# NEW Ritchey Road and Cross frames



## Ritchey_Dave

A couple pictures of our new Pro Breakaway Road and Cross frames.



















What do you think?


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## Bluechip

What's new besides the paint?


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## Ritchey_Dave

It really is the paint, but their pretty different from how they used to look.


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## pigpen

Looking good.
Love seeing pictures of the new stuff before it hits the market.
Thanks RD


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## scorbutico

I love the pearl white paint. Very nice! It's a big improvement over the schizophrenic two-tone paint jobs. 

I don't care for the turquoise color of the road decals. I'd prefer a deeper blue. A darker blue would also make the Ritchey name more prominent. As it stands, the "Ritchey" washes out against the fluffy turquoise. 

And the size of the Break Away decal on the top tube is way too big and long. Can you shrink it? Or perhaps set that decal above the clear coat so that individuals can remove it if they see fit? To my eye the big decal on the top tube really mucks up the beautiful minimalism of the pearl white paint.

Aesthetic quibbles aside, I can't wait to buy one.


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## Ritchey_Dave

Scorbutico, I totally agree about the two-tone. They look a ton better now. Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitely make sure to bring up those points next go around. 

Be sure to post a review of your Breakaway once you get it. I'm positive you'll love it.


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## acckids

I'm glad Ritchey did away with the two tone. I wish they would have stuck with a standard color on the Logic Road panels. Black. Deep Blue. Dark Grey. Turquoise? I'm not digg'in it. Maybe it will look better built up.


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## crumjack

Why is the rear brake cable on the cross frame routed towards the top of the top tube?


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## Ritchey_Dave

crumjack said:


> Why is the rear brake cable on the cross frame routed towards the top of the top tube?


It's actually routed towards the side of the top tube. That's to keep the cable out of the way when you sling your bike over your shoulder and jump those ostacles!


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## burgrat

When are those going to be available?


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## Ritchey_Dave

burgrat said:


> When are those going to be available?


They should be available within the next six weeks!


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## scorbutico

Dave, any word on the decals for the road model since my post above? Will the background color be changed from turquoise to a darker blue or at a color that's more neutral and less Fruit Loops looking? And will the Break-Away decal on the top tube be resized and/or placed above the clear coat so we can remove it if we want? Thanks.


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## Ritchey_Dave

scorbutico said:


> Dave, any word on the decals for the road model since my post above? Will the background color be changed from turquoise to a darker blue or at a color that's more neutral and less Fruit Loops looking? And will the Break-Away decal on the top tube be resized and/or placed above the clear coat so we can remove it if we want? Thanks.


Unfortunately we can't steer the boat that quickly. Any changes we decide to make to them won't be till next year's model. These have already been made the way they're pictured and are on their way to us.


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## burgrat

I am on the fence with the turquoise color on the road frame, but I bet it'll look good built up. Good job with the color change on the cross bike. Is it just me or does it seem that most manufacturers make their cross bikes awful colors (ie burnt orange, etc.). Why is that?
I agree with Scorbutico on the darker decals for the road bike. It seems that with the turquoise, people will either love it or hate it. Overall I'd say they're both improvements.

Dave, any changes to the case? I heard that it's just slightly larger than the allowed check-in size, but most say they aren't charged oversized fees. Any feedback on that from any customers? Thanks for replying btw!


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## Ritchey_Dave

burgrat said:


> Is it just me or does it seem that most manufacturers make their cross bikes awful colors (ie burnt orange, etc.). Why is that?
> 
> Dave, any changes to the case? I heard that it's just slightly larger than the allowed check-in size, but most say they aren't charged oversized fees. Any feedback on that from any customers? Thanks for replying btw!


I agree, there are a lot of "creative" color choices for cross frames. Wish I could tell you why but I can only guess. 

As far as the Breakaway case, they are slightly oversized. However, for the most part we hear of very few people getting stopped because of it. There are certain airlines that stop people more often than others, and I think Bicycling magazine did a small article about it once. Keep in mind it can happen, but not that often. If you want to have a little more peace of mind S & S makes a case that is smaller, but there's a little more disassembly required to fit you bike in it. Hope this helps!


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## scorbutico

Dave, can you clarify an issue for me? It's my understanding that the road frame is designed to fit a 700x28c tire maximum. Is that a true 28 mm measurement, or based upon a tire that may nominally be labeled 28 but is really narrower? 

