It seems like it’s about finding the right bike for the rides you like to do - and if you are more road oriented then any of these gravel bikes are going to be more sluggish when compared. The Outback is also built to handle some loads - check out the down tube diameter in comparison to your road logic. The last difference is riding position - the Outback / Ascent are a bit different than the Logic / Swiss Cross. I was interested in the Montebello just because my flexibility isn’t that great and riding in the drops is challenging for me - so something with more stack would likely help. Anyways, I don’t ride nearly as much or as a far as you and appreciate your perspective and ride footage from beautiful SD. Thanks George!
Hello Brandon long time no see :-) Yes I forgot to mention the load carrying capacity of the Outback and why the slacker head angle and longer chain stay is welcomed there. Those with large feet will avoid hitting their panniers on the longer chainstays. The Montebello has a very good stack height for those that need it. I'm still wondering if I will add it to my bike stable. I'm still flexible and young enough to like more road oriented bikes as opposed to endurance geometry.
Hi George, agreed 100%. As you say it’s very much environment specific. I live in Cheshire in the UK. We are blessed with a multitude of likely ancient paved back roads relatively infrequently used by vehicles but favoured by cyclists. Unfortunately these are crumbling away due to a chronic lack of maintenance. Potholes and broken surfaces are now the norm, stretches of our roads are often rougher than the unpaved canal paths. My road bike is now very rarely used. I use a compliant titanium rim braked Audax bike with sturdy hand built wheels and 34/35mm tyres. Horses for courses. Even this seems shy on occasions, I’d undoubtedly be more comfortable on a wider tyre if my bicycle had more clearance.
Hello Simon the "roads" sound perfect for big tire riding. The Outback with 48mm tires would be perfectly at home on these roads. Road bikes for road and Gravel bikes for non-roads :-)
Honor thoes paid for our freedoms. CX background so rode 28-32 slicks or throw on old CX tire at 35mm for rides way before it became popular to do so. So used to race width tires. Road tires sweet spot 25-32 depending on road conditions. Any more is too much for most rides unless super long or rough days. Bike frame companies are calling their old CX bike their road bike now days with minor tweaks to it.
Lovely ride George.. great to hear your ride experience of the Outback but also your local knowledge and marine core career, scenery and views looks amazing.. 😊❤ Pete 🚴🏻👍
Thanks for watching Jay! Do these look authentic? How hard is it to find the ingredients here? th-cam.com/video/uWUOmwphEuw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JOHT5ljPUqBUlrVN
Ol' Soledad climb..I moved from SD to Mexico City about a year ago, sure miss that climb. However altitude and climbs in CDMX are no joke. BTW I ride a Fairlight Secan 2.5 (gravel) and a Fairlight Strael 3.0 for road, lov'em! Cheers!
I did a 200km mixed 22% gravel and road ride on my Outback (650bx48 Rene Herse Switchback Hill) and you can feel the weight and the out of the saddle etc, everything you mentioned. Seated efforts are good on the Outback. I enjoy riding my Swiss Cross (700x38) on long distances, as you mentioned it's more road like, just wish it had a 420-425 chain stay so out of the saddle efforts were more direct. I'm going to throw some 700x32 on the Swiss Cross and see how it feels on longer rides.
Yes seated the Outback felt great. I dare say the longer you ride the Outback the more you will just get used to it. Additionally, if you don't have a Road Logic to compare and contrast your Outback with then you won't know what you don't know. I have a Swiss Cross Canti it's been a long time since I have done any long mileage on it. I should do that for my next video comparison. Cheers
I ride the same 50th Anniversary Outback with a Chorus group. 50/34 and 11/29. I have another chain (connex) and an 11/34 in case of 100% gravel and gradient. Chain length is an issue with a true road set up in these bikes due to chainstay length. I run 700x45 tires because it is a gravel bike. And that is pretty close to dead on my road gearing with 53/39; 11/24,26 with 700x25 tires. I have a ‘98 Road Logic with 1” headtube. That is a bike I would ride on anything. And while I agree with most of your points, one thing I can add is that there is a ride quality between these two disparate bikes made years apart by Ritchey. Call it a magic carpet ride, or whatever. But they share that quality, and however I slice it up mentally it adds up to either bike being a wonderful place to spend long rides. Never a complaint with either. Only thing I didn’t like was a 1x gravel group in the Outback, but that’s another thing entirely.
