last year and am soooo pleased with the ride. Now that they've added mounts to the Outback V2 and allow up to 48 width tires, I'm looking at getting one for touring and trail riding. The longer wheelbase is also a plus. Only thing I'm not keen on is the Kermit green color. It would be awesome if they offered this frame in some sort of desert camo paint job.
Check out Dustin Klein's video on DIY camo paint job?
I really like this bike as a great all-around on-off pavement bike. I agree with all of your comments, but I do like the carbon fork, especially descending curvy roads. My only complaint is that the paint is not very tough -seems to scratch easily and is not very thick. Otherwise super happy with this rig.
interesting bike for sure, chainstays are way long. I like the non-tapered HT.
Thats what I thought. Then I rode it. đ€Ż
@@PathLessPedaledTV Bombora or Outback? (Go on...just whisper.)
LOOOVE that review Russ
Cheers.
wired position of the handlebar and especialy from the STIs
The ramp on the GRX levers are so frigging long. Had to shorten the reach by tilting up. Not ideal but I don't have a warehouse of stems.
I had to go back to this video to see why this Cadillac isnât your daily driver- the fork ah âŠ
Man you are detailed.
I love this ride ! I switch off between this and my Straggler.
Btw - The Straggler might be the best value to supple ride ever made.
Coooool! You mentioned a steel fork option. I put a LHT fork on my cross check and LOVE IT. I wonder if the disc trucker or straggler fork would work for this one?
I cant wait until the Sklar super something comes out. Being the same price I wonder which one rides the most supple?
any update on this? :) thanks!
Am I right that this baby can sport mudguards - I know I can see mounts on the rear, but are those things that look like holes just behind the bolt thru actually mounts for the front. I am feeling very tempted. Never found a Ritchey that I didn't like and this looks sweet.
Yes! We wanted to offer this bike with fender capability as well as racks.
Beautiful. Colour rocks, too!
Any thoughts on how easy/feasible it would be to add a dropper post?
I canât afford it but this is absolutely my ultimate dream bike.
Awesome vid, thanks. How does this bike handle steep climbs and steep descents?
Russ, I've been eyeing one of these ever since you posted this review. Really dig the new sunset fade color as well, but now I'm torn between the Outback and 2021 Ascent. Being essentially a steel forked, 29 capable Outback I'd love to see a review or hear your thoughts on it. Thanks as always!
Hoping to review the Ascent and make a comparison.
Thanks fir the review love the look of the Outback, I'm in the UK and am an advocate of Hunt wheels so just wondered what you thought?
Thanks simon
So far so good.
Hi there. I'm trying to figure out what size the stock Ritchey ZMax Evolution tires were. The smallest size I'm seeing 27.5x2.1. Thanks Russ!
Contador reference. Approved!
He was one of the most exciting to watch.
What size is that russ? What is your saddle height? Were you comfortable on this size. I'm between at small and medium, could ride either, only medium available here in Australia đ
What do you gain/lose by not having a steel fork?
like this review, concise and informative.
nice review, i do wish you would have commented on the "value" of the bike $1400 for just the frame....thats going to price a full build w/ decent components and gear close to 3k
Iâve stopped listing prices because people complain if the bike is $600 or $5000 and everything in between. Value and worth is different for everyone. I personally think itâs worth it. Noticeable step up from Surly without going $3k for custom steel.
Value is always going to be relative to your budget. What is cheap for one person is expensive for another. I have a cheap bike and an expensive bike. One rides better than the other, yet i enjoy riding them both.
How did you find the small's geometry? I love the look of the bike, but like you, the specs on paper scare the heck out of me only with those stack and reach numbers. I'm the same height as you and I notice you have the shifters tilted fairly high on what seems a shortish stem, albeit with a setback saddle.
I think the small would fit me well given enough time and fiddling around. The GRX hoods are really long and add a lot of reach to the cockpit so I had to shorten it by tilting it up.
Between this one and the Jamis renegade (steel) which one would you take?
What do you think about the BB stop and height. I think the BB seems top high, and it's compasated by the long chain stay. In yourn opinion, would It be even better with a lower BB?
I think it rides great the way it is and I donât know a lower BB would make it better.
Iâve built mine with ritchey carbon bullmoose flat bars. P20 style.
Samuel Baker did that change the ride feel much?
