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Are you interested in knowing what makes the Ritchey P650b such an intriguing bike? Keep reading to find out more.
It’s not hard to see that the Ritchey P650b is not as modern and trim as the newer bike models on the market today. However, this bike offers a solid, sound biking experience. For passionate bike enthusiasts, the old school charm of the P650b is one of the reasons they love this ride.
The colorful frame carries a vintage look but still manages to get your adrenalin pumping. Real biking enthusiasts will appreciate the hard work and legacy that Tom Ritchey has left us in this bike brand. Many regard it an honor to ride one of the most famous bikes designed by the legend himself. Richey first designed the original frame back in 1977.
Over the years, the design has been altered and improved so that it is compatible with today’s advanced components. One of the key products of this modernization of the original design is the 650b mountain bike.
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Elegance at Its Peak
The 650b features an elegant frame. This particular design takes you back to the early days of the sport. The lines are elegant and you no longer see the old threaded bottom bracket or the derailleur clamp. The cromoly steel frame features thin tubes, clean welds, and smooth curves. These days, you don’t often come across the aesthetic outlook of the classic bike frames, but the Ritchey P 650b is an exception in this case.
Definitely, the 650b mountain bike is not a hardtail bike because it can’t compete with the modern carbon and aluminum frames in this regard. Even if you modify the 650b, don’t anticipate a record-breaking hardtail performance. The down tube is compatible with 100mm fork. A 1 1/8 inch steerer can accommodate campy-type headset.
The 27.2mm seat post sits well on the seat clamp. These days, you don’t get to see open cable on the modern bikes and in the modern frames. However, with this model, Ritchey have chosen to stick with the cable on this particular bike model. It’s really a nostalgic feeling for those who used to ride this bike back in the late 1970s.
The Ride and Handling
The frame may look old but once the bike is on the trail, you’ll forget the vintage characteristics because the performance of the 650b bike brings you back from the old days into the modern biking arena. The stability and balance enhance the confidence of the rider. It offers a top-notch cross-country ride that rivals many of today’s classic bikes. Experts mostly associate the steel frames with an exceptional ride and balance and this is exactly the case with this model. The handling is easy, even for entry-level biking enthusiasts.
Frame stiffness may be an issue for the modern bikers when riding this steel frame. But if you don’t care for the weight-ratio figures and you don’t expect to compete this model with modern high-end makes, then you won’t have any problems with the Ritchey P-650b.
Who Should Buy this Bike?
Well, it is for everyone who claims to be a biker or who wants to become a good biker. This model carries the prestigious name of a great bike inventor. It’s a bike created for bikers, by a biker. It doesn’t get any better than that. It’s a bike that allows you to merge and connect two worlds, a bike that helps the rider understand what exactly it meant to ride a bike, decades ago.
It’s a perfect opportunity to know how far the industry has come and how well the 40-year old design still manages to impress to this day. Sometimes you need to go back to the beginning, to appreciate the bikes we have today, and one bike that helps bridge these two worlds together is this bike right here, the 650b mountain bike.
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Our Verdict
If you want a taste of the golden era in bike making, then you might want to consider purchasing one of these bikes. The P650b is a modest, unassuming bike that would not get picked up because of its looks, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t give a good ride. The P650b might look like a bit of a classic, but it rides like a modern bike. It needs a bit of getting used to, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be racing up and down the road like there’s no tomorrow. So, if you’re on the lookout for a bike you can casually enjoy in the neighborhood, or on the beach, then consider investing in a Ritchey P 650b.
