Richard Sachs Cycles

[e-RICHIE]

Richie, How long do you keep records? All the way back to the beginning? My family has owned a small construction company for 20 years and finally had to start purging files because of changes in manufactures supplies, ie colors and styles have been discontinued do to companies merging folding ect, and the huge volume of paperwork associated with it. We keep the prior 7 years paperwork and purge the rest knowing that a color match for the siding, shingles is not possible. As a sole Owner-Operator it would seem to be a rather daunting task to keep files going back to the beginning. Thanks,

Frank

P.S.
Is the rider of the damaged frame ok? That frame looks like it hit something hard, and it wasn't JRA on a car top was it, someone took a pretty hard spill. Hope all are ok.

i have all the orders and inquiries going back to day one. recently, i jettisoned all of the bank statements, canceled checks, and lots of other baggage that i grew tired of archiving. even the records kept are tiring, and they're boring atmo. i have always felt that i keep them so that, one day in the far off future, i could answer a question someone might have about something i once did, and feel all smug and shit that i had the presence of mind to save everything and have the correct data at hand. the information, the sheer mass of the paper, and the importance placed on the past is a prison, and i don't say stuff like that for effect. all of it is an exercise in self-indulgence, and i certainly don't need help with that atmo.

[e-RICHIE]

we are tweaking the site and now have posters listed in a separate link atmo -

click here, huh.

[e-RICHIE]

.....

[ron l edmiston]

kinda think that's what ya also look for in a good mate, dog & pal ...

ronnie

[ron l edmiston]

richard,

in motor sports, team owners maintain/pursue three avenues for sponsorship/support --- outa pocket, product/component & $'s ...
do you as a cx team owner/rider have a criteria for/or formula goal each year...

ronnie

[e-RICHIE]

richard,

in motor sports, team owners maintain/pursue three avenues for sponsorship/support --- outa pocket, product/component & $'s ...
do you as a cx team owner/rider have a criteria for/or formula goal each year...

ronnie

yo ronnieissimo -

the rs 'cross team is just shy of being a full time gig (for me) requiring its own budget and attention span atmo. what started as a cousin to my road team sponsorship (which goes back to 1982) is now a stand alone program. by the mid 1990s i was sponsoring two teams and running one of them. by 1997 it was clear that 'cross was more fun, easier to manage, had a better impact on my company's bottom line, added more brand appeal to what i was doing at the bench, and was a better media buy (compared to road) for all the companies that were aligned with us. as time has passed, the line up has changed a bit, but the one thing that hasn't has been my ever increasing dedication to 'cross with each new season atmo. data point: nearly all my 'cross frames go to my team. my bread and butter remains the rs signature road frame/bicycle. clearly though, my sponsorship dollars go further in cyclocross than they ever did or would on the road.

the criteria include but are not limited to these: the team is only ever as large as i can manage a frame supply for, so to see 4-5 of us at a race is to see the entire program. it would make no sense to have a team with riders using other brands, no matter how good the results are. i keep the body count limited and reasonable. i also believe in that the team should be made of of like minded pals rather that mercenaries. i would never recruit or poach a rider from another program. to me, that's the lowest of the low, and i couldn't live with myself or within the short season if i bought or brought in a rider just for the results. everyone who has ever raced with us has either been a pal, a pal of a pal, or has sent over a resume and been invited to ride with us. re that last part: the invitation is only extended if 1) we have a space we need to fill, and 2) if the sender of it is already a pal or summer (road) team mate of one our supported 'crossers.

the budget for the rs 'cross team is multi-tiered. i supply all the frames and make these outside of normal shop hours so their assembly doesn't affect the work flow. i run the team, procure the sponsors and support system, and work tirelessly (boldface added for emphasis) reporting back to them so that i can rest easier knowing that they are aware of our weekly travails (i love that word travails) and sporting accomplishments. to me, nothing is more important that keeping the sponsors and suppliers in the loop and being available to them for any feedback, race results, weekend updates, and image gathering that will help justify their liaison with us atmo. we are very lucky to have many multi-season supporters and i want to keep it that way.

i also want to add this - while the rs 'cross team has a good following and a deep history at this point, it's still equal parts business and pleasure atmo. i began sponsoring teams in 1982 and have fielded one every year since. it's only in the last 12-13 seasons that it has become a brand onto itself. we've had the good fortune to have many great results and many more great team mates. owing to the money our sponsors give us and the equipment pool the industry supplies us with, and the motivation to excel that every rider we have ever had has possessed, the team has won 10 national championships since 1997, had at least a half dozen members race on the world's team, and has helped companies develop and/or market new components. but all of this would be for naught if it wasn't also fun. before each season begins, i map out the priorities for all the individuals who are even remotely part of our organization. we exist first and foremost to help our sponsors sell their products. we should all do whatever we can to help our team mates achieve their personal goals. and we should conduct all of this in a way so that we make memories, the kind of memories that are so rewarding that we'd look at every race and every weekend and every season and wish it would never end atmo.

