When frame builder/designer (Merlin, Time, Reynolds…) Tom Kellogg announced this past summer that he is going to retire in summer 2020 after nearly four decades of being one of the trailblazers in American frame building, and will (literally) stop answering the phone to focus on fulfilling backlogs, many thought that would be it.
But Tom’s back. Sort of, or is it that he never left. Now, Ritte, yes, the fun-loving, Ritte (est. 2009) outta LA, is collaborating with the legend for two rad limited edition steel steeds after largely flying under the radar for the past few years. That’s one heck of a refresher for a youngish company. One for gravel and one for the all-road crowd.
PHANTOM
I saw a secret prototype of the all-road oriented Phantom at Sea Otter last April and while the reps were super tight-lipped about the bike, it was OMG hot. Clean lines, beautiful welds, and made out of steel. Steel might not be the darling of materials these days but anyone that has spent time on a quality steel rig lately will tell you otherwise. What I didn’t know then was that the bike was Tom’s design.
It’s built entirely out of size-specific Reynolds 725 tubing in a progressive geometry for mixed terrain usage. There are six frame sizes and an optional custom paint option. The disc-only frame features the latest technology: T47 bottom bracket, flat-mount disc brakes, full-internal cable routing, and 32c tire clearance. Each frame will come with a matching ENVE disc fork for $2,250, or with complete build starting at $3,800 with a FSA cockpit and Shimano 105 R7020 grouppo.
SATYR
For those looking for a rowdier, bigger gravel steed, there’s the Satyr. Named after the half man, half goat-like Roman woodland god, Tom designed the Satyr to be a slacker, longer version of the Phantom with up to 43c of tire clearance. Just like the Phantom, the disc-only Satyr is made of size-specific Reynolds 725 tubings, flat-mount disc brakes, full-internal cable routing, mounts for three cages, fender mounts, plus an ENVE gravel fork. Six sizes starting at $2,250 for the frameset only or a complete build starting at $3,800 with Shimano GRX RX600 1x grouppo.
More on Ritte’s site: www.ritte.cc