I enjoyed watching your video. But tyres, here in the UK for riding on the road, the wider the better. I'd say the roads here in the UK rate quite highly amongst the worst in the world, they are absolutely dreadful. I would love to experience the smooth tarmac that you get to enjoy and also the lovely weather you have too.
The roads that you have available make a big difference to what tires you run I think. Although on my Disc Logic I run nominally 32mm (34mm on the wheels) and that is perfectly fine for the poor roads of Wiltshire in the UK. Although I do have a steel rando bike with 42mm x 650b tires that I when tackling road/gravel mix. And again it depends on the gravel - at this time of year there is an awful lot of mud and muck around and I have 2.2” X country MTB tires in my dedicated gravel bike. Personally, my experience is that a 32mm (or there abouts on a road bike is nice - a good balance between comfort (which you can’t underestimate) and outright speed. Although I sometimes wonder if the wider tires on Carbon bikes are there to deal with road chatter?
Hello Nick thanks for watching from the UK! I agree 100% on the roads you are provided or the roads you choose to ride will determine the tire size you need and ultimately the bike you need to ride. The Outback is very well suited to handle let's say 45mm tires with room for mud, not too much mind you. But dry riding in chunky stuff you can fit 48mm and still have room left over for sand and dirt. 2.2" tires sound awesome for the chunky stuff! Our tarmac is pristine here so it isn't necessary to ride 32+ tires but it is much more comfortable so there is that :-)
Hi, any idea where the weight difference was? The outback frame weighs more because it’s just longer. Does the fork way more because it’s made to be more robust? I guess the rest would be because of the disc brakes versus rim and maybe the crankset? There are times I do road rides, other times gravel and on occasion combined to routes. I wish I could buy both . for now trying to settle on one. I have a decent strength for five 7 1/2 and 150 pounds so weight matters, my goal is a bike 20 pounds or under. Was planning to build up an outback until you mentioned the weight and that’s where the decent GRX 800 to buy set up which I liked
Yes the frame and fork weigh more. The rest of the components are heavier as well. 11-34 Cassette vs 11-32 SRAM Red Cassette, wheels, saddle tires 32 vs 28's etc etc etc It will be tough getting an Outback under 20 pounds ... a sacrifice of reliability and robustness. I want riders to consider the Outback for riding in its natural habitat. Riding it as your primary road bike is not its natural habitat. Mixed terrain sure, gravel most definitely. Cheers
@@jerryyoung6494 my 2 bikes have a 5 pound difference but that’s not to say others will be that much. In fact I believe most people will have even more differences in their Outback and Road Logic
Ha Ha I guess I need to bring that bike out of retirement eh? I just love my road bikes and road bike riding so much I don't ride the Swiss Cross when I have more appropriate and perfectly suited road bikes like my Road Logic 🤣🤣 Let's see what I can do for you though
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I'm a 5'3 short rider and in much need of a allroad bike. (80% tarmac, 20% rough stuff) The road logic is too big and geometry too tight and I was thinking the swisscross might do the job. You have a lot of insight and experience... See... I just gave up the idea that a Montebello would fit me... so now I'm considering the Swisscross (without the fender mounts and all)...
Good and useful review, thanks. I’d love to see you review the Ritchey Road Logic disc version. Especially in regards to difference in compliance to the non disc Ritchey Road Logic. It’s a known fact that disc frames are stiffer at the forks. Has this affected the ride quality on this iconic frame?
