![]() While we continue to see long top tubes and short stems, Ritchey kept the top tube length quite short at 570mm on the size large, allowing for a slightly longer stem to achieve the same fit.Īlthough it’s fun to ride gravel bikes with ultra-short chainstays, aggressive front ends, and big tires, I’m of the mind that a hardtail mountain bike is often the better tool for the job. The Outback has a notably shorter top tube length and reach than other bikes in this category. Swap those out for an 80mm stem and wider bars and I think the Ritchey could provide drop bar bliss for my style of riding. That’s with a 90mm stem and 42cm wide bars, which is what my test bike came with. A bike like this pairs well with a minimalist rear rack and a set of micro panniers, such as Porcelain Rocket’s Microwave Panniers, my personal favorites.Īggressive enough to handle fast descents but still comfortable for all-day rides, I think the Outback’s riding position hits a sweet spot. The long wheelbase creates a stable ride, and there’s no issue with heel clearance when using a rear rack and panniers, which I ended up doing on a few rides. Interestingly, the Outback actually shares a resemblance to my Trek 520, which is much closer to traditional touring geometry. This is also where the handling and ride qualities of the steel frame were most noticable, providing some of the smoothest gravel riding I’ve ever experienced. It didn’t feel as powerful while accelerating and was somewhat sluggish at lower speeds, but really came to life when cruising on slight downward grades. At 453mm, the Outback has longer chainstays than all three of the bikes mentioned above, and it was noticeable while riding. It’s a stable ride, but not nearly as playful or nimble when exploring tight singletrack. Right away, the longer wheelbase reminded me most of the Beaux Jaxon. Without riding the original Ritchey Outback, I compared my first few rides to some of the other gravel bikes I’ve reviewed lately, including the Rocky Mountain Solo and Bearclaw’s Beaux Jaxon and Thunderhawk. Otherwise, the rest of the numbers closely resemble those of the original Outback. A big portion of this is found in the longer chainstays, which is one aspect of the bike that sets itself apart from other bikes we’ve ridden in this category. The next big change is a wheelbase that is nearly 30mm longer. Taken together, this means a front end that handles fast, steep descents better but has slightly less snappy steering. As mentioned above, the new Ritchey Adventure Fork is longer and offers more rake, plus the head tube angle is slightly more slack at 71° (size large). There are also a few different geometry changes that align well with Ritchey’s vision for a more adaptable and comfortable ride. The frame is still TIG-welded with proprietary triple-butted Ritchey Logic steel tubing, uses a standard 68mm threaded bottom bracket, and has fully exterior routed cables. Additionally, the Outback has more tire clearance-700x40mm updated to 700c x 48mm / 650b x 2.0”-and can unofficially fit select 2.1” tires as well. The new fork, while still carbon, now features an optional 15mm thru-axle kit, more rake, and an overall longer length. The new Outback now has two bottle mounts in the main triangle, another one under the downtube, plus three-pack mounts on the fork legs of the new Ritchey WCS Carbon Adventure Fork. First, Ritchey added bosses for racks, full-coverage fenders, and additional bottles. So, what’s new? There are a handful of notable changes that I see as worthwhile improvements over the first version. ![]() Ritchey set me up with an Outback GRX build, complete with Ritchey’s own carbon WCS Vantage wheels, seatpost, VentureMax handlebar, and their WCS Trail Stem. The entirety of my outings took place on Vancouver Island, scouting summer routes and logging roads, including several extended rambles loaded with snacks and water. I had the opportunity to test out a complete Ritchey Outback build prior to today’s launch, and I packed in as much riding as I responsibly could manage in the three weeks I had it. Updated for 2020, the new Outback frameset has received some promising updates that will be attractive to those looking to build up a gravel bike for the summer.
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