# Breakaway Road



## Waits

Ritchey_Dave (or someone else in the know):

Other than the color of the paint, have there any been any significant changes to the steel Breakaway road frame in recent years (geometry, tubing used, etc)? 

The latest edition is available in black. Is it the same (other than color) as the white frame with light blue panels? Is IT the same as the darker blue and white frame?

Thanks so much,

Waits


----------



## burgrat

Maybe try posting in the "Ritchey_Dave" thread (http://forums.roadbikereview.com/ritchey/ritchey-rep-here-answer-all-your-questions-210005-post2744550.html) or try to PM him.
As far as I know, the frame geometry is unchanged. I have the older version (grey and dark blue) steel road frame and I love it. I would not imagine they would change anything. My frame has the same tubing as the current frame. Everything on the frame (braze-ons, etc.) appear to be identical, only the paint scheme is different.
Ritchey_Dave should be to confirm everything for certain.


----------



## Waits

Burgrat. I appreciate your insight. You have a good looking Ritchey. With all the traveling I do, I'm sure I'll be picking one up soon. Thanks.


----------



## burgrat

Thanks. I have switched out the Easton seatpost, stem, and bars with Ritchey WCS "wet black" components. I still haven't travelled with it yet, but just using it as my regular ride I am really impressed with the quality of the bike. 
I haven't seen the newest black version of the road Breakaway (it's not on their website). Do you have photos of that color scheme? I never really loved the white/teal combo.


----------



## Waits

Here you go.


----------



## burgrat

I like that a lot. I also have a Cervelo Soloist Team (the stealth black one), so I'm glad I got some color on my Breakaway. I think the whole Black/White thing on bikes, kits, etc. will probably look a little dated in a few years, but that Breakaway looks great!


----------



## 55x11

burgrat said:


> I like that a lot. I also have a Cervelo Soloist Team (the stealth black one), so I'm glad I got some color on my Breakaway. I think the whole Black/White thing on bikes, kits, etc. will probably look a little dated in a few years, but that Breakaway looks great!


beautiful frame!
Even though I must say - since Ritchey Breakaway is a travel bike, prepare for scratches, nicks etc. But I LOVE the black color.


----------



## flatlander_48

55x11 said:


> beautiful frame!
> Even though I must say - since Ritchey Breakaway is a travel bike, prepare for scratches, nicks etc. But I LOVE the black color.


In almost 7 years, if I had not made a mistake in packing on the 3rd or 4th trip, my frame would be essentially unmarked. Anyway, the result was that it left 2 dings about half way down the down tube. The paint scheme is the original black and white, but more like 50/50 compared top the new version.


----------



## burgrat

Cyclingnews did a new review (June, 2012) of the Ritchey Breakaway Ti (Road). Lots of good pictures and info for those interested. Nice to see more info out there about such a cool bike! :thumbsup:

Ritchey Break-Away Road Ti/Carbon Bike Review | Cyclingnews.com


----------



## winkplay

not sure where to post this but is the Breakaway CX Ti worth the extra money if all I do is light trails, city tours, and sportive events ?


----------



## flatlander_48

A you saying extra money for the CX Ti bike compared to the Road Ti bike or CX Ti versus CX Steel?


----------



## winkplay

I meant the extra money for cx ti compared to cx steel breakaway.


----------



## flatlander_48

I don't have an answer, but whoever does make a comment would need to know what the choice actually was.


----------



## 55x11

winkplay said:


> I meant the extra money for cx ti compared to cx steel breakaway.


Steel - less expensive, a little heavier, and paintjob will eventually get scratched up due to travel.
Titanium - finish stays the same over time and a bit lighter, but more expensive.


----------



## flatlander_48

55x11 said:


> Steel - less expensive, a little heavier, and paintjob will eventually get scratched up due to travel.
> Titanium - finish stays the same over time and *a bit lighter*, but more expensive.


Frame + Fork (56cm frame):

BreakAway CX steel = 5.9 lb
BreakAway CX Ti = 4.4 lb


----------



## 55x11

not sure if you are getting at my "a bit light" - 1.5 lbs is a lot of difference for some people, but considering a total weight of bike+rider+gear of about 200 lbs, 1.5 lbs is less than 1%, the weight of a water bottle. The price difference is about $1,500 - Ti frame is double that of steel. Whether it's worth the price is up to the buyer/original poster.
For me personally, this is a 2nd (or 3rd), mostly travel-specific bike, and I'd rather spend $1,500 on airfare rather than reduce bike weight by 1.5lbs.


----------



## nhluhr

I'm super excited... just put in my order for a 60cm Ritchey Breakaway Road. What can i expect in terms of packing this big sonofa***** into the provided case? What can I expect for riding it? Will it be fine for winter training rides in addition to travel? Can I race it?

I guess I'm just wondering about how sturdy those breakaway connections are because they look so minimal.


----------



## burgrat

nhluhr said:


> I'm super excited... just put in my order for a 60cm Ritchey Breakaway Road. What can i expect in terms of packing this big sonofa***** into the provided case? What can I expect for riding it? Will it be fine for winter training rides in addition to travel? Can I race it?
> 
> I guess I'm just wondering about how sturdy those breakaway connections are because they look so minimal.


