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The man of steel

Chromag building mountain bikes to last In the last five years mountain bike technology has been revolutionized, as hydraulic disk brakes, shocks with more than five inches of travel, fat tires, and burly frames have become the norm.

Chromag building mountain bikes to last

In the last five years mountain bike technology has been revolutionized, as hydraulic disk brakes, shocks with more than five inches of travel, fat tires, and burly frames have become the norm.

What was once a race to build the lightest bike has become a race to build the machine that can physically swallow the most punishment.

As the industry diverged into two distinctly different directions, cross-country and downhill/freeride, Whistler bike mechanic Ian Ritz noticed that there was nothing left in the middle for the rider who liked to ride in Loonie races on one day and ride the bike park the next.

He built his first bike two-and-a-half years ago; designing it himself and having it welded by a bike builder in Squamish.

"I guess I made that one because there was no bike like it on the market at the time," said Ritz. "Hardtails were kind of out of vogue at that time unless you wanted a race bike or a jumping bike."

Hundreds of rides later that frame, which was custom built for Ritz’s height, is still going strong.

In the meantime, he’s continued to make bikes. There are now 16 Chromag bikes in action around Whistler.

Some of the top local mountain bikers liked Ritz’s concept enough to shell out for one of his frames, including Chris Dewar, JJ Desormeaux, Tyler Morland and Paddy Kaye – guys who really know how to put a bike through its paces.

"I know every person out there riding my bikes, and there are definitely some awesome riders out there," said Ritz.

"When I built this first prototype, I got as many people to ride it as possible. I told them not to hold back, basically giving it to all the animals out there to put through the ringer. The frame made it through everything okay, and the people really liked it. They gave me a bit of feedback, and the design has evolved a little since.

"For field testing, Whistler is the ultimate place."

There are several design concepts that make Chromag unique. The most obvious is Ritz’s choice of materials.

After evaluating the pros and cons of different materials, Ritz decided to use steel – a 4130 chromoly to be exact.

"It’s fairly unique in that (the bikes) are extremely durable," said Ritz. "The idea is that if you own a bike like this, it should literally last you your lifetime."

Although steel bikes used to be the norm, most manufacturers use different types of aluminum now because it is lightweight and easy to use. Steel frames are pretty much limited to custom builders these days.

The concept for the steel frame also had to be updated, said Ritz. In the years since steel frames were the norm, bike technology has changed and the components have become a lot better. Chromag’s were designed to work with these components.

For example, the dropouts Ritz designed to mount the rear disk brake calipers were specially designed to absorb the stress of braking.

The rear triangle was built wide enough to accommodate the fatter tires being used today, and the geometry allows for maximum stand-over clearance while having enough seat tube to extend your saddle for epic rides.

Another design difference is the curved gussets that reinforce the frame at high stress points, spreading the weight load and impacts over a greater area of tube.

Ritz is not an engineer by trade, but with an architect and an artist for parents, he knows a little about drafting. Recently he bought a 3D CAD design program, which he used to build a heavy duty Chromag stem that doesn’t have any sharp corners or exposed bolts.

His biggest inspiration came from working in the Evolution bike repair shop, where he got a close look at just about every frame and design on the market. If there is a flaw in a bike design, a Whistler rider will find it, and Ritz took everything he saw over the years and incorporated it into Chromag.

"After a while you get to understand what’s going on," said Ritz.

" You’re always seeing things getting broken, (and) ideas going wrong. You’re constantly hearing what people want. (The shop) was a real point-source for inspiration."

Chromag bikes will appeal to riders that have owned several bikes, and ride all kinds of terrain – more knowledgeable customers that can understand the subtle differences in Ritz’s design and know what they want.

The cost, which starts at around $1,050, may seem high to many riders, but it’s actually pretty reasonable for a high-end, custom steel frame.

Now that Ritz has left the bike shop, he says he will spend more time building and designing bikes.

To get into stores outside of Whistler, he will have to mass-produce a standard offering of frames, and Ritz has three designs ready to go. He will probably also have to build his own shop, and start doing some of the work himself.

"Right now I’m just really enjoying designing and building bikes for riders that can really appreciate it, meeting a small local demand," he said.

" As far as going for it goes, I’m kind of battling my desire to take time off with the excitement of firing up this thing (Chromag).

"It’s not the most common part of the market, but custom frames will always have a place. I like to create bikes for people who are out there riding these trails at a pretty high level, having a good time. My dream is that someone will buy my bike and it’s the last bike they’ll ever own."

According to Ritz, the name Chromag came about because of the concept. "The concept, steel frames and hardtails, is kind of a primitive one," he said.

" It also sounds a little like chromoly."

The Web site isn’t ready yet, but should be up and running in the next few months at www.chromagbikes.com. You can email Ian Ritz at ianr@whooshnet.com.