In particular, I'd be interested to know whether the road frame will take the Challenge Parigi-Roubaix tires, which measure about 29 mm once fully inflated (despite being labeled 700x27c). Is there enough space between the chainstays and behind the seat tube? Thanks.


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## Ritchey_Dave

scorbutico said:


> Dave, can you clarify an issue for me? It's my understanding that the road frame is designed to fit a 700x28c tire maximum. Is that a true 28 mm measurement, or based upon a tire that may nominally be labeled 28 but is really narrower?
> 
> In particular, I'd be interested to know whether the road frame will take the Challenge Parigi-Roubaix tires, which measure about 29 mm once fully inflated (despite being labeled 700x27c). Is there enough space between the chainstays and behind the seat tube? Thanks.



You could fit that on our Cross frame with no problem. However, with the Road frame, the limiting factor is the fork. An actual 28mm tire will fit most of the time, however a 29mm will probably not. Find a fork with enough clearance and you're in business!


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## burgrat

Dave, on a different thread, I asked the question of whether a 60cm Breakaway frame would fit into the S & S travel case. You replied to another poster that the 58cm would fit with the fork off, so I would think the 60cm would. Do you happen to know? And does it matter if its the cross frame or the road frame? I'm gonna get one, just haven't decided on which. Thanks


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## Ritchey_Dave

burgrat said:


> Dave, on a different thread, I asked the question of whether a 60cm Breakaway frame would fit into the S & S travel case. You replied to another poster that the 58cm would fit with the fork off, so I would think the 60cm would. Do you happen to know? And does it matter if its the cross frame or the road frame? I'm gonna get one, just haven't decided on which. Thanks


Yes, a 60cm with it's fork off will fit. If you're talking Cross frame, you're probably going to have to take the brake arms off as well. I'm glad to hear you're getting one. You'll love whichever one you decide on. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions.


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## mudrock

Actually, Dave, I see another change you didn't mention: The rear toptube cable stop is now brazed onto the TT, and not a part of the seattube post clamp, like the old one. I remember seeing a couple complaints about the old way - that it protruded too much. Does this mean you don't need a cable splitter for the rear brake now? Also, both TTs have the same amount of slope, but I recall the cross bike barely sloping, when the road model always sloped more.

Also, are these powder coated? Would be a good idea for a travel bike. To me the colors are good: subtle and classy.


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## Ritchey_Dave

Yeah, I did forget to mention that! It's been that way on our Ti frames for a bit now but it is new for the steel frames. As far as the cable splitter: yes and no, it depends on what brakes you're using and your cable straddle. Top tubes haven't changed. The Cross frame still has less slope. Depending on the size there is more or less slope on the Road frames. That's why these two look the same. Lastly, we've looked into powder coating a couple times but just haven't been happy with how they've turned out. 

Thanks for the feedback!


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## natrab

Wish I had noticed this before I just ordered my breakaway frame from Excel Sports. Oh well, I need it anyway as I'm going to Italy next month.

Excel told me they have the "new" Ritchey case that is within the 62" airline limit. I didn't see any news of this on the Ritchey site or anywhere really. I know I'll find out shortly, but I was wondering when this was implemented and if it's true.


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## Ritchey_Dave

natrab said:


> Wish I had noticed this before I just ordered my breakaway frame from Excel Sports. Oh well, I need it anyway as I'm going to Italy next month.
> 
> Excel told me they have the "new" Ritchey case that is within the 62" airline limit. I didn't see any news of this on the Ritchey site or anywhere really. I know I'll find out shortly, but I was wondering when this was implemented and if it's true.



Yes, they're right on the button with most airlines. We can't guarantee anything, all airlines have slightly different policies, but they're definitely less conspicuous and the success rate has improved from what we can tell. We've had these cases for about a year now. Have fun in Italy. I'm so jealous!


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## natrab

One more frame question for you Dave while I wait for mine to get delivered. Do the frames from Ritchey come reamed and faced, or should I plan on having that done upon arrival?


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## Ritchey_Dave

The headtube is faced and the BB is chased only.


