Derivatives and Fair Value Measurements - Carrying and Estimated Fair Values Financial Instruments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Carrying Amount [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 39.9	$ 61.4
Restricted cash	1.1	1.1
Receivables less provisions	699.7	378.9
Accounts payable	612.4	365.1
Long-term debt, including current portion	672.6	740.0
Fair Value [Member]
Derivatives Fair Value [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	39.9	61.4
Restricted cash	1.1	1.1
Receivables less provisions	699.7	378.9
Accounts payable	612.4	365.1
Long-term debt, including current portion	$ 706.6	$ 800.3

Restricted cash fair value disclosure.

No definition available.

Name:	ryi_RestrictedCashFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	ryi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of liabilities incurred for goods and services received that are used in an entity's business and related party payables.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123594938&loc=d3e13433-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsPayableFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69C
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466577&loc=SL123495737-112612

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466577&loc=SL123495735-112612

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123594938&loc=d3e13433-108611

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1D
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495340-112611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativesFairValueLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of receivables, including, but not limited to, trade account receivables, note receivables, and loan receivables.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(7))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(3))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13728-122682

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400017&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReceivablesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: