​It's official, Ritchey has been a staple cycling brand for 50 years. As the brand celebrates its 50th anniversary it takes a look back on its history, unveils fresh commemorative logos, limited edition framesets, and soft goods.

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[All images Courtesy of Ritchey Design, Inc. unless noted otherwise]

Tom Ritchey's bike wrenching journey began back in 1972 when a 16 year old Tom built his first bicycle frame. That was just a humble beginning as the man himself became responsible for creating the 130mm mountain bike specific rear hub in 1980, and folding bead tyres with 120tpi casings in 1984.

Tom's innovation didn't stop there, in more recent years, after a visit to Rwanda in 2005, he designed the Coffee Bike to help Rwandan coffee farmers transport their crops efficiently to be washed.

All of that is merely scratching the surface of what Tom Ritchey has been up to and his importance within the world of cycling with many of his components taking riders to the top of podiums.

To honor this monumental milestone, Ritchey has unveiled new logos that focus on the brand's roots and Tom's journey to becoming a pillar of bicycle and component design. The new logos keep the blue and yellow that's instantly recognisable at 'Ritchey' but they now include "Palo Alto, California", a nod to where Tom began fixing frames.

To further celebrate Ritchey's 50th anniversary, the brand will release limited edition colourways on chosen framesets, all of which will feature the 50th Anniversary Palo Alto Ritchey wordmark on the downtube. We're expecting to see them release within the next  few months. Ritchey will also launch a range of soft goods and accessories throughout the year, commemorating the anniversary.

• ritcheylogic.com

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