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## natrab

Received my bike today. I'm a little disappointed with the case. It's measurements add up to 65" total which is 3" over the standard airline policy for oversize luggage. This means I'm going to have to order the S&S case for an extra $400. I really wish you guys would make a case that was within the size limit (almost all airlines have the same 62" cumulative length limit for oversize). Considering I have 3 flights and the oversize luggage fee is $100 per flight, it's worth it to buy the better case now to save the money instead of giving it away in fees.

FYI, the Ritchey case measures 30 x 27 x 8 = 65"

The S&S hard shell case measures 26 x 26 x 10 = 62"


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## mudrock

Dave, are the new Breakaways in yet? Will QBP have the new color scheme, or will they continue with the blue/grey colors? And to follow up on Natrab's post, will they have the smaller cases? Do you have to deflate your tires with the smaller case, like S & S? That's important to me cause I go with tubeless tires, and sealant all over the place is not good.


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## Ritchey_Dave

The new color scheme should be trickling in within the next few months. QBP, I hear, will be carrying the new colors as well. Unfortunately you still have to deflate the tires in our cases.


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## golong

Dave, one question please. Are the top-tube measurements posted actual or virtual? Im looking at the cross bike in steel size 56 with a 55.5 TT, can I expect a 55.5 TT effective or will it run a bit longer?
(please answer soon as I have already ordered it, prob have a few days to change to the 54)

Thanks.


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## Ritchey_Dave

The spec listed is what the length would be if you drew a line parallel to the ground from the heat tube to the seat tube. Hope this helps!


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## golong

Yes, that helps. Thanks!


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## golong

Heres a cool pic of the new frame, made up in an all white bike.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slonie/5015562634/


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## andym

I was hoping for a non-breakaway version. I'd really like a nice classic CX and mountain bike frame with the Ritchey name on it.


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## Ritchey_Dave

andym said:


> I was hoping for a non-breakaway version. I'd really like a nice classic CX and mountain bike frame with the Ritchey name on it.


Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitely bring that up at the next new product meeting.


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## bigman

Bring back the Road Logic with steel fork, please.


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## Ritchey_Dave

bigman said:


> Bring back the Road Logic with steel fork, please.


You're in luck! While doing some house cleaning of our warehouse one of our guys discovered some long lost unpainted Ritchey Logic 1" steel forks.




























If your interested, contact your local bike shop and have them special order one for you.


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## burgrat

Hey Dave, I posted this a week ago and haven't heard back. If anyone else knows, please let me know. I was wondering if the Breakaway colors that are shown in the Interbike link are available in the USA? They show a Black and White for the Road Breakaway that I really like. Where is that available (if UK, any online sellers?)?
I am ready do pull the trigger on a new frame, I just am not happy with the white/teal color.

thanks!


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## jfn3

*y no ritchey non breakaway frames?*

Had a road logic and loved it! Bet I'm not the only one !


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## Ritchey_Dave

jfn3 said:


> Had a road logic and loved it! Bet I'm not the only one !


Good question and good point!


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## nourryLerly

*Hello every one*

Hi, I am newbie.This is my frist post ...lol. 
say hello to all.


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## bud wiser

burgrat said:


> Hey Dave, I posted this a week ago and haven't heard back. If anyone else knows, please let me know. I was wondering if the Breakaway colors that are shown in the Interbike link are available in the USA? They show a Black and White for the Road Breakaway that I really like. Where is that available (if UK, any online sellers?)?
> I am ready do pull the trigger on a new frame, I just am not happy with the white/teal color.
> 
> thanks!


I prefer the white/black too. I wish Dave would chime in. Also, I'm apparently in the minority preferring the orange/grey color in the cross frames. Are they completely out of stock in a 60cm now? I've sent emails to customer service, but they don't write back.


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## Ritchey_Dave

Whoops, I missed that one! Yes, the black/white will be available in the US but probably not till July unfortunately. We're working on bringing in some sooner but no guarantees. 

As far as the orange/grey, you're not the minority but it was time for a change. We've been out of them for a while but I'm sure if you look hard enough you'll find some floating around in cyber space.

Sorry about the customer service email. We've been having a lot of technical difficulty with it and ended up losing a bunch of emails. Ah technology. 

Hope you decide to go with a Ritchey Breakaway. I know you'll love it.


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## golong

bud wiser, I picked up one from Germany (im based in Europe, but I imagine the import to the US is quite easy). After searching high and low for the cross frame in my size I found many through the German bike stores, although often you need to pick though using google translate to get results, it can take a while! 