[ron l edmiston]

ya coulda been a indy 500, formula one or grand national team owner & podium, as well as being the "scoutmaster" for troop # 1 ....

ronnie, along with others, have the good fortune to know "atmo," be a part of yo team & culture and ride a richie..

just a sayin,

ronnie

[DCT]

hey ritchie,

seeing your posts with frames that are now for sale sparked a question for me... how do you feel about having a frame that you built for one individual now being ridden by somebody else? i guess what i mean is that if you have selected tubes and dimensions to fit one cyclist, are you concerned about how the bike will be perceived by the next owner? (assuming that the frame is meant to be ridden of course, not collected).

thanks for the insight!

just a thought--

my cross bike was spinelli's and its fucking light. under 17lbs with pegorichie tubing

[DCT]

richard --

any new plans for the website? i noticed the sachs toys are added. maybe the "atmo blog"?

this new wordpress style is pretty cool.

[e-RICHIE]

richard --

any new plans for the website? i noticed the sachs toys are added. maybe the "atmo blog"?

this new wordpress style is pretty cool.

eh - i'd love to back out some of the extraneous tech-y looking text and features that appear on each page but i think my pal stevo has already taken the template and rearranged it to be reasonably acceptable to the eye. as far as the blog goes, i've let it linger. originally conceived as a burying ground for some of the better posts and threads i've been involved in, the project doesn't have the priority it once did atmo. but there's some good shit there going back about 10 years. i also lost some motivation there when blogger.com mad it so that there was a post limit on the front page. i used to have all my text on one page with each entry separated by a feint gray rule. it looked hot atmo. now i think the software has a command that limits you to 10 posts per page. that leads to way too much scrolling for my tastes. see: arrange disorder .

what's next? dunno. the next time i do a jeff weir-a-thon might be this spring so for now, the most recent studio shots are from 2009 or so. it would be nice to have some current images to post. i should also compartmentalize my offerings. stevo took the poster art out and started a new link. we should do the same for both apparel and for framebuilding parts. i plan to really expand the latter in the near future atmo. oh, and commas. i plan to go long on the comma trend in 2011.

[ron l edmiston]

just like the warwick women's guild, die for "hometown recipes" - be a "lost ark," if memiors --- "imperfection is perfection" .. " when time became money" & ----- clippings/collectable quotes..
adrift and not compiled/collated/printed in some manner...

any fire with irons in ...for future..

ronnie

[e-RICHIE]

.....

[DCT]

richard-

whats the deal with that bartape? do you have a bunch left?

[e-RICHIE]

richard-

whats the deal with that bartape? do you have a bunch left?

nah - Off-The-Front closed up years ago and i was still able to order after that. however, i let a good deal of time pass between checking
back and only found out 2-3 months ago that bruce had moved on. i have enough red to keep for pics and display bicycles, and about 100
other rolls in white, grey, marble, and one or two other colors. unfortunately the ship on the RS logo tape as we know it has sailed atmo.

[WayneJ]

Hey Richard - WTF
Where are the knobbies on that rig?
or is that a D2R2 prototype?
Either way - awesome!

[e-RICHIE]

Hey Richard - WTF
Where are the knobbies on that rig?
or is that a D2R2 prototype?
Either way - awesome!

those are special jeff weir tubies atmo.
only one pair made so far.

[ron l edmiston]

richard,

carbon front derailleur clamps on your team cx bikes?
crafted by?

ronnie

[zetroc]

looks like Parlee from here.

[ron l edmiston]

way off in another galaxy ---- "a thought for food.."

with 35+ years in the petroleum sector -- i am so many times asked, "what oil would you use if valvoline was not available to/for ronnie..?"

valvoline, owned by ashland oil, is like most petroleum companies --- they trade/buy base stock and additive from the same additive supplier/s as the majors do.
valvoline is the last of the mohicans to remain independent and not owned by one of the mega's..
the differentiiation is -- "the blend formula and additive package mixture.."

ronnie works as a consulant for shell, total and ---.
retired from corporate six years past..

only "ronnie & the shadow knows," my objective and subjective brand pick, if valvoline no longer a choice..

Richard, "does atmo & the shadow only know" a crafted brand handbuilt frame/fork pick, if RS no longer a choice...?

gota know if 5 or 6 rounds fired,

ronnie

[e-RICHIE]

Richard, "does atmo & the shadow only know" a crafted brand handbuilt frame/fork pick, if RS no longer a choice...?

heh?
if RS is no longer a choice it's time to take up modern dance atmo.