# cross bike with couplers?



## gearguywb (Dec 26, 2006)

I recently took a job that requires almost 100% travel, so I have been kicking around ideas to help me keep riding while travelling. I do a lot of mtn biking and a fair amount of road riding, so I was thinking of trying to find a cross bike with couplers. I have looked at the Ritchey Break Away and once in a while you see a steel frame, like the IF, with couplers. Does anyone have any expierence with these bikes? I am not looking for something to race, but rather a "take with me, capable of about anything bike".


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

*Traveler's Check*

Just bought it about a week ago. So far so good. Seems bombproof. Got the hard travel case as many have recommended on this board. Do a forum search as well. There is much written about S and S couplers as well as Ritchey Break Aways.


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## gearguywb (Dec 26, 2006)

very nice....where did you pick up your Surly? Love the user name by the way, we have a YBB, MootoXYBB, and a dog named Moots.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

You are part of Moot's Nation! My main bike is a Vamoots, but man was not meant to live with just one bike.
I ordered the Surly through my LBS. Any store with a Quality Bike Parts (QBP) account (I think that is every bike shop in America) can get one. Lots of online sources as well. Check out http://www.surlybikes.com/travelerscheck.html for more info on the frame.


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## dyg2001 (Sep 23, 2004)

You can also have S&S couplers retrofitted on a normal steel or Ti frame.
I bought a used Seven Ti cross/touring frameset and had James at Black Sheep install couplers. I am happy with the result and the cost was a lot lower than quotes I got from other framebuilders for a Ti retrofit. I take this bike with me any time I am away from home for more than about 3 days. With some effort everything fits in the S&S hard suitcase, but I find it easier to pack some components, especially the bar and stem, in a 2nd backpack.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

dyg2001 said:


> You can also have S&S couplers retrofitted on a normal steel or Ti frame.
> I bought a used Seven Ti cross/touring frameset and had James at Black Sheep install couplers. I am happy with the result and the cost was a lot lower than quotes I got from other framebuilders for a Ti retrofit. I take this bike with me any time I am away from home for more than about 3 days. With some effort everything fits in the S&S hard suitcase, but I find it easier to pack some components, especially the bar and stem, in a 2nd backpack.


Be careful with retro fits. I went down that road originally and found out that some retro fits will void the frame warranty and some tubes will not support the couplers. Retro fits may also require a frame repaint.


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## roseyscot (Jan 30, 2005)

*break away!!!*



Mootsie said:


> Be careful with retro fits. I went down that road originally and found out that some retro fits will void the frame warranty and some tubes will not support the couplers. Retro fits may also require a frame repaint.


agreed. that seven is definitely not under warranty anymore. i know from experience with them. but if you already have a frame to "sacrifice" for such a project it's probably cheaper than a new frame. i would strongly recommend the ritchey break away cross. i have raced 'cross, crits, and toured on it and it is great. i travel a lot for work too and it is a great companion when i go anywhere with decent road riding opportunities. plus the package includes frame, fork, headset, and travel case. although the travel case is not as hard as the s and s case, it is MUCH easier to pack and it easily fits additional gear like clothes and shoes. oh, and the ritchey does not require any special spanner wrenches (just a 4 and 5mm hex wrench).

check out some of the early posts in my blog for pictures and reviews of the ritchey. i may be biased but i have also been really happy with the investment.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

roseyscot said:


> agreed. that seven is definitely not under warranty anymore. i know from experience with them. but if you already have a frame to "sacrifice" for such a project it's probably cheaper than a new frame. i would strongly recommend the ritchey break away cross. i have raced 'cross, crits, and toured on it and it is great. i travel a lot for work too and it is a great companion when i go anywhere with decent road riding opportunities. plus the package includes frame, fork, headset, and travel case. although the travel case is not as hard as the s and s case, it is MUCH easier to pack and it easily fits additional gear like clothes and shoes. oh, and the ritchey does not require any special spanner wrenches (just a 4 and 5mm hex wrench).
> 
> check out some of the early posts in my blog for pictures and reviews of the ritchey. i may be biased but i have also been really happy with the investment.


My wife has the Break Away. The frame fit her better. The soft case doesn't meet airline regs though.


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## ZenNMotion (May 28, 2004)

+1 on the breakaway- I got one just at the end of last season and did 2 races and it handles beautifully, it will be my pit bike at home, the only reason it's #2 being that I've rigged it with bar-end shifters for economy and reliability while traveling (my main cross racer is a nice lugged waterford but the ritchey handles better if anything) . I've been on it all winter, including snow, fast group rides, an early training crit and a trip to Africa, I was happy with it for everything, and I'm kind of a snob, with a big stable of nice cross and road bikes. Of all the travel options available, I think its your best bang for the buck, just about the same price or cheaper than current prices on the Surly when you add in the cost of the travel case. Plus it's better (lighter, heat-treated) steel than Surly's 4130. Edinabike.com has the best prices on frame/fork that I found, though I found it odd that the price depended on size and color- luckily my 56cm was the cheapest, in Magenta at $1,000 even.


