When the US component manufacturer and frame builder Tom Ritchey presented a new edition of the classic Swiss Cross at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, the annual high mass for handmade bicycles, in March 2011, the response in the scene was overwhelming. There wasn't a relevant website that didn't go into detail about the bike, whose predecessor Ritchey had already built in the 1990s but had since taken out of the programme. Initially, it was not clear whether the model would ever go back into production. But the enthusiasm of the fans dispelled any doubts Tom Ritchey might have had. And in the summer, he then announced that the frame would be available again from the beginning of 2012.
The fact that the Swiss Cross strikes a chord with so many cross fans is certainly due to its appearance. The spindly steel tubes and the 1970s look already characterised the first Swiss Cross generation as timeless. Another reason is the rider who made the frame famous: Thomas Frischknecht, exceptional Swiss mountain biker, cross world champion and one of the most high-profile off-road cyclists of all time. Without Frischknecht, the Swiss Cross would never have existed. In 1994, "Frischi" joined Ritchey's mountain bike team. However, because he continued to ride cross races in winter, he had a frame soldered by Master Tom himself, which was given the name "Swiss Cross" as a tribute to the rider and the sport. With this frame, Frischknecht achieved a very special kind of mischievous feat at the 1997 Cross World Championships in Munich's Olympic Park. Because he thought it would give him a better chance on the technically difficult course, he entered the amateur race with straight mountain bike handlebars and was cheeky enough to win the silver medal. The UCI officials were furious, but had no recourse as Frischknecht had utilised a loophole in the regulations - which was of course immediately closed.
Notorious fork
The standard frame of the first Swiss Cross generation was welded in Japan from 1997 to 2003. The outstanding feature was the steel fork with thumb-thin sheaths, which soon became as famous for its spring comfort as it was notorious for its brake stuttering. But because brakes are not a decisive criterion for cross racers, the bike's reputation hardly suffered from this shortcoming. On the contrary, the bike made a name for itself as a winning machine. After all, it was not only Thomas Frischknecht who enjoyed success with it; the Czech national cross team also rode the Swiss Cross for a long time under a different brand name. The most important difference between the new Swiss Cross and the historic model is the carbon fork. Ritchey used a clever trick to reconcile the solid sheaths with the filigree steel look. He places the steering bearings in shells that are soldered to the ends of the head tube. This not only ensures a harmonious connection of the fork to the frame. At the same time, there is space in the head tube for a contemporary 1-1/8 inch steerer tube without having to increase the outer diameter.
Without inflation mark-up
Our test bike, red and slim like the 1997 model, was built by the German Ritchey distributor Cosmic Sports and would retail for around 5,000 euros. Thanks to exquisite equipment with wheels and add-on parts from Ritchey as well as Campagnolo's Record groupset, for which there is now a cross crank with a 46/36 tooth gradation, the bike weighs a respectable 8.2 kilos. The low weight also characterises the riding impression. The bike hangs well on the throttle, whereby the geometry with a flat steering angle and comparatively long wheelbase encourages relaxed cruising rather than wild cornering. The biggest difference between the new Swiss Cross and the original is the much greater steering precision. The stiff carbon fork is much less prone to brake stuttering than its steel counterpart, but is also less springy. And the Swiss Cross 2012 is ahead in another respect. When the first series was discontinued in 2003, the list price for the frameset was 1,179 euros. The new frame, welded in Taiwan, costs 1,099 euros. When was the last time a technically improved successor was cheaper than its predecessor?
Price complete wheel approx. 5,000 euros
Price frame set 1,900 Euro
Weight 8.2 kilos
Reference/Info www.ritcheylogic.com
Frame sizes** 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59 cm
Seat/steering angle 73,5/72°
Seat/top tube/head tube 510/555/150 plus 15 mm headset cap
Wheelbase/caster 1,020/60 mm
Stack/Reach/STR*** 571/389 mm/1.47
EQUIPMENT
Steering bearing Ritchey WCS, 1-1/8 inch
Brakes FSA Energy
Gearshift/bottom bracket Campagnolo R ecord CX (46/36 t., BSA)
Wheels/tyres Ritchey WCS Zeta/Clement Crusade PDX
Handlebar/stem Ritchey WCS EvoCurve/Ritchey WCS
Saddle/post Ritchey WCS Streem/Ritchey WCS
MEASURED VALUES & INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Weight of complete bike (without pedals) 8.2 kilos
Frame/fork/steering bearing weight 1 .989/508/88 g
Standardised weight frame set**** 2.648 g: 3 , 7
Steering head stiffness 70 Nm/°: 4 , 0
Lateral stiffness fork 43 N/mm: 2 , 7
Bottom bracket stiffness 50 N/mm: 2 , 7
Comfort frame 213 N/mm: 1 , 7
Comfort fork 71 N/mm: 2 , 3
* The frame set accounts for 40 per cent of the overall score and the features for 60 per cent. Individual grades are included in these two assessments, which we have only printed in part for reasons of space. The scores are calculated with all decimal places up to the final score; however, for the sake of clarity, all scores are given with rounded decimal places.
** Tested frame size greased.
*** Stack/reach: projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the headset; STR (stack to reach): Values between 1.45 and 1 .55 indicate a sporty riding position, values below are race-like, above are comfortable.
**** Adjusted weight for frame size 57 cm and fork steerer length 225 mm.