I have a 60cm steel Breakaway road. I'm a big guy, 6'3" and 235+. I can honestly say that the Breakaway is a fantastic ride. I cannot tell the difference between this frame and a non-travel bike. The only real connector is the downtube coupler with the other "connection" at the seatpost. I don't race, but I can crank on the bike just like I do on my Cervelo Soloist Team (aluminum, super stiff frame) and the difference is minimal. I have been very, very happy with the Ritchey and I ride it as my normal road bike. Unfortunately I haven't travelled with it yet, but I plan to soon.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the ride quality of this bike. Keep us posted when you get it and your feedback.


----------



## flatlander_48

nhluhr said:


> I'm super excited... just put in my order for a 60cm Ritchey Breakaway Road. What can i expect in terms of packing this big sonofa***** into the provided case? What can I expect for riding it? Will it be fine for winter training rides in addition to travel? Can I race it?
> 
> I guess I'm just wondering about how sturdy those breakaway connections are because they look so minimal.


I have a 56, so I can't comment on packing a 60. However, the Ritchey has been my only bike since 2005. It has been down the road a bit: 5 states and 2 countries. There has been nothing that I can point to that says you're riding a 2-piece frame. The flange joint is stronger than you think. The loads are managed in such a way that causing a failure would be pretty difficult to do.

The only thing that I have noticed occasionally is what appears to be some front end flex. Not sure if it is in the handlebars or the stem. However, I would think that upgrading a notch or 2 would bring about stiffer components. On the other hand, as it is there is no buzz in the front at all, so maybe that's the trade-off...


----------



## 55x11

Packing:
Oleg's Cycling Adventures - Suitcase of courage
You need to figure a few things out. The first time it may look like there is no way it can all fit in the suitcase.
When you do it for the 5th time, it is so easy you can break the bike down and pack it all in in 15 min or so, ready to go.

Stiffness: I do not notice any flex. At ALL. But it is a pound or pound and half heavier than normal bike. Otherwise feels like a regular steel bike.


----------



## flatlander_48

55x11 said:


> Packing:
> Oleg's Cycling Adventures - Suitcase of courage
> You need to figure a few things out. The first time it may look like there is no way it can all fit in the suitcase.
> When you do it for the 5th time, it is so easy you can break the bike down and pack it all in in 15 min or so, ready to go.
> 
> Stiffness: I do not notice any flex. At ALL. *But it is a pound or pound and half heavier than normal bike.* Otherwise feels like a regular steel bike.


Accoding to the web site the BreakAway parts add 100 grams, or about 4 ounces. I don't know what would account for the difference.


----------



## 55x11

My steel frame basically weighs the same, or as you say about 100g / 0.2 lbs more than any regular steel bike. But I was comparing it to any standard top of the line carbon bike frame (sorry I wasn't clear - that's what I meant by "normal" since carbon is what most people ride nowadays), and i think the difference between Ritchey and carbon is about a pound or maybe a bit more. Sure you can get Ritchey BAB in titanium if you have the $$. 
In my build the difference is more than that, about 2-2.5 lbs, mostly because my travel bike gets all "hand me down" components, etc.


----------



## nhluhr

Yeah my BAB will be getting mostly hand-me-downs but I'm guessing it will still be noticeably lighter than my rain/training bike which is a 23-24lb aluminum cross bike with fenders.

One concern I have is which seatpost to use - is it advisable to stick with a heavy duty aluminum seatpost or can I go with something like a Ritchey Pro Carbon ?


----------



## flatlander_48

I asked Ritchey Dave that and, as I remember, carbon was OK. Search his thread...

Without the bag and lights, mine weighted 18 to 19 pounds, I think, with the original Centaur double set up.


----------



## 55x11

18-19 lbs is about what I have on mine (Ritchey Cross with mostly 105 componentry and aluminum Mavic Aksium wheels). I used carbon seatpost, but typically try to use aluminum. I am sure either one is ok.


----------



## flatlander_48

Yes, a seatpost would have to break in shear and that would be pretty hard to do.


----------



## flatlander_48

Somewhere in the Ritchey section was information about a BreakAway that was just under 16 pounds, I think. Can't remember what all it had, but the componentry wasn't super exotic. Not cheap either, but you didn't wind up with a $10,000 bike. The builder was just very careful about the parts he chose.

Edit:

Found it!

Ritchey Road Ti BreakAway
SuperLogic Evolution bars
WCS Carbon Matrix Stem
Ritchey Pro bar tape
SuperLogic 1-Bolt Seatpost
WCS Carbon Streem Saddle
SuperLogic Carbon Clinchers (Tubulars would lighten it up even more)
WCS Race Slick Open Clincher Tires
Ritchey Superlight Tubes
WCS Echelon Pedals
SRAM Red 
TRP R970 SL brakes

Total = 15.34 pounds

_*Interbike 2010
*_
View attachment 278115


----------



## 55x11

flatlander_48 said:


> Somewhere in the Ritchey section was information about a BreakAway that was just under 16 pounds, I think. Can't remember what all it had, but the componentry wasn't super exotic. Not cheap either, but you didn't wind up with a $10,000 bike. The builder was just very careful about the parts he chose.
> 
> Edit:
> 
> Found it!
> 
> Ritchey Road Ti BreakAway
> SuperLogic Evolution bars
> WCS Carbon Matrix Stem
> Ritchey Pro bar tape
> SuperLogic 1-Bolt Seatpost
> WCS Carbon Streem Saddle
> SuperLogic Carbon Clinchers (Tubulars would lighten it up even more)
> WCS Race Slick Open Clincher Tires
> Ritchey Superlight Tubes
> WCS Echelon Pedals
> SRAM Red
> TRP R970 SL brakes
> 
> Total = 15.34 pounds
> 
> _*Interbike 2010
> *_
> View attachment 278115


Yes, I remember that post. 
It is possible to get the Ritchey bike pretty light - amazingly light. I have seen someone saying they got below 15lbs with Ritchey Ti road.

I have to note, this is Ti frame, not steel. Would be much more difficult to get under 16lbs with steel Ritchey. I also have to note he weighs the bike with pedals, many builds exclude pedals from total weight.

Personally, I am against carbon wheels, especially on a travel bike (I would use those only for racing, only for substantial elevation gained races, and only if I had a decent chance at winning). I would also go for more heavy duty tires and tubes for a travel bike. In particular, I would go with 25mm rather than 23, and something bomb-proof, like Gatorskins or similar, even though they are quite a bit heavier. Flats or blow-outs on unknown roads, thousands of miles away from anyone you know, is not fun. For the same reasons I would use aluminum handlebars rather than carbon - both because of potential damage during transport (even though I think we tend to over-emphasize this, once packed, the bike components survive air travel just fine), but also because one can ride back to hotel/home on slightly dented aluminum handlebars (say, following a crash), but it is impossible to do on sheared carbon bars.

That's just my personal opinion - but I also think we need to stop obsessing over differences in weight - a 17 or 18 lb bike is basically almost as good as 15 or 16 lb bike, and differences in weight have to be considered in context of overall weight (bike+gear+rider), which is often ~200 lbs, and the amount of climbing we do (often not as much as we like to pretend). Once the bike gets below 19- lb or so, each subsequent pound is increasingly more expensive to take off, and may come with serious compromises or tradeoffs in flex, reliability, braking/safety, ride comfort, etc. Even on a steep and long uphill climb course, a gain of 2lbs translates to less than 1% time/power savings - better training, nutrition, efficiency can easily give you similar or greater gains.

Riding in drops instead of on the hoods makes more of a difference in power savings and overall aerodynamics, but most people I see riding do not seem to be comfortable of staying in the drops even for 5-10 minutes. And it's FREE! Sorry, rant is over.


----------



## flatlander_48

55x11 said:


> Yes, I remember that post.
> It is possible to get the Ritchey bike pretty light - amazingly light. I have seen someone saying they got below 15lbs with Ritchey Ti road.


Easier than you think because they used all Ritchey companents. For example, my BeBops are stainless and the weight 150g compared to 225g for the Ritchey Echelons.



55x11 said:


> I have to note, this is Ti frame, not steel. Would be much more difficult to get under 16lbs with steel Ritchey. I also have to note he weighs the bike with pedals, many builds exclude pedals from total weight.


Yes, I know. I added the 1st line of the parts list to include that. When Ritchey Dave originally sent me the parts list, that wasn't in there.



55x11 said:


> Personally, I am against carbon wheels, especially on a travel bike (I would use those only for racing, only for substantial elevation gained races, and only if I had a decent chance at winning). I would also go for more heavy duty tires and tubes for a travel bike. In particular, I would go with 25mm rather than 23, and something bomb-proof, like Gatorskins or similar, even though they are quite a bit heavier. Flats or blow-outs on unknown roads, thousands of miles away from anyone you know, is not fun. For the same reasons I would use aluminum handlebars rather than carbon - both because of potential damage during transport (even though I think we tend to over-emphasize this, once packed, the bike components survive air travel just fine), but also because one can ride back to hotel/home on slightly dented aluminum handlebars (say, following a crash), but it is impossible to do on sheared carbon bars.


I was in Taiwan for a total of 6 years. I had a Giant TCR 2 for the first year and a half and the Ritchey for the remaining four and a half. I had 3 flats in 6 years, but they were all near the plant where I first worked that was a construction zone. They didn't have a truck with a magnet underneath to police the roads. After that first 18 months, no problem on 23mm Continental GP4000's (both bikes on GP4000's).

You know, my guess is that any crash hard enough to damage a carbon handlebar sufficently to make it useless would likely involve hospital time. I don't think carbon would bother me. I don't have any carbon in the front end except for the fork (all carbon). However, that decision was limited by available money back in 2005.



55x11 said:


> That's just my personal opinion - but I also think we need to stop obsessing over differences in weight - a 17 or 18 lb bike is basically almost as good as 15 or 16 lb bike, and differences in weight have to be considered in context of overall weight (bike+gear+rider), which is often ~200 lbs, and the amount of climbing we do (often not as much as we like to pretend). Once the bike gets below 19- lb or so, each subsequent pound is increasingly more expensive to take off, and may come with serious compromises or tradeoffs in flex, reliability, braking/safety, ride comfort, etc. Even on a steep and long uphill climb course, a gain of 2lbs translates to less than 1% time/power savings - better training, nutrition, efficiency can easily give you similar or greater gains.


I can't dispute what you say physically or physiologically , but there is a psychological factor. If you think that you are pushing a sled uphill, it may weigh on your mind. If that happens, it becomes a destabilizing factor and works against your effort. On the other hand, if you know that your weapon is as good as anyone else's, it ceases to be something to focus on. I also believe that having a lighter bike encourages one to go farther, which is usually a good thing.

Being an engineer, I will also admit to liking the idea of lightweight parts from a technological standpoint. Everything evolves; nothing stands still. To me that 15.34 pound BreakAway is a technical exercise. Also, since the Ritchey is my only bike, my thought process is a bit different. And, even though I was in a foreign country, I knew a cab company where the people spoke english, so it wasn't that I was riding in an inaccessible place (which I wouldn't do).



55x11 said:


> Riding in drops instead of on the hoods makes more of a difference in power savings and overall aerodynamics, but most people I see riding do not seem to be comfortable of staying in the drops even for 5-10 minutes. And it's FREE! Sorry, rant is over.


That may have more to do with flexibility than anything else. And I would disagree that it is entirely free. I don't think you breathe quite as well, although the aero benefits overshadow it. It may be a loss of 5% but gain 10% sort of thing.


----------



## 55x11

getting down to 15.5 lbs is more of a technical exercise, I agree. It's great in theory but doesn't give you much in practice, especially considering the time and costs involved.

Breathing properly in the drops is not that difficult, but again, it's a matter of getting used to the aero position. But that takes a bit of actual work, and benefits are on the order of 10%. Even that is a bit silly for travel bike purposes.

Getting the weight down by 2 lbs costs only $, and the benefits are about 1%. I have no problems with someone obsessing about the weight after they squeezed every possible 0.1% from every other aspect of riding: training, nutrition, aero position, etc. but I feel there is something wrong about the "shortcut" approach. Not that I am not totally immune to the idea of getting the lightest bike possible. It just has to be taken in perspective of "big picture". Is shaving 5-10 seconds off 20 minute climb done on a travel bike, solo, when nobody is looking, that important?

And taxis are not easily available in most areas that I have ridden on my Breakaway. This includes mountains in Madrid Sierra, but also rural areas outside of Baltimore and DC, or Mt. Tam or Mt. Hamilton or Mt. Diablo in Bay Area, Blue Mountains of Tennessee, bike paths of suburban Chicago or Boston, high peaks of Colorado, just to name a few areas. 25mm tires are good enough for Boonen and Cancellara in Flanders, I see no reason why they won't be good enough for schmoes like me on a travel bike. In a balanced approach to exploring unknown, new roads on a bike, I think 25mm, bomb-proof, reliable clinchers and aluminum rims are a very reasonable idea (as opposed to carbon dish rims with 23mm race-quality tubulars with ultra-light tubes).


----------



## nhluhr

Got my Breakaway Road and have begun building it in my spare time.

One complaint so far - the barrel adjusters Ritchey includes in the package are essentially worthless for this bike using modern Shimano equipment. They don't fit in the downtube cable stops and since 5700/6700/7900 is internall cabling, you can't use them on the shifter's outlet either (like you could on older Shimano shift/brake levers). Since I'm re-using the whole cockpit (including cables and housing from my cross bike until I have time to get some new cable/housing) I'll just set it up with no barrel adjusters for now and put in an inline adjuster when I re-cable. Front derailleur adjustment may be a little tricky but I've managed to do it before.

Also, it came with three cable splitters. I assume the larger one is for the rear brake. Just two little set screws to hold the brake cable? Is that enough? Should I put these in with blue loctite? I guess worst case, I lose rear braking and still have the front available.

Oh and to my surprise/delight, the bike with all parts hung is at 18.5 lbs for a 60cm steel breakaway. Not bad! The frame by itself (no fork) was between 1960 and 2020 grams (my feedback sports 50lb scale is not ideal for measuring something in this range)


----------



## flatlander_48

No problem with the cables pulling out of the connectors. As I didn't do the build, I can't say if Loctite was used. There is no external evidence of it.


----------



## flatlander_48

55x11 said:


> And taxis are not easily available in most areas that I have ridden on my Breakaway. This includes mountains in Madrid Sierra, but also rural areas outside of Baltimore and DC, or Mt. Tam or Mt. Hamilton or Mt. Diablo in Bay Area, Blue Mountains of Tennessee, bike paths of suburban Chicago or Boston, high peaks of Colorado, just to name a few areas. 25mm tires are good enough for Boonen and Cancellara in Flanders, I see no reason why they won't be good enough for schmoes like me on a travel bike. In a balanced approach to exploring unknown, new roads on a bike, I think 25mm, bomb-proof, reliable clinchers and aluminum rims are a very reasonable idea (as opposed to carbon dish rims with 23mm race-quality tubulars with ultra-light tubes).


Basically we've used the bike in different ways. For you, it sounds like it is a part of a vacation trip. On the other hand, I wanted a bike to take with me to long term work assignments. It is the only bike I have, so it is more like the usual road bike. Even in Taiwan, it's still very much like urban and country riding here. And, in Asia taxis tend to be compacts at best, but often sub-compacts and sub-sub-compacts. Hard to take a fullsized bike box in that sitation.


----------



## 55x11

the screws in cable splitters are amazingly strong. Have been using brakes and derailleurs with no problems.
I never got barrel adjusters in my Ritchey package. But keep in mind that the cable splitter itself can be useful for mild barrel adjustments. 
I find barrel adjusters useful for some purposes, but for my Ritchey I don't use them at all, except rear derailleur of course.


----------



## nhluhr

I forgot when I weighed earlier I was missing a left pedal and the expander wedge. Finished weight is 18.69lbs, size 60.

Zipp 404 Clincher wheelset
Dura-Ace 7900 11-25 Cassette
Dura-Ace 7901 Chain
Dura-Ace 7950 Crank
Ultegra 6700 Carbon Pedals
Ultegra BB
Ultegra Rear Derailleur
105 Front Derailleur
105 Brakes
105 Levers
Ritchey Pro Carbon Seatpost
Specialized Romin Expert Saddle
Kona alu stem (from winter bike, will replace)
Kona alu bar (from winter bike, will replace)

Of course for travel I won't use the Zipps - something more like a shimano RS-10 cheapo wheelset, but I think I'll break this in with a ride tonight and a couple of races this weekend (hilly RR on saturday, crit on sunday). The bike will get its first airline travel at the end of this month.


----------



## Waits

nhluhr said:


> I forgot when I weighed earlier I was missing a left pedal and the expander wedge. Finished weight is 18.69lbs, size 60.
> 
> Zipp 404 Clincher wheelset
> Dura-Ace 7900 11-25 Cassette
> Dura-Ace 7901 Chain
> Dura-Ace 7950 Crank
> Ultegra 6700 Carbon Pedals
> Ultegra BB
> Ultegra Rear Derailleur
> 105 Front Derailleur
> 105 Brakes
> 105 Levers
> Ritchey Pro Carbon Seatpost
> Specialized Romin Expert Saddle
> Kona alu stem (from winter bike, will replace)
> Kona alu bar (from winter bike, will replace)
> 
> Of course for travel I won't use the Zipps - something more like a shimano RS-10 cheapo wheelset, but I think I'll break this in with a ride tonight and a couple of races this weekend (hilly RR on saturday, crit on sunday). The bike will get its first airline travel at the end of this month.


Wow! Looks great. Thanks for posting the photo!


----------



## flatlander_48

_*Very Nice!!!*_


----------



## Ritchey_Dave

Really? You're replacing the Ritchey bar and stem with Kona..? But it looks so good on that frame. 

Beautiful build, let us know your thoughts after a few rides.


----------



## nhluhr

Ritchey_Dave said:


> Really? You're replacing the Ritchey bar and stem with Kona..? But it looks so good on that frame.
> 
> Beautiful build, let us know your thoughts after a few rides.


I don't have a Ritchey Stem... I just had that Kona in my closet. It's too short at 90mm. I actually just rode over to the shop and picked up a 4-Axis WCS in the correct length.

First impression: It rides great. I haven't had a steel frame road bike since... 2001 - an old undersized Bridgestone RB1. This has pretty much that same ride feel but it fits. I just need to accumulate all the individual parts that I stripped off my winter bike so I'm not sitting on an incomplete/unrideable winter bike 

Love the Breakaway Road!


----------



## 55x11

agreed, just wanted to share my experiences. YMMV as always. I think this is a great part about Ritchey BAB - so many people using them in so many different ways, for so many different purposes. Some use them for touring. Some for short trips, some for long trips. Some for cities, some for rural areas. I used mine for cyclocross, for riding on snow, for paved roads, cities, middle-of-nowhere roads, you name it.
Definitely agreed on taxis in Asia (and Europe for that matter). Separating your frame into two pieces may help there too.


----------



## flatlander_48

55x11 said:


> Definitely agreed on taxis in Asia (and Europe for that matter). Separating your frame into two pieces may help there too.


Back when my wife was still able to ride, at one point she came back with me and we brought her bike in CrateWorks box. The limo company that was contracted was told to bring a van. Every time the reservation was confirmed, they kept wanting to countermand the request. They couldn't understand why 2 people needed such a big vehicle. When they came to Taipei Airport to pick us up, they didn't have a van. They had a large Volvo station wagon. When they realized that the box, our other luggage and the 2 of us would not fit, THEN they called for a van. This was the genesis of selling my Giant TCR2 and buying the BreakAway. I realized that traveling similarly with the Giant was going to be a very unpleasant experience.

I can put the Ritchey luggage in the back of my MINI, but I don't think you can go smaller than that. What I found in my car was that there was plenty of room inside the car, but the openings were marginal. If you try a car smaller than mine, I think that's the problem you will have.


