# Ritchey Break-away



## KeeponTrekkin (Aug 29, 2002)

Just stumbled onto this on Velonews and I thought it looked pretty cool.

It's a different take on a travel bike. The upper circle highlights the upper clamp which connects the top tube to the seat tube. The lower circle shows the lower clamp which connects the down tube to the bottom bracket.

The picture is the single speed / fixed gear version, but it comes in road, cross & mtb flavors too!

Is this new? Anyone have any experience with it?


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## soup67 (Feb 26, 2004)

*Excel Sports has been selling them for a while.*

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Break%2DAway+Road+Pro+Kit+White%2DBlue&vendorCode=RITCHEY&major=1&minor=1

soup


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## llama31 (Jan 13, 2006)

somebody in the cross forum has the cyclocross version. their reviews have been positive. i thought about one a while back but decided to get a good travel bag instead.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Curtlo makes custom ones with this system.


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## Guest (Apr 28, 2008)

here

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=122824&highlight=ritchey


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

a couple yrs at least, right?


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

We have His & Hers Break-Away road bikes. They're great to ride and the coupling system is both simple and robust. They've done well on three trips so far - arriving undamaged with no baggage surcharge, going together & coming apart easily, and being nice to ride. :thumbsup:


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Could you get a small frame in the case without removing the fork?


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> Could you get a small frame in the case without removing the fork?


We have 56cm & 54cm bikes. The fork stays with the front part of the frame on both of them and they fit in the standard Ritchey case just fine. We don't have to remove either fork. 

Your question, following a conversation with a friend this weekend, has me rethinking another aspect of how I've been packing the bikes. 

I've been removing the stem from the threadless steerer for each trip, leaving the stem connected to the handle bars. Our Ritchey cases each included a cardboard sleeve to fit over the steerer while it's packed. I hadn't thought much of this, but a friend has apparently been packing his S&S-coupled Serrota by removing the bars from the stem. He recently learned that his carbon bars are cracked, which he thinks happened when he over-tightened the stem onto the bars after a trip. I'm not sure which is the better method, but thought I'd throw it out for consideration.

PS: The Ritchey site has a video that shows the bars being removed from the stem.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Thanks. I'm really thinking about the SS/fixed


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## Bianchi67 (Oct 16, 2005)

GVH also sells them. It looks like there are six different models.

http://www.gvhbikes.com/


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## KeeponTrekkin (Aug 29, 2002)

*It must be good if...*

Dave Hickey's thinking about it....

Note to self: ride with Dave some time....


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2008)

The Ritchey case is a little bigger than the S&S case and the Ritchey bike will fit in the S&S case.

I can fit a 56 cm S&S in the case without removing the fork.

I like the look of the Ritchey system and keep telling myself I don't "NEED" one when I already have an S&S bike and another on the way.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

Buyer beware. Sent my wife's back after grossly inaccurate sizing specs. Stated specs weren't even close to actual. So if you have size issues, be careful. Surly has a Travelers Check model that we ended up with instead. Dead-on specs, great ride, S&S couplers instead of Ritchey system. Ritchey's design has a clamp that wears out or can be lost. They supply an extra just for this reason. Also Ritchey's standard case does not meet airline size requirements. Surly will fit into case that meets current airline regs. FYI.


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## endure26 (Jan 27, 2005)

I've had a Ritchey BaB for about two years - cyclocross model - bought one of the first ones out. Great bike. NO SIZing Issues because I can read specs. Not even sure what size I ordered, but the Ritchey fits just like all my other bikes. Check top tube and headtube lengths carefully. Like any other bike, never look strictly at the frame size. 

The old Ritchey case is right on the edge with airline sizing, though many of the cases seem to be. I've never had an airline try and charge me extra $$$. My understanding is that Ritchey has recently changed that and the case is now legal. Now that a lot of airlines are only allowing one checked bag we may all be paying to transport bikes.

The Surly does not include a case so add another $200-350 to the price for baggage options. 

