Ricardo Appreciation Society

[singlespeedscott]

Ricardo's where manufactured by Leisure cycles in Adelaide

[10speedsemiracer]

Just cross read this whole thread and couldn't find what I was looking for (may have missed it though).
Is it known who manufactured the Ricardo frames?
..........

Made by Leisure Cycles in Regency Park (suburb of Adelaide) from mostly Tange tubing for mid-range and high-end frames. Sold to Repco at some point in the late 80s. I think they have quite a following due to the combination of being Australian-made and the overall good quality of the better models. Have had various Ricardos thru my hands (but am far from an expert) and all have been very well made and aged surprisingly well. I don't know if applying the Japanese frame dating criteria would be accurate to Ricardo frames..

[familyguy]

I think like all Australian makers of that era, some number of frames were bought in and re-badged. Hence differing serial numbers. Some Clamont are re-stickered Miyata frames, Repco used some Nishiki frames (even giving them the same model name). Others were imported and stickered as ProTour and Dodsun, among others. I would be surprised if Ricardo didn't do it as well for some lower end models.

[guidogad]

Ricardo's where manufactured by Leisure cycles in Adelaide

That's a real surprise. I would have assumed they just imported (maybe assembled) Asian frames.
This is not to say that there weren't any (artisan) frame builders around (like Geoff Scott at Clamont), but I didn't think there was any industrial scale manufacturing of bike frames happening in Australia during the 80s.
P.S.: I absolutely love my 1981 Apollo V (made by Kuwahara of course).

[guidogad]

Ok, just found a 1982 ad for the Ricardo Elite, which says the frame and fork are brazed in Australia.
One learns something every day.
Anyone know how long they kept it up?

[10speedsemiracer]

Ok, just found a 1982 ad for the Ricardo Elite, which says the frame and fork are brazed in Australia.
One learns something every day.
Anyone know how long they kept it up?

I seem to remember 86-87 as when Repco acquired Ricardo, but may be out by a year or so.

[singlespeedscott]

Ok, just found a 1982 ad for the Ricardo Elite, which says the frame and fork are brazed in Australia.
One learns something every day.
Anyone know how long they kept it up?

Please share

[guidogad]

Ok, just found a 1982 ad for the Ricardo Elite, which says the frame and fork are brazed in Australia.
One learns something every day.
Anyone know how long they kept it up?

Please share

I don't have a photo hosting service, so I guess I can't upload anything. Looks like I can't even attach anything to a PM.
Also, the "coding" one has to do to do anything in this forum is probably too high a hurdle for me.
I can post it at bikeforums.net if you participate there?

[uart]

I don't have a photo hosting service, so I guess I can't upload anything. Looks like I can't even attach anything to a PM.
Also, the "coding" one has to do to do anything in this forum is probably too high a hurdle for me.
I can post it at bikeforums.net if you participate there?

Hi guidogad. Do you have a google account (eg gmail). If so then you can use "google photos" already, no new accounts or services needed. Anything uploaded to a shared folder (album) in google photos will get you a link which will work just fine here.

As for the amount of "coding" required, the only the following computer skills are needed.

1. Clicking. (To click the "Img" button at the top of the "reply to post" page).
2. Pasting. (To paste the image URL sourced from google photos - or other hosting service - into the reply.

There is some more help here. http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... =6&t=23303

[singlespeedscott]

Ok, just found a 1982 ad for the Ricardo Elite, which says the frame and fork are brazed in Australia.
One learns something every day.
Anyone know how long they kept it up?

Please share

I don't have a photo hosting service, so I guess I can't upload anything. Looks like I can't even attach anything to a PM.
Also, the "coding" one has to do to do anything in this forum is probably too high a hurdle for me.
I can post it at bikeforums.net if you participate there?

even a link to where you found it would be great

[fatti]

Just found this thread. I got a 1986 Ricardo Bushbike that i used to ride to high school on and has been sitting in my shed for the last 33 years. All original except the front brakes (which were snapped off at school).

I remember when it came out it was state of the art with the oval front cog and the concave rims. Man I did some miles on that thing.

[Gravybaby]

New to the forum here but found this thread on Google and thought I'd mention my old Ricardo Kurrajong "All Terrain" mountain I bike still have in my garage. I bought it new in 1990 and was quite a nice bike for it's day (I think I paid around $500 from a Bike shop in Byron Bay). Can't find mention of Kurrajong anywhere in this thread so thought I'd say a few words about it. (edit: actually I can't find it mentioned anywhere online at all so perhaps it's a bit of a rarity?)

It came with CR-MO Tange PG Tubing, 18 Speed indexed gearing (indexed gears were perhaps a new selling point at the time?), 26 inch concave alloy rims (but crappy steel spokes that rusted), thorn proof innertubes, I changed one of the rims after breaking a bunch of rusty spokes and kind of regret not keeping the old one now. Also has the Ovaltech alloy crank. Centre pull cantilever brakes with alloy levers were a big feature for the time if I remember correctly. The rear brake was mounted low on the frame chainstay (edit: ACS Gripper brand). Alloy quick release seat post, alloy stem too I think (although its painted black).