----------



## nhluhr

Well, I stuck with my BH for the road race on Saturday but I used the Ritchey Breakaway in a cold/raining crit on Sunday. It's definitely the most flexible bike I've ridden in awhile but it doesn't really seem like a problem. I know it saved me in one instance when i was forced off my line and rode over a manhole cover in turn1. I felt my tire slide sideways then it caught the pavement again. I'm guessing the longer wheelbase and relative flexibility allowed it to absorb that with a smoother impulse whereas my carbon bike (with a 402mm chainstay) would have just snapped the tire right past its friction limit on the pavement. Ended up with a 6th place on the Breakaway. It performed great and felt just fine under my finishing sprint.

I'm falling rapidly in love with this bike. I can't say its acceleration is particularly snappy (especially with the aluminum powertap wheelset and generally heavier parts) but it does just fine. It's really the ride quality that is shockingly good. I'm a big guy anyway (duh, 60cm frame) so the weight isn't much of an issue at all, and the fact that I'll be able to carry it with me on business trips is friggin delightful.


----------



## flatlander_48

nhluhr said:


> I'm a big guy anyway (duh, 60cm frame) so the weight isn't much of an issue at all, and the fact that I'll be able to carry it with me on business trips is friggin delightful.


I think the fact the the BreakAway system and the S & S BTC's work so well is that they were designed by people who ride and they were trying to solve a problem to suit their needs. Both methods turned out very well, just different roads to town so to speak. Their advantages are also different. The BreakAway system is lighter, but the BTC can be retrofitted into existing frames as well as built into new ones.

Since the BreakAway is my only bike, it works very in that mode also. It's a very versatile machine!


----------



## Ritchey_Dave

flatlander_48 said:


> Their advantages are also different. The BreakAway system is lighter, but the BTC can be retrofitted into existing frames as well as built into new ones.


Actually, we sell our Breakaway fittings to custom framebuilders too. If someone wanted, they could have a framebuilder integrate our Breakaway system into a custom frame.


----------



## flatlander_48

Ritchey_Dave said:


> Actually, we sell our Breakaway fittings to custom framebuilders too. If someone wanted, they could have a framebuilder integrate our Breakaway system into a custom frame.


Yes, I remember Andy Hampsten and his brother were doing that for a while. However, the BreakAway system is not designed to be retrofitted, as far as I can tell.


----------



## Ritchey_Dave

flatlander_48 said:


> Yes, I remember Andy Hampsten and his brother were doing that for a while. However, the BreakAway system is not designed to be retrofitted, as far as I can tell.


For the most part yes. If your frame has a 28.6 seattube and either 31.8 or 34.9 downtube you can though.


----------



## nhluhr

Not having a dedicated TT bike and having signed up for a stage race this past weekend, I converted my Breakaway temporarily to TT duty.

I slammed my seat all the way forward on the rails (20mm increase resulting in an effective STA of around 75 degrees in my size 60 frame which has an actual STA of 73.5), raised up the seatpost to get the same pedal to seat distance with the slammed-forward position, then installed some clip-on aero bars and of course the aero wheels. I ended up getting 10th in a field of 78 starters of the TT with this setup so I'm pretty happy 

I know I could do better with a little work - perhaps improving the seat position even more by getting a 0-setback seatpost or a Fast-Forward style post.


----------



## Ritchey_Dave

Nice! Did you have to get on and off a plane as part of the course? Let's see your bike all TT'd out.


----------



## 55x11

Headtube is pretty short on Ritchey Breakaway so you can get pretty low in aerobars (or the drops for that matter).


----------



## nhluhr

Well, I just packed up my 60cm Breakaway Road (first trip with it this weekend). It looks okay, everything well protected.

At first I tried using the directions that came with it (and which are mirrored in the top youtube result). I actually used the words "not even ****ing close" after trying it. I googled and found a couple diagrams that helped me pack it differently:

1) Front frame/fork/headset/stem on bottom of case, front brake removed and kept with handlebar
2) Rear wheel, cassette-down (I find having this wheel above the front-frame half helps reduce the bulge on the case backside)
3) Handlebar tucked around rear wheel at right of case. Bottles and cages in free space between shifters
4) Rear frame half, dropouts in upper left of case, rear derailleur and left crank arm removed
5) seat/post between chainstays at free space to left
6) Front wheel on top.
7) accessories: seatbag velcroed to wheel in free space at bottom right, crankarm, skewers, pedals, breakaway collar in black musette bag, tools in black cloth bag both cinched tight and lashed to wheel at bottom left.










NOTE: Per the advice in another thread, I removed the water bottles to hopefully avoid having TSA rip it open.

I actually fly out 6am Sunday but I'm racing on Saturday so I can't put other crucial items like shoes in yet.


----------



## flatlander_48

It looks like the new covers have nylon on the outside. Is that correct? Is there rubber on the inside?
I see the chain is exposed. I didn't like that and is why I had a 10sp Wippermann chain with Connex and now a Chorus 11sp chain with a KMC Missing Link. That way it was easy to remove the chain and pack it in its own bag.
Is the rear derailleur still connected to the cable?


