2023 marks Ridgeback’s 40th anniversary and Madison had a bunch of retrobike beauties on display at their recent iceBike* trade show. For those who couldn’t attend the show, here’s a little gallery and video for your delectation.
Which one’s your favourite?
Ridgeback Standard, 1983
The excellently named Ridgeback Standard was the first mountain bike brought into the UK by Ridgeback. It was one of the first mountain bikes brought into the UK by anyone for that matter.
Lurking in the background is a Ridgeback 500 (c. 1989).
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That is some impressive straddle cable. Note: those are the original Nutrak tyres still on there!
For a £100 eBay find (apparently) there’s an impressive amount of original equipment on this 1983 Ridgeback Standard. Check out the Madison GII saddle.
These are ripe for a relaunch. Seriously though, we always thought these were an eminently sensible way to make safe stem.
The classic ‘Air’ grips from Madison. They sold a metric ton of these apparently. And yeah, thumbies. Mmm… thumbies.
We wonder if that bike shop is still there in Reigate..?
Rigida rims and evz.
Ridgeback Mountain 601 GS and Ridgeback Rapide, c.1993
Tange tubing on this Mountain 601 GS. The road bike at the back is a Ridgeback Rapide; one of the brand’s first forays into the world of drop bars.
What’s better than retro bikes? Why, retro bike catalogues of course!
Apologies for the slightly mis-focused pic. This is 1992 Ridgeback 601 LX with a Ridgeback 703 DX frameset behind it (similarly out of focus). Watch the video below for the full Shimano XT Shark Fin and Biopace chainset action…
Even the page of the catalogue with the Ridgeback 601 LX on it is blurred! That’s just arty though, right? Right?
Ridgeback The Thing, c.2003
This never made it into production. Funny that. Di2 (well, Shimano NEXAVE C810) equipped, full (well, URT) suspension, step-through, trekking, city bike. Discs though.
Answers on a postcard please.
The official description of this is a ‘Front derailleur (with computer unit)’.
You know, it’s not a million miles away from how ebikes used to look a few years ago (or still do if you’re buying from Wish Dot Com).
Anyone want a backie? Anyone..?
Yes, we found the manual for the Shimano NEXAVE Front derailleur (with computer unit).
Thanks – and well done – to Dom from Madison for finding and gathering up all these bikes.
