The Ritte single-speed separates itself from the pack with its Gates belt drive. © Dave Lieberman
When we saw the Ritte single-speed bikes with the Gates belt drive at Interbike, we at Cyclocross Magazine knew we needed to profile a bike that had the Gates carbon drive as a standard feature. And watching their racers, including Ben Jacques-Maynes this season has made us even more curious about the bikes. Jacques-Maynes has been dominating California racing on his Ritte, so maybe there is something to this single-speed thing … especially when you have an engine like Jaques-Maynes! For those of you who don’t know, Ben Jacques-Maynes is a road racer (alongside of brother Andy Jacque-Maynes on the Bissell team), and while not known to many as a cyclocosser, he’s been steadily slipping his way into the California cyclocross scene for the past couple of years.
Specs:
- The Blue Ribbon Steel CX Ritte frame: oversized Columbus Zona tubes, Rear vertical dropouts
- 130 rear dropout spacing for non disc wheels, and 135 for disc rear wheels (Jacques-Maynes switched mid-season to discs)
- Single s-bend chainstays for extra mud clearance and 425mm length for quicker handling
- 19mm seatstays for stiffness and for strength at the tube splitter
- Disc compatible, cable actuated or TRP Parabox hydraulic disc brake system
- 47mm head tube for 1 ½” tapered fork
- Eccentric Niner EBB bottom bracket and shell, standard PF30
- TRP CX8.4 mini cross v-brakes
- Matching painted ENVE tapered cross fork
- Standard MTB crank 175 (the bike offers optional Rotor cranks in all size lengths)
- Chris King tapered headset
- Custom Corsa Tubular Wheelset
- Fizik Aliante Carbon K:IUM saddle
- Fizik bar tape
- Crank Brothers Eggbeater Pedals
- Zipp Service Course cockpit, bar, stem, seat post
- Challenge Grifo tubular tires
- GATES carbon Drive belt system: Gates 50 tooth front ring and a Gates 24 rear cog and a 118 belt (53.99 gear inches)
MSRP: $ 2190 for Ritte frame with Enve fork and headset
