Behind the Brand :: Ritte

Lighter, faster, stiffer and more aerodynamic… these buzz words swarm like the proverbial locust through bike industry press releases. In a world where cycling is becoming increasingly popular, many brands have begun to lose touch with their roots and become seemingly obsessed with building the world’s best bike, no matter what the cost. Many of the larger brands in the cycling world seem to have completely lost touch with the essence of cycling: the banter, the camaraderie and the love of the outdoors.

Step forward the affable folk behind Ritte. Their entire ethos and brand image can be encapsulated by a slogan found on all their race kit “where’s the pub at?”  (we can excuse their imperfect grammar). This is a brand that makes a range of very pretty, perfomance orientated bikes, but also centres on the idea that cycling should be fun. Ritte’s interesting take on advertising really demonstrates that this is a company focussed on engaging with fellow riders and having a laugh and joke with each other; their Behind the Peloton video series is a great example of this, who says that race food has to be all gels and bars?

Ritte’s core message of making cycling fun again really struck a chord with me. Whilst racing and my results are important to me, at the end of the day l cycle because I love it. I can’t wait to get out on the bike, having a laugh with training mates, stopping off for a quick coffee, or a pub lunch, and riding all day.

In 2009 the UCI banned the Ritte Bosberg because of ‘the way that it looks’. The UCI was making the point that the Bosberg was just too pretty for the peloton and would deliver a dose of ‘psychological doping’ to those who ride it. A few weeks later the ban was dropped. Clever marketing stunt or challenging the law makers? Either way, this is not a company that toes the line. They are proud, creative and stand by their working principles. Even the great Ernesto Colnago couldn’t hold himself back from commenting on the ruling.

Ritte aim to work closely with high quality retailers, with customer service at the centre of their sales ethos. They’re not volume focused or bothered about selling the largest number of frames in the world, they want retail partners to help build the bike based around their frames for each individual’s personal requirements – whether you’re looking to smash your buddies at your local chain gang before a pint of beer at your local pub, or want to ride all day to your favourite café aboard one of their beautifully crafted frames, there’s a Ritte for you and an increasing dealer network who all wanting to put it together for you.

Nick Fountain of Pearl Distribution (Ritte’s UK distributor) invited me down for a day this week to have a look around the facility and to educate me about the Ritte brand and their products range – current and future. I spent an awesome day riding the carbon fibre Bosberg and a eye popping prototype stainless steel frame in the beautiful Cheshire countryside.  This is exactly the kind of invitation that I just can’t say no to. This is exactly why I love the bike industry – a day riding and talking about bikes with someone who’s just as passionate as me – ideal! Read my review of the Bosberg and Stainless here.

I didn’t take a computer or heart rate monitor on the ride, this was riding at its most engaging – some beautiful bikes , the open air and a wash of sunshine on my grinning face. I was really struck by Nick’s passion for bikes, knowledge and emphasis on having fun. He really knows his materials technology and engineering. Pearl Distribution is part of the Cygnet engineering group which produces carbon fibre weaves and tyre threads among other things, meaning they have a firm grasp of how composite materials work and how they can influence the riding characteristics of the frame and bike. The current range uses carbon fibre and stainless steel.

So to sum up – Ritte: innovative bikes made by a company with a huge personality. It’s great to see a brand focussed on the rider as well as the bike. We’ve all encountered that one guy who takes things just a bit too seriously and has forgotten that cycling’s supposed to be fun. My hope is that other companies follow Ritte’s lead and bring cycling back to the fundamentals of old school riding, beaming smiles and cultivating those tan lines in the gorgeous weather.

Hats off to Ritte, and a massive thank you to Nick and the team at Pearl Distribution for giving me a valuable and memorable insight into their individual world.

Pearl Distribution can be contacted on - +44(0) 1606 818147 or – orders@pearl-distribution.co.uk

You can ogle at the full Ritte range of bikes at - www.ritteracing.com and read my review of their range - http://bikesoup.cc/07/reviews/ritte-bosberg-stainless-steel-aphrodite-review/