Ritchey upgrades for the trail

The name says it all: Ritchey calls the new component line "Trail", which is entirely focused on all-mountain and enduro bikes. The new stems, seat posts and handlebars are designed to feel particularly at home on mountain bikes with 140 to 160 millimetres of suspension travel. And Ritchey has also thought about 29er riders.

Matching the tapered head tube
According to Ritchey, the freshly baked "Trail WCS" stem offers greater stiffness and the muscular look fits better with modern head tube and frame designs. The manufacturer packs its extra-wide 220-degree handlebar clamp into the head of the stem and promises a drastic increase in stiffness at the steering center compared to traditionally designed stems.

The connection between the handlebars and steerer tube is made of forged 2014 aluminum, measures 28.6x31.8 millimeters, has a zero-degree rise and weighs 115 grams at 70 millimeters in length.

Balance act between 26 and 29 inches
The new "Mountain 2x Trail" handlebars can almost perform tricks: these handlebars can be rotated to offer a rise of 5 millimetres or a drop of 5 millimetres. Ritchey praises the drop version as ideal for 29er bikes in order to keep their steering center low. The carbon version of this adjustment miracle comes in a width of 710 millimetres and weighs 180 grams, while the aluminum version is one centimetre wider and 52 grams heavier than its carbon counterpart.

Low Rizer handlebars with a width of 740 millimetres complete the "Trail" line without the Rise/Drop option: made of aluminum, these handlebars increase the steering by 20 millimetres, while the carbon Low Rizer handlebars are 15 millimetres wider.

Good pairing
With the new "Trail" line, Ritchey also adheres to the unwritten law that the stem and seatpost come from the same manufacturer to ensure a tidy look on the bike. The "Trail WCS" stem therefore pairs well with the new "Link Trail WCS" and "Link Trail FlexLogic WCS Carbon" seatposts.

The new seatposts are compatible with standard frame systems or Selle Italia ́s Monolink system via two different clamping heads. The clamps promise quick position adjustment and a secure hold. The posts are 400 millimetres long and have a diameter of either 27.2, 30.9 or 31.6 millimetres. The carbon post in the 27.2 millimeter version weighs 180 grams.

The fresh "Trail" parts will be available for the first time in September 2012.

www.ritcheylogic.com