Ritchey launch new wheels and bars for 2011

US component brand Ritchey has announced the launch of a new lightweight road wheelset along with the two new bar designs that we told you about earlier in the year.

The SuperLogic wheels, which come in at the top of the Ritchey range, have 46mm deep aero rims with glass-reinforced Scrim sidewalls to cope with the heat of hard and/or prolonged braking and to prevent rim deformation. They’re available in both tubular and clincher models and they look pretty darn stunning to us – although we’ve yet to get our hands on a pair let alone take them for a spin.

The hubs are cold forged Ritchey SuperLogics with new SKF bearings, the rear one featuring a forged six-pawl micro-clutch freehub body for fast engagement when you kick the cranks round. Shimano/SRAM and Campag models are on offer.

The hoops are laced up with Sapim CX Ray Aero stainless steel spokes (20 front, 24 rear) while new Ritchey WCS quick release skewers lock them securely in place. These come with machined cams, redesigned forged levers and titanium rods.

Ritchey are claiming a weight of 1,390g for the clinchers and 1,170g for the tub version, which makes them pretty darn light for something with this much rim-depth. They’ll set you back £2,166 a pair.

Onto the bars and Ritchey have one new carbon set and one alloy option. The WCS Carbon Curve comes in a shallow drop (128mm) and short reach (73mm) that’ll suit you if you’re looking for a slightly more upright than normal, back-friendly ride position. Loads of manufacturers have gone down this route lately in response to the never-ending growth in the popularity of sportives and other long day rides.

Typical of Ritchey, this bar provides a wide flat-grip area up top, and is available in 40, 42 and 44cm widths. The official weight is 210g and the cost is £240.

The triple-butted 7075 alloy WCS Evo Curve bar is almost as shallow in terms of drop and reach – 131mm and 84mm, to be precise. It comes in Ritchey’s Evolution shape which means it’s oval in profile for a palm-filling grip and a touch of extra stiffness, and you get a 4° rearward sweep from the clamp surface. We know riders who love the slightly altered hand position this provides.

The Evo Curve bar hits the scales at 250g according to Ritchey, and is available in 40, 42 and 44cm widths. In the wet black finish it’ll set you back £79, in a bead blast finish it’s £70 but you have to pay extra for the white look – £93.

UK importers Paligap tell us that they’re expecting stock on all of these Ritchey products from mid-August.