{"id":179206,"date":"2026-07-07T18:46:05","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T09:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelug.com\/blog\/?post_type=global&p=179206"},"modified":"2026-07-07T18:55:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T09:55:25","slug":"a-blog-about-ritchey-and-fergus","status":"publish","type":"global","link":"https:\/\/bluelug.com\/blog\/global\/a-blog-about-ritchey-and-fergus\/","title":{"rendered":"A blog about Ritchey and Fergus"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ritchey Garden City x Blue Lug track frame has been released. Yes, that Ritchey. I think this is a really interesting product, one that\u2019s special not only for the current cycling world but, of course, for us as well.<\/p>\n

Our staff members who are big Ritchey fans have provided a detailed explanation of the Garden City, so please be sure to check it out.<\/p>\n

When I heard that Ritchey was releasing this track frame, it all made sense. I realized this was a product that simply couldn\u2019t have been created without that person.<\/p>\n

As long-time cyclists probably already know, Mr. Fergus Tanaka, who is currently the product manager at Ritchey.<\/p>\n

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Not only he’s known as the product manager of Ritchey, he’s also known as one of the iconic ex-bike messenger in SF and a track bike enthusiast. I’d like to write a bit about him, Ritchey and some stories of Fergus as a fan of Fergus and a person who used be a bike messenger around the same time as him.<\/p>\n

I started my career as a messenger about 25 years ago, in 2001. I did deliveries on a road bike for just one year, but, perhaps influenced by the veteran messengers around me, I managed to get a track bike for a bargain price, and from then on, I spent every day making deliveries on that track bike.<\/p>\n

Toward the end of my time as a messenger, I had the opportunity to work for a company, one of many in Tokyo, that brought together a group of professionals who made deliveries on track bikes. I\u2019ll never forget that time. It was filled with tears, laughter, accidents, a sense of accomplishment, and even moments when I\u2019d make a wrong delivery, get a call from the office over the radio, and completely lose it.<\/p>\n

I was so busy everyday.<\/p>\n

I rode a lot of distance on my track bike, whether it was raining, blazing hot, snowing and even in storms. I still can’t believe the fact I managed to survive, but I guess that’s what it means to be young. I also got a lot of help from my friends.<\/p>\n

Back before smartphones became widespread, couriers would hold a map in one hand, wear a walkie-talkie attached to their messenger bag, and personally deliver the items requested by clients. It was very old-school.<\/p>\n

But I feel that being a messenger is a truly one-of-a-kind profession. It\u2019s driving today\u2019s bike culture, and I think it\u2019s precisely because of this messenger culture that we\u2019ve been able to get this far. The era before track bikes became popular was the most exciting.<\/p>\n

And during that same period, Fergus Tanaka was also active as a messenger across the ocean. I think the first time I heard his name was from a messenger at the same company while I was still working there.<\/p>\n

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That colleague of mine was a bike messenger who had even won the CMWC (Cycle Messenger World Championship), and he had also placed highly at the NACCC (North American Cycle Courier Championships), North America\u2019s largest bike messenger event, held in 2006. I still remember receiving an SFBMA (San Francisco Bike Messenger Association) patch from him as a souvenir.<\/p>\n

I believe Fergus was also involved with the SFBMA at the time, and I think he was the one who gave my buddy that patch, if my memory serves me correctly.<\/p>\n

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I unfortunately lost two of the patches…I’m so sorry.<\/p>\n

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After that, I stopped working as a messenger and joined Blue Lug. I\u2019d occasionally see him in various cycling magazines, and the first time I saw him, I think he was wearing a Suntour jersey in the magazine\u2026 though I don\u2019t really remember clearly.<\/p>\n

Judging from the magazines from that time, he looked a fit and looked like a quiet and chill person. He might have had a thing for slightly older bikes and parts. I\u2019m pretty sure the bike he was riding had Suntour Superbe hubs on it.<\/p>\n

Back then, I\u2019d often come across Suntour Superbe hubs and buy them here and there, so I can\u2019t help but feel a sense of familiarity with them.<\/p>\n

Since his name includes \u201cTanaka,\u201d I figured he must be half Japanese.
\nI hadn\u2019t actually met him at the time, so of course, that was just my impression.<\/p>\n

After joining Blue Lug, I unfortunately sold all my Suntour parts at a swap meet. I seriously regret my decision.<\/p>\n