@@TheRDMagee hey , sorry I didnât see this earlier. Not really. It feels way better off road on single track and descending. I think the only drawback is that I have less hand positions. The flat bars provide a smoother ride too. I recently fitted some time trial bars for a long rail trail ride and that was perfect.
is there any way to 2x electric with this frame , or campy Ekar 1x13?
Hi Russ! Can the Outback accommodate a Rando rack? Thanks for the review!
So I get that it isn't a quick bike per say, but do you get out of it what you put into it? It seems like it should have some good pedal feedback/spring with that tubing.
Itâs not a jumpy bike itâs a smooth bike but plenty fast.
I ride a Ritchey Road Logic. Wonderful ride. Not a fan of the sloping top tubes. Bought a steel Salsa Vaya instead. Happy with it. Top tube cable , nah.
Vaya has a sloping tt as well... ?
Erik Leung wanted to see one. No one here had one to see let alone buy. The Salsa was able to be ordered in Jan 2020 . Got it early April. I like Ritchey. My expensive carbon bikes hang. Ritchey gets ridden. Mostly gravel rides these days on Salsa, Diverge and Trek Crockett. Only metal . Long time steel fan. 7 broken carbon frames . Done with it
@@erklng it does have a sloping tube. But it's steel. Seems like most slope now. At least the tubes are round.
Nice bike.. Thanks for the review đ
Great review as always! Would you recommend this bike for 2 week touring in Europe with maybe some 700 or 650B slicks riding 70-100mi a day? I currently have a Diverge that I want to ship over to Europe for touring next spring, but would be more at ease with a steel frame bike.
Sure. Would be great for that as long as you pack light. Itâs not a Surly LHT and does better with lighter touring setups.
Path Less Pedaled - Did you get a chance to weigh it?
I mention the weight in the video.
@@nomap2161 10kg exactly
@NOMAP naybe look at a Salsa Vaya, it's steel and a good touring bike.
Russ you have to review the new State 4130 All-Road!!! $799 complete!
What size did you ride? Based off their geo specs, I'm torn between the small and medium based on the TT length and Standover. I'm 5'9" typically ride a 54cm in most models or a 52 in All City? Would love your input on fit! Thanks for a great review!
I rode a small and the reach was good but the stack was too low. Would have gone Medium and run a short stem.
Iâve been waiting for this review, if I didnât have an AWOL Iâd buy this bike! Still want to actually
There's probably room in your stable for both?
N + 1...
I like to ride outdoor on long trips. Some would say I even have "adventure nipples'. It just happens when you riding out there! 0:52
I've been waiting on this one review all Spring. Hope you take on a trip somewhere and have a longer term impression to pass on. Would it work well for Bikepacking?
Love the colour
Adventure nipples you say? Iâm intrigued.
Thanks- nice review
what advantages would a 650b have over 700c with same tire? mud clearance but I would lean to 700x48 for rollover.
No toe over lap for shorter riders, lighter wheel/tire, more volume, stronger wheel, etc.,
dear plp team!! i have a giant escape 3 n i want to transform it into a gravel adventure bike is it possible n how much it will cost??
Great review! The only thing thatâs strange to me is low stack. Itâs only 566 on a medium. Compared to a 54cm diverge the stack is 592. I ride a cutthroat thatâs on the opposite extreme. The 56cm with similar reach is 619. Did you find you were too low on the bike? The stack seems like a road bike rather than all road or gravel bike.
It was pretty low and took some effort to get to a comfortable height. I considered having a custom steel fork for it made but it started to get real expensive.
@@PathLessPedaledTV if the stack was a bit higher the breakaway version would be tempting as an all road travel bike.
My only hangup is the carbon fork and max 6lbs.
whatâs the handlebar width here? which is your shoulder size? is it carbon or alloy?
Iâm 5 10 and Iâm having trouble choosing between medium and large. Any suggestions? Iâm coming from mountain biking so Iâm leaning towards medium to have a bit more control but Iâm worried about the reach being a bit too short.
Are you able to choose the right size for your outback? Torned between the same question also. Hope this channel helps.
Nice looking bike and would def like to take it out for a spin. Iâm just so curious about the cable routing. Top tube? Really? And in this day and age, why not internal and get this thing cleaned up. Would def be a deal breaker for me with it not being internally run.
External is much easier to deal with in remote places during a tour when things go sideways. I prefer it to internal.
Curious on the bike sizing. How tall are you and what's your inseam? Reading other comments you were on a small? I'd love to hear how you felt about the size you rode. Thanks russ!
