Ritchey manufactures many mountain bike components from complete bikes to tires. Ritchey uses what they call "Vector Force Analysis" to design mountain bike tires with unique knob placements and shapes. They manufacture tires in dozens of tread patterns and sizes. Reach them at: Ritchey95@aol.com or visit their web page at: http://www.ritcheylogic.com/ for more information.

The reviews are divided into two parts. First, a chart rates each tire's performance on four kinds of terrain on a scale of 1 to 10. Click on each tire name in the to chart jump to the second part of its review, below the chart: a written description of each tire's construction and its handling characteristics on different types of terrain.

				General Information				Cornering Performance				Climbing or Braking Performance
Name of tire				OverallPerformance	Weight	RollingResistance	Durability	Mud	Soft	Hard	RootsRocks	Mud	Soft	Hard	RootsRocks
Megabite(F)				5	N/A	10	10	2	4	8	10	2	4	7	7
Megabite(R)				5	N/A	10	10	2	4	8	10	2	4	7	7

Ritchey MegaBite (Steel Bead)
Weight: N/A grams
Advertised carcass width: 2.1 (53mm). Actual carcass width: xx mm.
Casing TPI: N/A
Rubber Density: Hard
Note: This tire has only been ridden on gravel and paved roads. Its performance in other conditions is estimated.

Front and Rear Use: The Megabite's wide stiff almost square knobs form a rounded profile with no sharp edges which holds corners unless they are ridden aggressively. The knob pattern rolls smoothly and the hard rubber is durable. On hard dirt or paved surfaces its rounded profile helps it corner predictably and smoothly but it also creates a small contact area which limits climbing and braking power. It performs poorly in soft conditions because it has no sharp knobs to dig in for traction. It packs with mud easily. The combination of hard rubber tread and smooth rolling knob pattern make it durable. Front or rear, the MegaBite is best suited to riding or XC racing on hard surfaces. It is not aggressive enough for downhill racing.