# Updated the Breakaway



## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

...to 12 speed Chorus with the subcompact cranks and an 11-34 cassette, ready to ride anything. IMHO very fiddly to set up correctly, even with the long derailleur the chain sizing has to be spot on to allow big/big (needs b screw adjustment too), the largest cog puts the chain very close to the spokes, and the rear derailleur adjustment has to be 100% perfect for everything to shift well. The rear rim is new so the brake track hasn't worn off yet. The groupset looks very Shimanoesque in a murdered out black kind of way, which I'm not sold on yet.


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## Benjamin Huffy (5 mo ago)

It reminds me of this;


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

Nice Looking Bike, ...having a fiddly drive train is not so good on a travel bike.


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## ogre (Dec 16, 2005)

Ritchey doesn't strike me as a Dentist's bike  But cereally, that is a beautiful bike. What are the wheels?

For maximum points, get tubes with valve stems 10mm shorter, shorten the RD housing 1.5 cm (why couldn't they put the cable stop closer to the dropout?), rotate the bars and top of the hoods down a smidge. But if that's how you ride it, then ride it  Again, sweet bike.


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## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

I like long valve stems because I can use the same tubes on every rim I own. The RD housing I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be an issue because that's the first RD I've used with an OEM goatlink/extender. Not sure I want to make it shorter, plus with the travel connectors it's better to err on longer if/when the ends fray and snap out of the connectors. I've had this bike a long time and on many a vacation, I keep it as fixable as possible from experience... The levers are flatter than that picture shows it's a weird lens effect, but I do like my levers just a tad up. The wheels I built they are a mishmash of parts, H Plus Son rear rim is new. Travel wheels get abused so I use the most durable parts I can without worrying about the weight.

I agree the fiddly drivetrain is no bueno. I will test it out at home and see how much of a problem it actually is when everything settles in. I don't want to be riding up a ridge in the middle of nowhere and run into issues. I'm also on the fence about the TRP brakes, they definitely seem more spongy than Campy brakes, but I didn't want to buy SuperRecord brakes and the stock Chorus ones are crap. I have plenty of spares so I may swap them. I changed the groupset mainly because I suffered up Kaloko Drive in Hawaii and needed easier gearing than a 34/28, but the brakes are probably as if not more important on a crazy climb like that because you have to come back down.


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## duriel (Oct 10, 2013)

The RD housing is better they way you have it, having a tight loop there is sometimes a problem. Brakes can be a big issue on big climbs coming home, I had to use a backup bike for the last 2 weeks cause the wheels on my regular bike were getting tubeless reinstalled. The 'backup' bike has racing brakes, it takes about 1 mile of decent before they get up to temps where they work at speeds, drag braking down a 6 mile climb can be a ... drag.


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## DrSmile (Jul 22, 2006)

Finally got a decent ride in and I'm happy to report all issues are resolved. The poor shifting was due to me routing the cable poorly over my bell (!). The brakes work very well so no need to change them. Gearing range is fantastic, my only niggle is the lack of the 18 which equates to a 19 with the 48 chainring, it leaves a noticable hole on slight inclines in the big ring. I have yet to understand Campy's cassette choices for 12 speed, seems like there's no real practical difference between any of the cassettes.


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