Ricardo Appreciation Society

[calmlikewind]

hey guys im a newbie to this site and im looking for a bike to commute to uni, can anyone tell me if this is worth it's price and what i should look out for?

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/largs-ba ... 1032146802" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That would be a good commuter, but WAY overpriced. It looks like just a basic hi-ten frame (note that they can occasionally actually be alright, but usually they are heavy and ride poorly), it's not in great shape and steel rims are the kiss of death. I wouldn't pay more than a couple of redbacks for that thing, and even that is generous. I would also recommend against the Maxxis Detonator tyres it has, I've found them to be very susceptible to punctures, though I know other people who like them.

thanks for the help, ok im learning now!

[BrodieNeil]

Hey everyone! Just bought my firts commuter! A Ricardo Racemaster! Paid way to much for it after reading this thread but ohwel! Nothing like your first bike eh? Anyways noiced a few people asking about decals! Was wondering if anyone had any luck getting any made? Or even just the pictures so I could seek a sign writer to help me out!
Thanks
BN

[frailer5]

Some pics upcoming? If you want someone here to host them so they appear within the thread, shout... Someone will PM you.
My Elite has all the new bits... I just haven't put 'em on yet.

[greghatfield]

Hi everyone, new to the Forum. a quick question if someone might be able to help? I have pulled out the old man's old race bike from the shed and an unaware of what i should do with it or if its worth anything? Its a Ricardo Nouvo stamped L8K667 with a blue yellow white red spray in original condition - but definitely not immaculate! any thoughts would be appreciated - regards Greg.

[frailer5]

Once again, a few pictures worth a thousand words. Let us know if there's any tech difficulties... plenty of help here.
BTW, would that be Nuovo?
If it's similar to the one here, looks fairly high up in the food chain. (the yellow and white one)
Take it all back... Nouvo.

[frailer5]

Another bump here for the Ricardo fans. Finally got back to the Elite, after being away Oct/Nov. Had got to stage of having done wheel bearings, headset bearings, new BB.
Had a VeloOrange seat and post, still unfitted, as previous post was a little short, and it needed to come up a bit. They're now on.
Was going to put a shorter stem on, but decided I'd better get it back on the road again. I may not bother now, as the fitting of new seat post seems to have made the position/reach issue fade away.
Quick spin to Bobbin Head gates and back as a test run this morning. I'll tackle the drop'n'climb at a later date. Have to say it's feeling quite sweet, after the recond. stuff. Funny getting used to wider-spaced 6-speed after the Pegasus closer 7s. But, a minor detail. Will commute on her this week. After looking at Claire's rig, I've got a reasonable pop-on/pop-off mudguard setup now too, for wet commutes.
Coupla pics.

[singlespeedscott]

looks good

[The Fixer]

Very nice!

[mickk]

Thanks to Ricardoman for that cat pic of the Nouvo and the spec sheet. I think I have enough pics now from here and mine, to have the colours matched properly.

Here is the serial number, I guess last two digits are the year? Oh Ok I got it, its 1987 frame which makes sense as I bought it in 88.

[frailer5]

Am going to list my Ricardo Windcheater, as Toad of Toad Hall has his eye on another bicycle. Thought it might be nice to mention it here before I list.
I'll put it on BNA listing in the next day or so. PM me for details. It's a funny-bike, so sizing's slightly 'loose'. I think it equates to a normal 53/54, but could stand corrected on that. The seat tube looks 'bent, but that's converging with the safety pole it's leaning on; hence the trop l'oeil.
Mods, if this is not an allowable post, please flick; I'll get the message.
'It seemed like a good idea at the time.' (Sundance Kid to Butch Cassidy).

[IWT]

Another newcomer here. I have just found this forum while looking for replacement stickers for my two Ricardo unicycles. I have a standard height and a 5 foot, and over the recent holidays decided the 5 footer is finally going to get a strip down, repaint and new tyre/seat/chain.

I had no real idea of the history of the Ricardo brand, but being a kid in Adelaide in the 60's everyone had a Ricardo or Malvern Star. In the 70's and 80's my family ran motorcycle shops and one happened to be right next door to the Ricardo factory and assembly/warehouse. It just happened that a New Zealand circus performer came to race motorcycles for my father in Australia and needed a day job, which he found at Ricardo.