@@EugeneCh-i3l Thank You for watching. Maybe someday. But of course I would need to buy a whole new bike. No one is ever going to give me one to demo 😭
Perhaps! The older we get the more we will appreciate the stack height on the Montebello. The chain stays and wheelbase are longer than the Road Logic but not as long as the Outback. And the head tube angle is slacker than the RL but not as slack as the Outback. The question will be how much tire clearance does someone want/need 36mm with fenders or 40mm without.
@SeeYouUpTheRoad true, re tyre size. It's quite dependent on use and where we live, etc. The RL and outback are distinctively different, montebello less so, blurs the edges between the two. For me I'm tossing up getting a larger RL (53) for taller stack or the montebello (s) where the stack is taller than my medium outback....... I know they all ride wonderfully. Have a great day/night. I'm in Australia
It seems like it’s about finding the right bike for the rides you like to do - and if you are more road oriented then any of these gravel bikes are going to be more sluggish when compared. The Outback is also built to handle some loads - check out the down tube diameter in comparison to your road logic. The last difference is riding position - the Outback / Ascent are a bit different than the Logic / Swiss Cross. I was interested in the Montebello just because my flexibility isn’t that great and riding in the drops is challenging for me - so something with more stack would likely help.
Anyways, I don’t ride nearly as much or as a far as you and appreciate your perspective and ride footage from beautiful SD. Thanks George!
Hello Brandon long time no see :-) Yes I forgot to mention the load carrying capacity of the Outback and why the slacker head angle and longer chain stay is welcomed there. Those with large feet will avoid hitting their panniers on the longer chainstays.
The Montebello has a very good stack height for those that need it. I'm still wondering if I will add it to my bike stable. I'm still flexible and young enough to like more road oriented bikes as opposed to endurance geometry.
Happy Thanksgiving ! and Yes, Freedom isn't Free !! Nice vid George
Thanks for watching Tim! Freedom isn't free - redux
Very moving George, thank you for sharing this memorial with us, much respect. On a very trivial note, I love my 2015 Road Logic.
@@chamfly5783 Thank You for watching! What color is your 2015?
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad It's the classic gray.
@ Thank You ! I’m trying to figure out how long the classic grey sold for.
Great vid George,you’re my fave tuber
Wow, thanks! ❤
Hi George, agreed 100%. As you say it’s very much environment specific. I live in Cheshire in the UK. We are blessed with a multitude of likely ancient paved back roads relatively infrequently used by vehicles but favoured by cyclists. Unfortunately these are crumbling away due to a chronic lack of maintenance. Potholes and broken surfaces are now the norm, stretches of our roads are often rougher than the unpaved canal paths. My road bike is now very rarely used. I use a compliant titanium rim braked Audax bike with sturdy hand built wheels and 34/35mm tyres. Horses for courses. Even this seems shy on occasions, I’d undoubtedly be more comfortable on a wider tyre if my bicycle had more clearance.
Hello Simon the "roads" sound perfect for big tire riding. The Outback with 48mm tires would be perfectly at home on these roads. Road bikes for road and Gravel bikes for non-roads :-)
Outstanding video. Thank you George
You’re Welcome and thanks for watching!
It's good to see you ride, Mr. George.😊
@@DonkeysRChaos thanks for watching!
Honor thoes paid for our freedoms. CX background so rode 28-32 slicks or throw on old CX tire at 35mm for rides way before it became popular to do so. So used to race width tires. Road tires sweet spot 25-32 depending on road conditions. Any more is too much for most rides unless super long or rough days. Bike frame companies are calling their old CX bike their road bike now days with minor tweaks to it.
I agree!
Lovely ride George.. great to hear your ride experience of the Outback but also your local knowledge and marine core career, scenery and views looks amazing.. 😊❤ Pete 🚴🏻👍
Thanks for watching Pete and always being so positive and supportive!