Had a little trouble fitting it because the GRX levers add so much reach. I think with non hydro levers I could run an 80mm stem. With the extended reach of the GRX would drop to 60mm
@@PathLessPedaledTV One last bonus - How does this compare to the Crust Bombora?
May i ask what pedals these are?
They're very pretty and exactly what im looking for.
Name?
: )
Anybody know where to order a large frame? Seems to be out of stock everywhere.
Hey, just wondering about your comments regarding the carbon fork vs. steel fork. Is a rack not recommended with the carbon fork? If so, why? I'm running a Salsa Fargo with the stock carbon fork. I welded up a rack and fitted it on to carry about 10ish lb of gear and am running the Salsa 3 hole racks as well on the fork. Too much load for carbon? Thanks for any comment and really enjoy your videos- actually, a big part of getting me into backcountry touring.
Depends on the rack type. Some forks canât support a rando/porteur tale because lack of reinforcement in the crown hole. Wanted to run a rando rack on the Warbird and Salsa engineers strongly recommend against it.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Yes, I see the hole at the crown is only recommended for a light. I used it just to stabilize the rack but ran a couple of bungees from rack up over handlebars to relieve weight/stress on crown hole. Think a redesigned rack using clamps on crown and multiple holes on rack might do the trick. Thanks for reply.
Sorry, meant multiple holes on fork to secure rack supports.
Any comments about how it rides compared to your Crust Bombora?
what type of handlebars/levers are on the Ritchey?
Any thoughts on the Surly bridge club? Love your channel!
I thought this was a Ritchey when I saw your Instagram post on the sweet purple Phil and Paul accents! (I need to get some Paul components one day). Sweet bike and great! I don't even need another bike, but I'd definitely take a Ritchey. How does it compare to your recent ride on the Tumbleweed Stargazer? the geometries seem pretty similar.
The Ritchey seemed a little quicker. It's not as "tall" as the Tumbleweed. Trail is lower and the smaller wheels/tires made for a more nimble bike.
@@PathLessPedaledTV very cool. Lovely Bike again. And I totally realized my post, went to the wrong Ritchey video, whoops! Enjoy you CA trip!
Hey have you seen fairlight cycles from the UK?
Awesome review. 2Qs
Do they sell a complete bike?
Do you prefer the Outback or the Gorilla Monsoon?
No completes. Would get the Outback over the GM.
Do you have any videos about geometry and how it plays a role in the type of ride one will experience?
Yes. Look up our Bicycle Flavor Wheel video.
Canât find this bike anywhere!
Are the min/max double crankset limits (46/30) flexible in terms of going with a 42/28?
No. Need to run different BCD.
@@PathLessPedaledTV I was thinking of the Riv silver CS.
I like it!
I.m considering to buy this bike with grx....are a problem outiside cables?
No.
Awesome bikeđđ
I noticed the term "party pace" on your computer screen in the background-what does this really mean.
It means riding for fun and not racing.
Hello, I'm 5' 6" what size 2020 Outback do you recommend for me & what size Outback is reviewed in the video? Thanks!
Reviewed the Small.
@@PathLessPedaledTV How tall are you?
5â8
Bro thank you much for your videos!!! Im looking for 2 bikes one for me (im experienced rider) and one for my GF (she hasnt much experience) so, we need some budget and entry level gravel bike, any advice? thanks in advance!!!!!
he has new vids with budget bikes
@@compedium kona for the budget bike
Adventure nipples. Wow thatâs the new industry catchphrase
Do you plan to review the Ascent?
So much nicer than boat anchor Surlys
For numerous videos i've wondered: what are "baby heads"?
Rocks the size of a babyâs head.
Smaller wheels give larger trail? How come?
Those are XT rotors? Cool lookin'.
review "Kona Sutra Touring" bike
How would you compare the chunky off-road comfort compared to the Thunderhawk?
Same but different. Inherent length in the geo of the OB makes it more stable IMO than the Thunderhawk. But the tire clearance and material of the TH makes it supple for a short CS bike. The Ritchey is smoother overall, whereas the TH is a supple road feeling bike.
@@PathLessPedaledTV good to know, thank you. I've become a fan of longer CS's for off-road after having owned the Sutra LTD.
Looks very Vaya-ish how does it stack up to the old grand daddy of gravel?
Much lighter, quicker and compliant.
How tall are you and what frame size did you use? Looking at the geometry it looks like their sizes run a bit large
5â8. Small.
@@PathLessPedaledTV thanks!