San Carlos, Calif. - July 21, 2008 - In what Leah described as some of her best performances ever, Leah Goldstein of ValueAct Capital posted impressive results, finishing first, at the Israeli National time trial and road race championships as well as the Trans Alps road stage race (July 19-26, 2008). She rides a Blue Nx7 road bike complete with Ritchey WCS handlebar, stem and seatpost, and a Blue T-16 time trial bike with additional Ritchey WCS components.

Despite brutal heat during the National Championships, Goldstein blew away all competition. In the 25 kilometer time trial, she won by nearly four minutes. In the 135 kilometer road race, she attacked only 45 kilometer in, never to look back, and won with a more than five minute lead.

Shortly thereafter, Goldstein travelled to Germany with her coach, as her teammate, to compete in the road version of the Trans Alps Challenge. This seven-day stage race included more than 10,000 feet of climbing per day and took riders from Germany to the Italian Alps. Goldstein and her coach beat the duo who had won the race for the past six years.

Training and racing on Ritchey product for the past two seasons, ValueAct Capital has ridden to worldwide victories on Ritchey components solidifying the team’s confidence in, and decision to, ride high-performance, race-level Ritchey products.

Ritchey’s WCS (World Championship Series) level components represent Ritchey’s highest level performance components. WCS components use the latest technology and material to accomplish components of the highest strength with minimal weight - the ideal ratio for top-level cycling.

Watch for the ValueAct Capital team in the upcoming Tour de Toona, July 21-27 in Altoona, Pa.

About Ritchey Sponsorships
Founded on Tom Ritchey’s own passion of riding and racing, for almost 30 years Ritchey Design has been dedicated to supporting profession and grassroots cycling teams across the globe. On the International level, Ritchey partners with Saunier Duval Scott Pro Cycling Team and Lampre Fondital Pro Cycling Team. In the US Professional circuit, Ritchey partners with HealthNet Powered by Maxxis and Jelly Belly Pro Cycling. In the women’s professional field, Ritchey partners with Team TIBCO, Team ValueAct Capital, PROMAN Paradigm, Team Cheerwine and Team Advil-ChapStick. On the Grassroots level, Ritchey supports over 160 teams across the United States and Canada. For inquiries regarding Ritchey sponsorship please visit www.ritcheylogic.com.

In Canada, they busted the owners of the Bicycle Clinic, a used bike shop, after finding about 1,500 stolen bikes at their various properties.

Igor Kenk and Jean Laveau were charged with theft, attempted theft, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglar tools. On top of that, Mr. Kenk is facing charges of drug trafficking for his involvement in marijuana and cocaine sales.

This is sad on so many levels. I can only hope that the majority of bikes get returned to their rightful owners.

Ritchey Design Launches Revamped Consumer Web Site With Online Store

New consumer Web site includes product, sponsored team and women’s cycling information, a corporate blog and the ability to purchase Ritchey products online

SAN CARLOS, Calif. - July 8, 2008 - Ritchey Design, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality road and mountain bike components, today announced the launch of its new consumer Web site, which includes the ability to purchase products online with fulfillment through independent bicycle retailers.

Ritchey Design offers a wide range of “cockpit” components (handlebars, stems and seatposts) that help riders custom fit their bikes for a more efficient and comfortable ride, a philosophy Ritchey calls, “Fit Logic.” Ritchey Design also offers a complete line of innovative products ranging from saddles to carbon wheels for professional racers and the serious weekend rider. With the new Web site, consumers will be able to easily purchase Ritchey products with the help of Ritchey Design’s extensive network of authorized retailers.

“More and more consumers are using the Internet to find the products they need,” said Steve Parke, general manager and vice president of marketing for Ritchey Design. “Ritchey’s authorized retailers provide knowledgeable service and are key to helping cyclists get the most from their bikes. There is no other substitute for the service of a good independent retailer. The new Ritchey site will help consumers find the products they want, along with the service and support of a shop.”

When consumers place an order through www.RitcheyLogic.com, orders are posted in a special queue. Within one business, authorized Ritchey retailers, with product in stock, will ship those orders within 24 hours. Open orders not selected by retailers revert to Ritchey Design for fulfillment.

The new site features detailed information about Ritchey Design products, sponsored teams, news, cycling tips and a blog. Online purchases are only available to consumers in North America, and sales of Ritchey’s line of Break-Away travel bikes will not be available when the new site launches.

About Ritchey Design, Inc.
Northern California-based Ritchey Design was founded by road racer, mountain bike pioneer and product innovator Tom Ritchey in 1974. The company is well-known for its technical merits through attention to detail during the product design phase, resulting in high-quality, reasonably priced road and mountain bike components. Under its Fit Logic philosophy, Ritchey Design offers a wide range of “cockpit” components (handlebars, stems and seatposts) that help riders custom fit their bikes for a more efficient and comfortable ride. Ritchey Design also offers a complete line of innovative products ranging from headsets to tires for professional racers and the serious weekend rider, as well as its line of “Break-Away” travel bicycles for traveling cyclists. For more information about Ritchey Design, please visit www.ritcheylogic.com.

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Critical Mess?

By brian | - 7:53 am - Posted in Random acts of typing

I couldn’t resist.

While cleaning up my inbox of old articles, I found this one, where some CM participants in Canada took to the highway to protest a lack of bike lanes.

If that’s not asking for trouble in a big way, I don’t know what is.

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TheCyclePeople.com - updated forums

By brian | July 8, 2008 - 7:23 am - Posted in Press releases, Random acts of typing

TheCyclePeople.com is already a pretty comprehensive site for cyclists. You can search for a local bike shop, (approx 4,500 US shops listed!) check out the 20,000+ product listings, or even find a bike tour and accommodation nearly anywhere on the planet.

So how did they improve the site? The updated their forums to the latest version of the vBulletin software. This new version adds networking options, allowing to users to add Contacts & Friends, create Social Groups, and upload and maintain photos with the Pictures & Albums option. Not only that, but they’ve removed some of the ads to make the forums wider, and improved the layout.

Pretty sweet for a free site that even offers free public or private forums for bike clubs and charities, and has actual dealers participate in answering product questions. Check it out!

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