1959 Rickert “Ric Super”

1959 Rickert “Ric Super”

German master frame builder Hugo Rickert fabricated this speedy rig.

For a while Hugo named his bikes “Ric” for short, probably wanting to cash in on some of the great name recognition enjoyed by cycling stars Rik Van Looy and Rik Van Steenbergen.  Mr. Rickert was a cagey businessman, but his plan didn’t last long. About a year after this bike was made, Hugo renamed his bikes Rickert after going through a little trademark dispute with the makers of Rik Super children’s kick scooters.

Our friend Ted Ernst was an American bike racer making his way in Europe back in the late ’50’s. During Ted’s down time between races he found himself working in Rickert’s Dortmund shop.

Like many apprentice bike builders, Ted spent a lot of time with a file (and probably a broom) in that bike shop. Ted recalls that he filed and cleaned up a lot of fork crowns and worked on the seat stays of quite a few bikes, probably including this one.

Ted filed these fork crowns when not racing

You can call me “Ric”

Stronglight crankset

Frame detail

Andy Lindsey, Ted Ernst, and Jeff

Besides the excellent file-work on the fork crown, there are a few other interesting areas we should point out on this old track bike. The Stronglight crankset is an unusual one with its 6-arm spider. The fork has narrow round blades instead of ovalized tubing, and the seat stays, while being plenty strong, are about the thickness (and nearly the same color) as #2 school pencils.