----------



## nhluhr

Yes, rear derailleur is connected to chain and cable but there is a ton of slack, having detached it from the cable stops. I lashed the R.Der to the chainstay so it won't bang around.

The covers do indeed have nylon backing. The inside is a velcro-friendly "loop" surface so the little "hook" tabs on the outside edge of each pad can fasten in place however you want them. You get two long ones and 7 short ones to cover all the frame parts.


----------



## flatlander_48

nhluhr said:


> Yes, rear derailleur is connected to chain and cable but there is a ton of slack, having detached it from the cable stops. I lashed the R.Der to the chainstay so it won't bang around.


Actually I don't tie the rear derailleur down. The plastic foam that I wrap it in is thick enough that it wedges in wherever I put it. 



nhluhr said:


> The covers do indeed have nylon backing. The inside is a velcro-friendly "loop" surface so the little "hook" tabs on the outside edge of each pad can fasten in place however you want them. You get two long ones and 7 short ones to cover all the frame parts.


That's different. In 2005 they used split neoprene tubes and beaded cable ties. Not nearly as sophisticated as what you have.

Also, it appears that you don't use the pad (I'm assuming it is still part of the packing materials), or at least I can't see it.


----------



## nhluhr

It does come with the chainring elastic strap, nylon crank bag, a full-size nylon pad thingy meant to separate wheels from frame (I didn't use it since I packed diferently) and finally a smaller nylon pad with two holes designed to separate/locate the two wheels against each other (also not used).


----------



## flatlander_48

It's the same then, excluding the difference in tube covers...


----------



## 55x11

It works either way - S&S or Ritchey way.
I lately prefer Ritchey way for some reason. Perhaps because it leaves more room for other stuff in the corners somehow for bulky items (clothes, tools etc.), with two wheels next to each other.

Here's step-by-step of how packing looks if you use Ritchey way: Oleg's Cycling Adventures - Suitcase of courage
Here's how it looks if you use S&S style: Oleg's Cycling Adventures - Packing Ritchey Breakaway S&S style

You are not the first person to comment on how difficult it is to pack everything Ritchey style. My first time it took me a few tries to figure it out. But now I cannot remember why it was so difficult - it seems pretty natural and quick - two wheels, two triangles and then put bars in.


----------



## nhluhr

Back from my business trip, the Ritchey Breakaway traveled and performed beautifully. Check-in at SEA Delta counter went easily. The check-in agent did ask me to drop it at the oversized luggage window (but didn't insinuate or charge me for being oversize), rather saying it was just a bit tall to go through their conveyor belt system. No problems. A plane change at ATL and landing at IAD by 5pm, I got to the hotel and had the bike assembled by around 7:30pm. It DID have a TSA inspection sheet inside but nothing was messed up. Next day, I loaded it along with some clothes into my rental car and went to my corporate office for a day full of meetings in the board room. By 5pm, I was itching to ride so I hauled ass out to Front Royal and started riding from the north entrance of Skyline Drive. The NPS Ranger at the gate suggested I was nuts for riding up into low cloud cover and rain. *****, please. I'm from Seattle. That weather describes my entire fall-winter-spring riding season. I ended up getting about 5000ft of elevation in 38miles. Very cold by the end but survivable.

I repeated the whole thing the next day but kept it to 20miles since it was raining much harder.

Wednesday, I hooked up with a longtime friend and we rode 44mi on the W&OD trail, chattering away the whole time.

I packed it up Thursday night after a company dinner in DC, then flew out with it Friday. This time the check-in agent didn't even blink an eye. I guess IAD has bigger conveyor belts than SEA. For both halves of the trip, I was able to use Delta's android app to track my baggage as it was loaded into the plane and made the connections in ATL. Nice for peace of mind.

Unpacked it again Saturday and rode it the past two days, about 250TSS per day. This bike rocks.


----------



## flatlander_48

nhluhr said:


> This bike rocks.


This sounds like a surprise?


----------



## nhluhr

flatlander_48 said:


> This sounds like a surprise?


Actually, it is. I was convinced I needed to spend nearly $3000 on a S&S coupled CoMotion frame + case + accessories to get what I wanted. I didn't.


----------



## Ritchey_Dave

Glad you're having fun with it. Love hearing stories where we can help change an otherwise normal business trip into a business/bike trip!


----------



## nhluhr

Ritchey_Dave said:


> Glad you're having fun with it. Love hearing stories where we can help change an otherwise normal business trip into a business/bike trip!


Tell me about it! Prior to this, I'd basically book-end my business trips with super-epic days, then try to get whatever I could out of the crappy hotel stationary bike if they even had one. Life changing is a way I'd describe my Breakaway.


----------



## flatlander_48

As was mentioned earlier, it's great that the bike serves a number of different purposes but all based on being able to take your bike with you when traveling.