One of his many talents was riding unicycles, a skill he taught me and every other kid I knew. His greatest trick was riding a unicycle on a tightrope strung over Pirie Street with the John Martins pageant going underneath !! In the years he was at Ricardo I have no idea how many unicycles he made, but that is how I came to own the two I do. I have had them both from new, so that's getting on to 35 or 40 years now, the regular height one is still in its original paint and stickers, and maybe its 3rd tyre, and only about 3 years ago I relented and fitted a modern version unicycle seat. The 5 footer still has its original white leather/vinyl covered normal style bicycle seat.

So thanks to the earlier poster I now can get exact replica stickers made for when I am re-assembling the 5 footer. It is pictured below as just the bare frame, I took the pics solely for a record of the stickers and did not think to take any pre-disassembly photo.

Ooops ... not that savvy, cannot attach the pics. Will post them later when I figure it out !!!

[frailer5]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[morini]

Has anyone worked out a list of road models and hierarchy yet? I take it the Pinnacle and the Elite are the top two?

EDIT: Just discovered the Windcheater, the Viva and the Nuovo.

Which sits on top?

[munga]

is pinnacle the grey 531c frameset?

[singlespeedscott]

I think it goes - Pinnacle, Nuovo, Elite, Viva, windcheater.

[morini]

I think it goes - Pinnacle, Nuovo, Elite, Viva, windcheater.

I think Scott's list is close.

I found another list in a brochure on here and there's another bike we've missed called a White Lightening.

That list lines them up in order:-

1989 - Pinnacle - White Lightening - Exceed - Elite SX - Elite Sports - Viva Sports - Tempo - Vantage

Then on another year it has the hierarchy as:-

1987-88 - Nuovo - Windcheater (an off the shelf 'funny bike')- Elite - Viva - Varsity

1985-86 - Nuovo - Elite - Le Tour - Viva

So the top ones must be :- Pinnacle or Nuovo then followed by the Exceed, White Lightening and Elite.

With the 'funny bike' in a class of it's own I'd say.

[silentbutdeadly]

is pinnacle the grey 531c frameset?

Yes...with what I suspect (in the absence of real knowledge) is an 80's approach to criterium/triathlon/TT geometry. It is still quite nice...

[The Fixer]

We have a Ricci 'Medallion' at the charity I volunteer for.
Looks fairly low-end and is, I think, early 80s.
Any idea where it fits into the hierarchy?

[morini]

On the 87-88 brochure it's listed seven in. It's frame is made with Australian high tensile tubing 1021 and runs Shimano Tourney . Special features listed are :- rear stand and gents cloth handle bar tape. So I'd say it's pretty average.

Gee I'm starting to sound like an expert............just because I can read. Maybe I should get a job as the Prime Minister?

[The Fixer]

Thanks, Morini.

[frailer5]

I think it goes - Pinnacle, Nuovo, Elite, Viva, windcheater.

With the 'funny bike' in a class of it's own I'd say.

Got an elite and a windcheater currently. Windcheater looks similar spec. to the elite on the frame... Tange 900 D/B.+ Tange fork blades. But the brakes look a little lower down the list. I guess they mixed-n-matched to a price.

[jbchybridrider]

With regard to what was ricardo's top bike near the company's end. For most of 1989 the White lightening was the top bike with Tange1 or 2? and Shimano 600. I believe the Pinnacle 531c with Suntour Sprint was the last top model only in the last 6 months of the company. ( "Only my opinion" I like the think the Pinnacle was only made as a last hurrah knowing they were going to close soon) and to confuse things more, a while ago on ebay the was a 1990 Reynolds 531 Windcheater but because the bike had been repainted we can only go by his word.

[munga]

ricardo also made my repco vertex roady and funnybike. my vertex roady is identical to the pinnacle posted in this thread. same serial number prefix and format.

[singlespeedscott]

Leisure Cycles (makers of Ricardo) made plenty of shop branded bikes. I have had a few made from such steels as Ishiwata 019 & 022, Reynolds 531 and Tange 1&2. Sadly all where the wrong size for me

[Ricardoboy]

I've got an old ricardo I've been working on for too long, seems to be a late 80s Exceed according to the spec sheet. Not sure what the original paint was, probably the white with smokey black bits around the head tube that the SX had.

Mine has 105 from about 1988 with biopace chainring, think the bars are SR stamped with Ricardo, rear freewheel was a suntour perfect (maybe 32t on the lowest)

The serial is a bit odd, not an L with a serif like the others ive seen, so im assuming L instead of 1: L9AD383 the 9 would fit for an 89 model. Frame has the pump peg nipple and the bidon cages have a diamond shape around them with curved eges. It weighed in at about 10.5kg from memoary when i picked it up.