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## coachjon (Feb 6, 2008)

this review in DirtRag might be helpful....

http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=1056&category=stuff_reviews

Cro-Motion makes a pretty sweet looking CX racer with S&S couplers. It is custom though so it is a bit spendy.


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## dyg2001 (Sep 23, 2004)

roseyscot said:


> agreed. that seven is definitely not under warranty anymore.



That goes without saying. No bike that you buy used is under warranty. I was just suggesting that retrofitting a frame that you already have or one that you buy used is another option to get a travel bike. For example, I bought my used Ti Seven for about $1000 complete. The S&S retrofit was less than $500 (suitcase was extra). So now I have a complete Ti travel bike for probably way less than half of what Seven would charge for a new Ti frame with couplers. For an off-the-shelf solution, I agree that the Ritchey is a great deal, as well as the Surly.


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## Greg Hejtmanek (Aug 17, 2007)

Living on a rock in the middle of the ocean, I have a couple couple bikes. The S&S hardcase seems to hold up better than the soft cases I have used. You do have to watch weight as you can get the case, bike and normal crap like tools, shoes, helmet and bust out at over 50lbs in a heartbeat. Then you get hit for overweight automatic. My buddy has one of the Ritchey break aways and loves it. I like my S&S coupled bikes pretty well. I got my cross/touring steel S&S bike with a tad too much slope on the head tube. I was thinking smaller frame in small box. It makes it a bit hard to get a shoulder inside on run ups, but for touring, it is great.. 
You also need to tell the builder you want the TT couple to be pretty close to the seattube so the cable routing isn't too long over the couple. I too thought about barcons for simplicity, but have regular shifters without problems so far. You have to watch expense as some builders charge a lot for the couples, others not as much. What I understand they aren't that fun to make. I talked to some of the Ti guys at the Handmade show and they were over a grand on Ti frames. Steel arond $3-5 hundred.
With the costs of flying bikes at almost $80-100 each way for me two trips to the mainland and the couples are free. I usually go three times a year so after a couple three years, the bike is free.
The other issue I have is the cable breakers tend to clang around a bit on cross races.If I was going to build a coupled race only bike I would think having a single chainring model, with the rear shifter routed on the downtube instead of the top, as you can use the splitters better on the downtube than the top.


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## jerry_in_VT (Oct 13, 2006)

Greg Hejtmanek said:


> Living on a rock in the middle of the ocean,


Nice try at the "I live in Hawaii" pity play. You almost slid it past me with all the bike talk.

J - taking the piss outa innocent posters


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## gearguywb (Dec 26, 2006)

All good info guys, thanks. I will keep a look out and maybe I can find a used one...I know the chances are slim, but WTH


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## Greg Hejtmanek (Aug 17, 2007)

Oh yea, Jerry in VT, Open the freekin door it is hot out fool, to you too buddy. Paradise has it price, long airplane rides is one of them, snow ain't. We are well into our road season and I got to see a whale jump during a 12 mile TT yesterday. The beasties will be leaving soon so we take what we can get in seeing them jump in the next couple weeks. It will be middle of cross season before they come home. Did you shovel your walk today? It looked like on Google Earth the sidewalk needed a bit of touching up too. I gots my eye on you , you New Belgians (according to Zank) England got traded..


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## epicxt (Apr 26, 2005)

*My go anywhere, do anything bike...*



gearguywb said:


> I recently took a job that requires almost 100% travel, so I have been kicking around ideas to help me keep riding while travelling. I do a lot of mtn biking and a fair amount of road riding, so I was thinking of trying to find a cross bike with couplers. I have looked at the Ritchey Break Away and once in a while you see a steel frame, like the IF, with couplers. Does anyone have any expierence with these bikes? I am not looking for something to race, but rather a "take with me, capable of about anything bike".


I picked this Gunnar Crosshairs up used for a song, and am loving it. Took it to Vegas a few weeks ago for some dryer/warmer riding.


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## gearguywb (Dec 26, 2006)

something like the Gunnar or Surly would be perfect!


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## 5th wheel (Sep 6, 2004)

*I'm almost in the same situation*

First, Thank you for starting this thread. I'll be traveling quite a bit and am trying to figure out how to keep some kind of biking schedule. I'm looking for a bike to travel with. I saw that it takes 30 minutes to unpack and set up the bike? 
There seem to be a lot of choices. Moots, IF, Strong, C0-Motion, I guess unlimited?


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## epicxt (Apr 26, 2005)

Most framebuilders will offer s & s couplers as an option. Steel and ti are the most common materials, but some builders offer carbon options as well. I'd probably stick with steel or ti for a travel bike though.


