Cyclocross

Possibly the most iconic frame associated with Ritchey, the Swiss Cross draws its name from early factory rider, cyclocross and mountain bike legend Thomas Frischknecht. The first iteration of the Swiss Cross in 1994 was a no-holds-barred race machine designed for one thing: ripping through dirt like no other. Captained to numerous victories under Frischi, the Swiss Cross went on to become one of the most revered frames of the Ritchey offering – proving itself a winning combination of Tom’s framebuilding mastery and Frischi’s dominance in racing. As a true ‘cross ripper or a fast gravel racer, the Swiss Cross remains lightweight and compliant, and offers the winning combination of confident responsiveness and razor-sharp handling. Its race-ready geometry will ignite the competitive spirit, while clearance for 40mm tires will appeal to those who’s pursuits reach beyond the course tape. The Swiss Cross is painstakingly TIG-welded with proprietary triple-butted Ritchey Logic steel tubing that now sports an updated one-piece truss design for flat mount brakes - providing as much stiffness and strength of previous mounts while reducing chainstay weight significantly. Whether it's ticking off the grueling miles of a gravel race or leading the charge on bell lap, the new Swiss Cross is more than capable of tackling it all. Go fast. Get dirty.

Marianne Vos and Wout van Aert lit up courses from Namur to Zolder in the winter of 2021, culminating in Marianne's dominant performance at World Championships in Fayettevile, USA. With a dozen World, European and National titles between the two of them, they know a thing or three about cyclocross racing, and we used their input to perfect every detail of the R5-CX. While R5-CX is currently pro racer only, it'll be available to everyone Summer 2022.