In the mid 1990's, Ritchey was well known for their TIG welded P-series steel mountain frames. These frames could be built into complete bikes weighing in the 20-23 pound range which was quite light for a steel mountain bike at the time. Though light, Ritchey mountain frames had a balanced ride quality with just enough compliance to take the edge off the bumps while being sufficiently stiff for power climbs. With the P-29er, Ritchey brings their heritage of TIG-welded, light and strong mountain frames to the 29er world. Here packed with performance and value in complete bike package featuring a Shimano M785 XT 10-speed groupset, Rock Shox SID XX 29 Solo Air 100mm X-Lock suspension fork, and a full Ritchey WCS kit.

Tom Ritchey applied over 40 years of racing, designing and building steel mountain bikes into the P-29er and now in it's own second generation, there are some new features. Like any Ritchey, this bike is born to go fast without sacrificing comfort or durability. Heat-treated, triple-butted Ritchey Logic II tubing in Ritchey's unique butting profiles results in a frame that balances rough trail compliance with sprint-winning stiffness. In this 2nd gen design Ritchey went to a forged and machined tapered 1⅛ to 1.5" headtube. The frame uses a 27.2 seatpost, threaded BSC 73mm bottom bracket, 135mm QR rear dropout, clearance for true XC 2.25 29er tires, and 100mm fork travel. In the 1st Gen, Ritchey opted for sliding dropouts for SS or geared options, but now the P-29er is set-up strictly with a geared dropout.

The 29er-specific geometry was defined by countless hours of saddle time under Tom Ritchey and other racers. The result is nimble handling that captures the benefits of the big wheels, stable but not sluggish, equally at home on all-day epics or tight, technical singletrack race courses. The key numbers are the 73° seattube angle, 70° headtube angle, 447mm chainstay, and 60mm BB drop.

The WCS Drop In Taper 1-1/8"-1.5" headset carries the action of the Rock Shox SID XX 29 Solo Air 100mm X-Lock, which has a 15/100 thru-axle dropout and 74mm disc post mount. You get plenty of set-up flexibility with the SID XX, but make no mistake, this is an XC race design, and is just over 3.25 lbs. Ritchey maintained the standard QR 135mm rear dropout, so the Ritchey WCS Vantage wheelset has flexible end caps for the proper set-up, but also future flexibility. The rims are tubeless ready, with a 20mm internal rim width, and are laced to WCS hubs via 28 hole DT Competiton double-butted spokes (3x all around) and brass nipples, bring the weight to 1668 grams. The set is equipped with Ritchey ZMax Comp 29x2.25" folding clincher tires.

Shimano's XT m785 10-speed groupset is a 2x system, with a 34/24 Hollowtech II crankset and threaded external bottom bracket cups. The cassette is an 11-34, offering you solid range that is matched with the 29er for sheer trail speed and efficient climbing. All of the group: the hydraulic disc brakeset, front and rear derailleurs, cassette, chain, shifters and the 160mm disc rotors are XT level. While not the most current XT edition, the overall value and performance are excellent and well matched to the P-29er frame.

Ritchey is probably best known today for their excellent components and this kit is no exception. All of it is alloy WCS level: the Flat +/-5 WCS 720mm/9° Wet Black handlebar, C-220 WCS Wet Black 31.8mm stem, and Link 27.2 x 400mm, 20mm offset, Wet Black seatpost. The excellent WCS Streem saddle in black suits many body and rider types, while the Ergo True Grip WCS in yellow pop off the wet black components and frame, matching the yellow complementary frame color.

The heart of the P-29er is truly the frame design and triple butted tubing. Don't consider the weight, this is a steel frame with wonderful ride characteristics and feel. You buy the P-29er complete bike to fully enjoy fast XC trail riding and experience history. We aren't going to wax poetic about steel, other than to say it is truly a singular experience, bringing out qualities a carbon bike just can't. If you are seriously considering buying a P-29er you likely already understand this. This complete package carries an excellent price point as equipped, with flexibility moving forward. Here at Excel Sports we have a long history with Ritchey frames and components, based on trust, respect, and overall quality. Now you too can own a modernized piece of cycling history with this P-29er Complete Bicycle.