Nice video. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Tell Jess, hello and Happy Thanksgiving❤ Thank you for your service.😊
Right back at ya!!
Wow! Great to see the potato. Potatoes are not only great food but super food. Full of carbs! Perfect, I will try myself.
and super satisfying while out on the road! Thanks for watching let me know what you think when you try it.
Very nice what they did up there on Soledad with the memorial. As for high energy solid foods, over in Hawaii we bring poi balls.
Thanks for watching Jay! Do these look authentic? How hard is it to find the ingredients here? th-cam.com/video/uWUOmwphEuw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JOHT5ljPUqBUlrVN
Ol' Soledad climb..I moved from SD to Mexico City about a year ago, sure miss that climb. However altitude and climbs in CDMX are no joke. BTW I ride a Fairlight Secan 2.5 (gravel) and a Fairlight Strael 3.0 for road, lov'em! Cheers!
Thanks for watching from Mexico!
I did a 200km mixed 22% gravel and road ride on my Outback (650bx48 Rene Herse Switchback Hill) and you can feel the weight and the out of the saddle etc, everything you mentioned. Seated efforts are good on the Outback. I enjoy riding my Swiss Cross (700x38) on long distances, as you mentioned it's more road like, just wish it had a 420-425 chain stay so out of the saddle efforts were more direct. I'm going to throw some 700x32 on the Swiss Cross and see how it feels on longer rides.
Yes seated the Outback felt great. I dare say the longer you ride the Outback the more you will just get used to it. Additionally, if you don't have a Road Logic to compare and contrast your Outback with then you won't know what you don't know.
I have a Swiss Cross Canti it's been a long time since I have done any long mileage on it. I should do that for my next video comparison.
Cheers
Great video George! This was my experience to a T riding my Outback on a long climbing ride.
@@davidthein1158 I thought of you the entire time 😂
I ride the same 50th Anniversary Outback with a Chorus group. 50/34 and 11/29. I have another chain (connex) and an 11/34 in case of 100% gravel and gradient. Chain length is an issue with a true road set up in these bikes due to chainstay length. I run 700x45 tires because it is a gravel bike. And that is pretty close to dead on my road gearing with 53/39; 11/24,26 with 700x25 tires. I have a ‘98 Road Logic with 1” headtube. That is a bike I would ride on anything. And while I agree with most of your points, one thing I can add is that there is a ride quality between these two disparate bikes made years apart by Ritchey. Call it a magic carpet ride, or whatever. But they share that quality, and however I slice it up mentally it adds up to either bike being a wonderful place to spend long rides. Never a complaint with either. Only thing I didn’t like was a 1x gravel group in the Outback, but that’s another thing entirely.
@@michaelpayne8337 I wish I would have made it more clear in the video. The ride quality is exceptional in both bikes. Thanks for bringing that up.
I enjoyed watching your video. But tyres, here in the UK for riding on the road, the wider the better. I'd say the roads here in the UK rate quite highly amongst the worst in the world, they are absolutely dreadful. I would love to experience the smooth tarmac that you get to enjoy and also the lovely weather you have too.
Fair enough! We pay a lot of taxes in California but it’s worth it for the super smooth tarmac. Thanks for watching from the UK!
We've just gone passed our period of remembrance in the UK. This was a very touching video.
Yes we did too. November 10th is the US Marine Corps birthday. November 11 is Veterans Day. Thanks for watching
🚴🏼🚴🏼🚴🏼 Civil riding ahead! 🫡
Indeed thank you for watching!
The roads that you have available make a big difference to what tires you run I think. Although on my Disc Logic I run nominally 32mm (34mm on the wheels) and that is perfectly fine for the poor roads of Wiltshire in the UK. Although I do have a steel rando bike with 42mm x 650b tires that I when tackling road/gravel mix. And again it depends on the gravel - at this time of year there is an awful lot of mud and muck around and I have 2.2” X country MTB tires in my dedicated gravel bike. Personally, my experience is that a 32mm (or there abouts on a road bike is nice - a good balance between comfort (which you can’t underestimate) and outright speed. Although I sometimes wonder if the wider tires on Carbon bikes are there to deal with road chatter?