I first met him at the registration venue in Shibuya when CMWC Tokyo was held in 2009. He rode up alone on a Raleigh track bike, quickly completed his registration, and rode off alone somewhere. He looked so badass.<\/p>\n

Blue Lug had a booth at CMWC Tokyo, and I still remember when he came by the booth all by himself. At the time, Blue Lug had released a special-order all-green version of the \u201cZaffiro\u201d from Virroria Tires, and we were selling them at the CMWC booth. He stopped by the booth then and bought a few of those tires.<\/p>\n

I remember him saying something like; \u201cI love green parts.” and something like; \u201cI’m gonna put the tires on the front because I don’t wanna waste them.” What a charming fella.<\/p>\n

I got to see him ride at the Delivery Race, too, and I was impressed by his refined riding style. He pedaled powerfully yet efficiently, without any wasted motion.\u00a0Back when he visited Japan for Bike Lore in 2024, he also rode super well and won a race.<\/p>\n

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I think I might just like his personality. I think we have a few things in common, but it\u2019s really his unique vibe and character that stand out. I\u2019m also really happy that he\u2019s still active as a manager at Ritchey, and the fact that we\u2019re collaborating with Ritchey to produce a frame\u2026 that\u2019s truly amazing.<\/p>\n

I imagine it\u2019s under Ritchey\u2019s supervision, but he\u2019s drawn on his years of experience riding track bikes to infuse his own identity into this Ritchey track frame. It features 28c tire clearance that embodies the \u201cmessenger spirit\u201d.<\/p>\n

Even now that wider tires are the norm,\u00a0 it’s like he’s saying that if you\u2019re riding a track bike, it\u2019s definitely more fun with narrower tires and I totally agree.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s made me want to ride one again for the first time in a while\u2026<\/p>\n

Also, I\u2019ve often seen pictures of old Ritchey bikes myself, and the vintage \u201cRitchey Made\u201d frames, all featuring fillet brazing are absolutely beautiful.<\/p>\n

They transcend the realm of bicycle frames and look like works of art.<\/p>\n

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But since bikes are meant to be ridden by people and needs to be durable, this fillet brazing, which allows for flexible angle adjustments, might have been the right choice after all.<\/p>\n

I actually requested this fillet brazing when I ordered my Hunter Cycles cross frame a while back, because I used to love old Ritchey frames.<\/p>\n

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I think even the renowned frame builders on the West Coast had a huge respect for Ritchey. I think the fact that Ritchey parts were frequently used on show bikes at the late NAHBS (North American Handmade Bicycle Show) was proof of that.<\/p>\n

Looking at the frames created by West Coast frame builders, I noticed many were clearly inspired by Ritchey, so I suppose Ritchey will always be a truly special presence, no matter the era. I think this applies to everything: when you first set out to do something, you don\u2019t know which way is up or down. You have to keep going, repeating failures, searching for the right answer, and moving forward while believing in your own vision. I can\u2019t help but feel that\u2019s a truly scary and difficult thing to do.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t help but think that Tom Ritchey\u2019s passion for bicycles was many times, perhaps even dozens of times, greater than that of other manufacturers. Looking back now, it\u2019s also fascinating that he\u2019s been collaborating with Japanese manufacturers to produce parts under the Ritchey brand for so long.<\/p>\n

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After all, Tom used Suntour components, and he built his bike using parts from Japanese manufacturers like Nitto, Sugino, Dia-Compe, and MKS Pedals, among others. It makes perfect sense that Ritchey who has always trusted Japanese parts manufacturers, chose Japanese manufacturers that possessed the best technology both then and now.<\/p>\n

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He used the best parts for the best frames. I\u2019m sure there were plenty of parts available locally in the U.S. at the time, but he wasn\u2019t satisfied with that. He went overseas to have the very best parts custom-made and installed them on the bikes he built. His passion was on a whole different level.<\/p>\n

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As a Blue Lug staff member and a cyclist, I feel deep respect and am truly delighted that someone I admire so much and a brand I love so much have released this Garden City track frame<\/a> as a 20th-anniversary model just for us.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gone on and on here, rambling incoherently about my thoughts on Fergus and Ritchey, but I apologize if I\u2019ve been presumptuous or made any mistakes. I\u2019ll continue to keep an eye on Ritchey products and new releases with great anticipation, while dreaming of the day when I can collaborate with Ritchey on another exciting project.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to see the green-colored parts and frames produced by Fergus someday, too!<\/p>\n

Thank you for reading this long post.
\nSee you next time.<\/p>\n

– Aze<\/p>\n