Yes - you can pack it without removing the fork - especially on a small. 

The Ritchey downtube clamp can be replaced and the frame even comes with an extra. Price for a new one is under $20. 

I bought a set of Paragon track ends with deraileur hanger and I'm just waiting for the right time to send it off to Bilencky for a dropout conversion and then powdercoat so I'll be able to run as a ss/fixed or geared cross bike - and will also simplify the shipping when I go the 1-speed route.

I'd have no reservations recommending the Ritchey frameset. I'd also seriously consider the Cross-check because of it's versatility. The Ritchey is lighter and I have no issues using it as a cross racer. I saw numerous BaBs at cross nationals in KC this year and the frames were treating their riders right.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

endure26 said:


> I've had a Ritchey BaB for about two years - cyclocross model - bought one of the first ones out. Great bike*. NO SIZing Issues because I can read specs. *Not even sure what size I ordered, but the Ritchey fits just like all my other bikes. Check top tube and headtube lengths carefully. Like any other bike, never look strictly at the frame size.
> 
> The old Ritchey case is right on the edge with airline sizing, though many of the cases seem to be. I've never had an airline try and charge me extra $$$. My understanding is that Ritchey has recently changed that and the case is now legal. Now that a lot of airlines are only allowing one checked bag we may all be paying to transport bikes.
> 
> ...


I can read specs too. Ritchey published specs on their website and the ACTUAL measurements on the bike as measured by my LBS where as much as 2 cm off! We even called Ritchey to ask for an explanation. They said they had none and we should send the bike back. My LBS even thought Ritchey had poor tolerances. I thought the quality was way below Surly. Take my comments for what they are worth. Trust me I wanted the Ritchey to work. We are now two happy owners of Travelers Checks.


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## endure26 (Jan 27, 2005)

That's pretty bizarre. I would not be happy if I got a bike and the specs weren't as published. Did someone give you the wrong size perhaps? Does Ritchey make the frames or are they outsourced?

Everything on my BaB is as advertised. I'd consider the Surly now that it's available, because of the long horizontal drops and 132.5 spacing - allowing it to be run geared or ss/fixed. The Surly is on the heavy side for a cx race bike though and the S&S couplers add more weight. Surly's tend to be good tough bikes and that's a good quality in a travel frame.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I think the Ritchey Break-Away is a great deal for a travel bike. My gripe is the standard geometry, which has short head-tubes, long top tubes, and steep seat-tube angle. That's great if you like to really stretch out and can handle a lot of drop from the seat to handlebar, but it's not for me. If it had a more conventional geometry, I probably would have bought one.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

tarwheel2 said:


> I think the Ritchey Break-Away is a great deal for a travel bike. My gripe is the standard geometry, which has short head-tubes, long top tubes, and steep seat-tube angle. That's great if you like to really stretch out and can handle a lot of drop from the seat to handlebar, but it's not for me. If it had a more conventional geometry, I probably would have bought one.




pretty sure there are other builders that use that system, but most any custom can do S&S couplers


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

endure26 said:


> That's pretty bizarre. I would not be happy if I got a bike and the specs weren't as published. Did someone give you the wrong size perhaps? Does Ritchey make the frames or are they outsourced?
> 
> Everything on my BaB is as advertised. I'd consider the Surly now that it's available, because of the long horizontal drops and 132.5 spacing - allowing it to be run geared or ss/fixed. The Surly is on the heavy side for a cx race bike though and the S&S couplers add more weight. Surly's tend to be good tough bikes and that's a good quality in a travel frame.


You can search this forum and see my post detailing the whole thing. We went down the road of varifying the size at another shop that had the frame in stock and their Ritchey Break Away varied as well, but by different amounts. It was crazy, two bikes, the same size and both didn't meet published specs. At least they took it back. We are very happy with our Travelers Checks. If you search the Surly forum here you can see my build progression and how they pack into the case.


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## KenS (Jan 28, 2004)

*Ritchey Break-away on Ebay*

http://tinyurl.com/62do8r


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