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## wheelio (Nov 29, 2006)

*breakaway system*

Its definitely the way to go if you travel and like me ,gotta have your bike .I have a custom Curtlo cross with Ritcheys breakaway system .It goes with me when ever I travel ,takes about twenty minutes to put together. Its great for most packed single track & gravel/chipseal pretty much a do it all bike .Check out the Bike doctor on the classifieds looks like there blowing them out not sure about sizes.Im taking mine to Maui in two weeks ,cant wait.:thumbsup:


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## Greg Hejtmanek (Aug 17, 2007)

Wheelio, When you go to Maui ride around the West side of the island. It is sort of a paved cattle trail of a road, but really pretty and not much traffic. Riding Up Haleakala is a pretty fun way to spend a half day. I would park at Kula Lodge and ride up from there. It sort of cuts off the not so pretty part. Careful on the way down, we lose a couple folks a year doing that. Most are group riders that just can't handle the curves. Enjoy the Islands. G


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## knucklesandwich (Feb 23, 2007)

Those of you with Ritchey Breakaways...do any of you have any long-term reviews or concerns? I'm not completely clear on how the system breaks down, and I was wondering if any "looseness" develops over time or if it remains rock solid? 

Is the bike solid enough to be your main weekend ride? I currently have only a Kona Jake that is my do everything bike, but I would like to upgrade the wearing-out components to a 2x9 and use it for commuting mainly (and eventually backup cx race bike), then get something else for 50 mile weekend rambles, races, etc.

My wife has family in France, so I would love to get a Ritchey to bring over there rather than ride the old 10-speeds that are available to me.


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## rs3o (Jan 22, 2004)

I've only had my Ritchey since October but I raced it for half the CX season and did a fair amount of rail trail and road riding on it since the season ended. So far the coupling system has been solid. For the price, I don't think you can find a better deal.


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## roseyscot (Jan 30, 2005)

the only issue i had with my ritchey was the broken strap on the luggage case due to TSA man handling it. i kind of imagine they lifted and then swung the case by the strap instead of using the handles and wheels. the bike was just fine though. i have the first gen case and the new case looks to be a bit more solid so make sure if you are buying it new that you get the new case (with a plastic protruding bubble for the cassette).

I have raced cross and crits on mine as well as commuting in some shite weather. it is a great do-anything bike. so good that i am thinking of upgrading the budget veloce parts to reduce the weight and make it more "race worthy"

it rides like a classic steel bike. you won't even notice the break away points as long as you assemble it correctly.


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## wheelio (Nov 29, 2006)

*Ritchey breakaway system*

Check out Ritcheys web site ,he has a video showing how to break down & pack a breakaway ,so you can see how its all put together.As for looseness of the system ,the only time I ever noticed anything was touring in Ireland ,I was loaded down with about thirty pounds of gear mostly all in the rear panniers,noticed a bit of flex in the lower coupler when pedalling while standing. Ive hammered up and down some pretty rocky single track ,never had any issues with flex or things loosening up .The only thing that bugs me are the cable connectors rattling against the frame ,I put some rubber 0 rings around them that seemed to help somewhat.


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## vanjr (Sep 15, 2005)

Does the travels check come with a case or do you have to order the case in addition to the 900-1000 dollar frame?
tia


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## slideeslide (Feb 1, 2007)

Anyone with the Ritcheys care to comment on the top tube cable placement? It would appear by all pictures that the rear brake cable goes right where you shoulder the bike.


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## roseyscot (Jan 30, 2005)

slideeslide said:


> Anyone with the Ritcheys care to comment on the top tube cable placement? It would appear by all pictures that the rear brake cable goes right where you shoulder the bike.


it's true, they did not fully think this one out when building the 'cross version. i think they either forgot, used the same front end diagram as the road version to reduce cost, or feel that the cable splitter is better positioned by having the cable on the underside of the top tube. i don't shoulder my break away very often, even when racing. i am tall enough to get away with the top tube lift for most obstacles. i don't really think it would be a problem for most 'cross racers. if you are serious enough for it to bother you, you are probably serious enough to have a competition specific rig. :thumbsup:


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## ZenNMotion (May 28, 2004)

*Ebay Alert! Custom breakaway!*

If I didn't already have my Ritchey all built up I'd be all over this :mad2: 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Taylor-Break-aw...ryZ98084QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## ZenNMotion (May 28, 2004)

slideeslide said:


> Anyone with the Ritcheys care to comment on the top tube cable placement? It would appear by all pictures that the rear brake cable goes right where you shoulder the bike.


I never really noticed it until someone pointed it out, after my first race with it. The cable is out of the way for a quick lift and carry by the top tube, and for a longer runups I lift from the downtube and set it on my shoulder. I can't tell it's there, I did have to do a major hike-a-bike of a couple of miles through deep sand once and it wasn't an issue.


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