----------



## nhluhr

I took my BreakAway to Maui last month:

Ready to ride, starting from 0ft elevation:


Heading all the way up there:


32 miles, 10,023ft, and 4.5 hours later:


and an hour after that:


It's hard to describe riding up Haleakala. Although in the second photo you can see it looks relatively flat, it just starts at about 5% and stays that way forever. The average for the next 32 miles is 5.3% with a couple pitches at 15% or more, including the last 100ft to the summit parking lot which really knocks the wind out of you, as you have excitedly expended the last of your energy in a fit of adrenalin passing the visitor center 200ft below. There aren't many places to refuel along the way - the last water stop is around 7000ft so you have to have two full bottles from there and make the final 3000 on your own. The last place to get food of any kind is the Lavender Farm Cafe at around 4500ft or so, where you can get some jam-on-bread and some no-bake cookie balls. I've done long climbs before, around 4000ft start to finish, but nothing really prepares you for the endless climbing of Haleakala. I was really happy to have a power meter and able to watch my power to make sure I didn't overexert early in the ride - the tendency to blast away from Paia is there but I kept it reigned in and had decent power all the way to the top. Descending was better than I thought - I feared it would be a festival of braking hard steep corners and worrying about overheating pads or blowing a tire but in fact it never came to that - the turns were much faster on my bike than in the car the morning prior (drove up for sunrise the day before this) so I didn't really have to use them all that hard. As I descended out of the cool air of high altitude into the muggy death-heat of a slightly unseasonably warm day in Paia, I was suddenly stricken by how strange I felt to be carrying the windtex jacket I had been wearing only an hour before. You might think that riding up such a long climb with a relatively constant gradient for most of the way would be tedious and miserable but on the contrary - With the fitness not really a concern after a very solid winter/spring training and racing base with some big climbs leading up to this for warm-ups, I was left only with the enjoyment of the various environments I was about to pedal through. Down low with the hot windy cane fields, in the middle where it was like a rainforest with huge JurassicPark style plants, followed shortly after by the foggy/cloudy grazing lands where it looked like I'd imagine the scottish high country would look, and the startlingly strong smell of a pine forest above 6000ft, then the dry scrub brush finally giving way to volcanic rubble and silversword plants. Truly amazing variety all the way.

Epic day.

I also rode my Ritchey along the road north of Napili Bay, which is an endless undulation of steep climbs, steep descents, and switchbacks with no flat road whatsoever. Also, thanks to its low speed limit and nearly impassable roadsections past Kahakuloa, it was blissfully free of the heavy/fast traffic you find south of Napili and the south side of the island traveling between the various resort attractions. It mostly looked like this:


Last week, I put 200 more commuter miles on the Ritchey and I finally had a cable-coupler failure. The cut end of the cable pulled out of the coupler just as I was pulling into my steep driveway. I trimmed about a 1/4" off it and reattached it but I'm concerned about this happening during a less convenient time. I guess part of the regular maintenance on the bike should be checking the couplers to make sure the fixing bolts are full-tight.


----------



## Waits

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## burgrat

nhluhr said:


> I guess part of the regular maintenance on the bike should be checking the couplers to make sure the fixing bolts are full-tight.


I like that the rear brake coupler has double bolts to help prevent a brake failure, whereas the derailleur ones only need one. Good design with safety in mind.

Thanks for posting your travels. Very impressive ride. I drove up there last year on vacation (didn't have my bike) and that is a massive, endless climb. Unfortunately it was cloudy and rainy up top so visibility was only a couple hundred feet and damn cold.


----------



## nhluhr

Had to spend a few days in El Segundo so I took my breakaway and rode around Palos Verdes. What a terrific place to ride!!

The terrain is beautiful, the pavement is mostly immaculate, and the drivers are, curiously, the best I've seen anywhere. Makes Seattle feel like a warzone! Tip of the hat to you, Los Angeles area riders.


----------



## Peter P.

I like the paint scheme on your Ritchey; the non-parallel ends on the white panels and the tie-in with the small panels on the top tub and the fork. I'd never seen that before. It's not too much and finishes off the frame nicely. I wished the new Ritchey Road Logic 2.0 had as much effort put into its finish as your frame.


----------



## Waits

Very nice. I agree. I miss riding there. I used to have business trips to LA arriving Thursday night and leaving Sunday night. I could fit three rides in, one each morning. It was especially enjoyable riding in the winter months when it was 20 degrees back east.


----------



## nhluhr

I'm getting ready to move across country in a couple weeks so during Thanksgiving I took my Ritchey Breakaway with me to the new place and left it with a nearby relative.

I miss my Ritchey!!!


----------



## Lab Worker

nhluhr said:


>


nhluhr - could you please tell me what the saddle height is in this photo? I'm looking at a BreakAway but I don't generally like the look of sloped frames, however yours looks great. I need a 820mm seat height.


----------



## nhluhr

Lab Worker said:


> nhluhr - could you please tell me what the saddle height is in this photo? I'm looking at a BreakAway but I don't generally like the look of sloped frames, however yours looks great. I need a 820mm seat height.


From top of pedal to top of saddle, pedal at the bottom of stroke, it is 975mm. It's a 175 crank. If you need center of crank to top of saddle, more like 805. Ritchey is a size 60.


----------



## Lab Worker

nhluhr said:


> From top of pedal to top of saddle, pedal at the bottom of stroke, it is 975mm. It's a 175 crank. If you need center of crank to top of saddle, more like 805. Ritchey is a size 60.


Thank you!


----------