It's white with some very cool smokey airbrushed paint effects on the front forks and extending up into the front of the frame. Edit: I just discovered that this smokey effect may actually have been done with the soot from a lit candle and then sprayed over the top with a clear coat (or maybe they did it whilst the clear coat was still wet?). See https://www.cycleexif.com/ricardo-mtb-tourer

There's an example of smoke painting at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhXUGBPvUWw

Funny story, I was still riding it up until about 10ish years ago and towards the end of it's usable life I was riding slowly up a hill and passed a bunch of kids that lived nearby, one of them turned to me and said "That's a sh ! t bike". It cut deep but if only they knew what a classic it was. Amazes me that it's 30 years old now and still in my garage.

[P!N20]

Cool bike. What was the idea with the rear brake on the chain stays? I mean, I've seen it on road and TT bikes, but surely on a mountain bike it's just going to get clogged up with mud and dirt. What was the tubing? Almost looks like a Tange 2 decal.

Funnily enough bikes like this have found favour with the post-fixie crowd of late - usually converted to beater/pub/utility bikes. Probably wouldn't take too much work to get it back into service.

[singlespeedscott]

Chainstay mounted U-brakes where a thing in the late eighties but fell out of favor pretty quickly due to the mud clogging abilities of such a setup. U brakes where mounted there apparently because they where so powerful they could the seat stays, GT however mounted them on the seatstays with no issues.
U brakes fell out of favor because they where heavier than cantilevers and apparently more difficult to setup, which is a load of rubbish. A well setup U-brake with decent pads performs much better than any canti lever.

[Gravybaby]

P!N20, I'm sure the low slung rear brake was sold with the reasoning of better braking somehow and singlespeedscott above probably nailed it on the head. My rear brake only pulls from one side now due to a small metal lug breaking off inside the brake assembly, it held something in place, perhaps a spring but I cant remember exactly, I only remember thinking...hmmm, that's going to be hard to fix without replacing it completely.

The pinkish tubing label reads: CR-MO Tubing TANGE Mountain Bike MTB P.G Tubes. The same as on this ebay listing image

[any2wheels]

Hi All, I picked up a Ricardo Sirocco II All Terrain on the weekend, and other than finding out that Ricardo was an Adelaide frame builder, I can’t find anything else about this bike. It has a full Deore groupset and Araya rims. Does anyone know how old it may be or anything else about it?

[singlespeedscott]

No idea as the Ricardo documentation seems to very thin on the ground.

Shimano uses a 2 digit coding system on their components that can be used to determine the age of your bike. Give or take a 12 months or so based on component production time versus installation onto the frame at the factory.

The codes are usually stamped on the back of the crank arms, back of the brake calipers and back of the rear derailleur.

This website has a useful list for the production date codes - http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm

[rileyygraham]

can anyone give me any info on a ricardo “rival s”, can’t seem to find much on the web about it

[myzomela]

Before...
Ricardo Ridge Rider XL


I bought this new in 1989. Overhauled and powder-coated in the late 90s, after slipping off a car bike rack and getting a bad case of gravel rash

A little bit of rust is starting to peep through the green, so its time for another overhaul and respray. This time I'll go back to the original red + black. I'll try a DIY job with spray.bike paint; I've seen some decent looking results around the net. Not sure if I should use reproduction decals or stencils for the RICARDO branding - but need to decide soon!

I hope to put up the 'after' picture by the end of the year.

[JoboMundaka]

Hi!

I picked up a secondhand Ricardo in beautiful condition - it had obviously had a bit restoration work done - but I’ve got no idea what model it is; it only has the Ricardo name on the frame in a few spots and an Eagle with spread wings in a shield on the front post.

Any ideas what model it might be?

Red in colour with yellow and white writing/logos.

Thanks,
Jobo.

[Addyplus]

New to this forum. I have a Ricardo series Z. Frame no L5M0421. Does anyone know how old this would be from the frame no.
It has Sugino No6 Cranks. Win Alloy Handlebars and Headstem. Diacope, Dia-Compe Brakes. Soubitez Lights. Hi Tensile frame tube. 27 inch wheels.
The bike is in good original condition with Ricardo name and decals on the blue frame.
Would appreciate any information about the bike re age, type, value etc.
How can I post a picture of it?

[Zooe]

Hi does anyone have any idea about Ricardo bikes and how much they might be worth? I have 2 and both are in pristine condition. One has porshe written on it and is an orange 12 speed I think..I read somewhere that Ricardo made this because he had a Porsche but got told to change the name by Porsche the other is blue and a woman’s bike with Ricardo written on it. I can’t find pictures or anything about them on line. I will try to post a picture

[b4igo]

Wow, it’s been a few years since I’ve been on the forum.

My first “real” bike was a Ricardo White Lightning with Ultegra 600 Tri Colour. I loved that bike!!! But in a moment of pure insanity I gave it away during a period I wasn’t riding several years ago.

I’d desperately love to find one again in my size (54), but would also love to see photos (as they’re hard to come by!), or meet up with anyone in Sydney who has one!

Cheers,
Mike

[Ricardo21]

Newbie:picked up Ricardo Twinspinner single speed from a garage sale 16years ago & have finally started its reconditioning- lotta rust- lotta fun! https://photos.app.goo.gl/KBPS6mb8NK3hcR4v8

[myzomela]

At last, my "after" shot. 1988 Ricardo Ridge Rider XL


Resprayed in original colour scheme, rebuilt and just back on the road.

I posted the "before" shot in October. The painting took ages, with many interruptions.