Hello Nick thanks for watching from the UK! I agree 100% on the roads you are provided or the roads you choose to ride will determine the tire size you need and ultimately the bike you need to ride. The Outback is very well suited to handle let's say 45mm tires with room for mud, not too much mind you. But dry riding in chunky stuff you can fit 48mm and still have room left over for sand and dirt. 2.2" tires sound awesome for the chunky stuff!
Our tarmac is pristine here so it isn't necessary to ride 32+ tires but it is much more comfortable so there is that :-)
Hi, any idea where the weight difference was? The outback frame weighs more because it’s just longer. Does the fork way more because it’s made to be more robust? I guess the rest would be because of the disc brakes versus rim and maybe the crankset? There are times I do road rides, other times gravel and on occasion combined to routes. I wish I could buy both . for now trying to settle on one. I have a decent strength for five 7 1/2 and 150 pounds so weight matters, my goal is a bike 20 pounds or under. Was planning to build up an outback until you mentioned the weight and that’s where the decent GRX 800 to buy set up which I liked
Yes the frame and fork weigh more. The rest of the components are heavier as well. 11-34 Cassette vs 11-32 SRAM Red Cassette, wheels, saddle tires 32 vs 28's etc etc etc It will be tough getting an Outback under 20 pounds ... a sacrifice of reliability and robustness. I want riders to consider the Outback for riding in its natural habitat. Riding it as your primary road bike is not its natural habitat. Mixed terrain sure, gravel most definitely. Cheers
Thanks for the video. I’m actually really surprised by the 5 pound weight difference. I wonder how much of that is based on difference in brakes.
@@jerryyoung6494 my 2 bikes have a 5 pound difference but that’s not to say others will be that much. In fact I believe most people will have even more differences in their Outback and Road Logic
Still waiting for that Swiss Cross video...
Ha Ha I guess I need to bring that bike out of retirement eh? I just love my road bikes and road bike riding so much I don't ride the Swiss Cross when I have more appropriate and perfectly suited road bikes like my Road Logic 🤣🤣 Let's see what I can do for you though
I'm curious what would you like to see in the Swiss Cross video?
@@SeeYouUpTheRoad I'm a 5'3 short rider and in much need of a allroad bike. (80% tarmac, 20% rough stuff) The road logic is too big and geometry too tight and I was thinking the swisscross might do the job.
You have a lot of insight and experience...
See... I just gave up the idea that a Montebello would fit me... so now I'm considering the Swisscross (without the fender mounts and all)...
Good and useful review, thanks. I’d love to see you review the Ritchey Road Logic disc version. Especially in regards to difference in compliance to the non disc Ritchey Road Logic. It’s a known fact that disc frames are stiffer at the forks. Has this affected the ride quality on this iconic frame?
@@EugeneCh-i3l Thank You for watching. Maybe someday. But of course I would need to buy a whole new bike. No one is ever going to give me one to demo 😭
Perhaps the montebello is the best of both worlds??
Perhaps! The older we get the more we will appreciate the stack height on the Montebello. The chain stays and wheelbase are longer than the Road Logic but not as long as the Outback. And the head tube angle is slacker than the RL but not as slack as the Outback. The question will be how much tire clearance does someone want/need 36mm with fenders or 40mm without.
@SeeYouUpTheRoad true, re tyre size. It's quite dependent on use and where we live, etc. The RL and outback are distinctively different, montebello less so, blurs the edges between the two. For me I'm tossing up getting a larger RL (53) for taller stack or the montebello (s) where the stack is taller than my medium outback....... I know they all ride wonderfully. Have a great day/night. I'm in Australia
@@andrewhamilton3486 Good luck in your decision making !!