I got the orange/gray because it was the only colour available, I hated it via photos on the web and planned to get it painted. BUT, with black components etc it looks really good in the flesh. Proved to me that flat photos online really are just a guess of how a bike will look in person.

Travelled with it once so far, Im completely sold on the idea. People get all caught up in how much money it may or may not save on the plane, forget that, the ease of travel in cars, buses, trains is the real winning factor in my eyes. Also, travelling with non-cyclists is a lot easier when you dont have to check you bike in at a different part of the airport, order specific taxis that can fit it, or dragging it around when you are walking from place to place.


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## bud wiser

*thanks golong...*

Yes, that's the reason I'm after one too. My wife is French and we've got a house in the country, Normandy. I'd love to be able to take an all-purpose bike on trips there, not to mention other places. Ich spreche ein bischen Deutsch. Bitte sagen Sie mir, die verkauft sie wissen. Please tell me if you know of anyone with a 60cm in Deutschland. 

I'm also contemplating making it an even easier builid and putting a Shimano Alfine internal hub with a Versa shifter on it. Still undecided about that though. 

I've always had a fondness for orange bikes. The white/red isn't bad, but I like the orange/gray a bit better. It's now a "classic" ;-)

Thanks!


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## golong

bud wiser, I had a look at the store I got mine but they seem to have sold out. The store was aix-cycle.
But if you have Europe to shop from as well I'd start with "google shopping" from each of the main countries (thats the approach I took). And shoot a few emails to the shops that stock Ritchey stuff.

Each to their own, but I had a alfine set to go on the frame. Ended up selling it in favour of a normal set up just to keep it more "useable" with gear range (who knows where you may end up taking the bike) and to keep the bike as light as I could (to allow me to then put more clothing etc in the travel case - this was actually the reasoning behind going "kind of" weight weenie on my build). The Alfine hub is pretty darn heavy!


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## bud wiser

*ideas...*

Thanks, Dave

I've been considering a BAB for a long time now but keep wavering whether to get the BAB, or spring for a custom frame with the Ritchey BAB system. I often see people supplying all sorts of advice about the bike such-and-such company should make. Normally, these comments seem to take a more mainstream bike and make it more of a niche product. I think Ritchey could do a couple minor things to the cross frame and expand it's market. Feel free to ignore me, but here are my suggestions:

1-I love cyclocross and love canti brakes, but on the BAB cross, they can be a hassle. Someone even said in these posts that it may be necessary to remove the cantis in order to pack it in the case. I'm guessing the target market for this frame is not cyclocrossers, but people who want a roady-style bike that they take on bike paths, or some light dirt. They likely want the ability to put a rack on too. For this, the newer longer reach 57mm brakes accomplish the mission, allowing larger tires, while minimizing packing profile and elimating the need to remove the cantis. I've got two cross bikes and one bike that has the 57mm brakes. I can run the same wheels/tires on both. 

2-For me, I'd love to put an internally geared hub on the bike to once again reduce the amount of components hung on the frame. I've never heard of someone bending or breaking their derailleurs, but it seems more practical on a travel bike to eliminate them altogether. If the frame could be built with horizontal drops, or even semi-horizontal drops, rather than the vertical drops, then internally geared hubs could be used too. This wouldn't prevent the use of a derailleur system, it would just open the market to those who wanted to go with internally geared hubs. This market is expanding. 

3-Disc brakes? I'm not necessarily a fan of disc brakes, but with the change in UCI regulations, they're now legal. If a disc brake mount were placed on the left chain stay, those seeking to race a BAB cross bike (I assume this is a very small number), could do it. Additionally, most (if not all) internally geared hubs have an option to run disc brakes too. It seems a disc brake mount on the left chain stay, along with semi-horizontal dropouts, could give the racing market a UCI legal bike, while giving those who want to run interally geared hubs a viable option too. Personally, I like the idea of the 57mm brakes better, and imagine that covers more of the market, but think the disc brake option works for most everyone and makes transportation and setup easier than cantis. 

Just my $.02 worth. Thanks for listening and participating in this forum.


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## bud wiser

Thanks again golong! I just made another post while you were making this one. In it, I suggested making the frame more compatible with internally geared hubs. My plan is also to put an Alfine on it. I believed that was more simple. I'm about to hijack this thread, so if you want to respond via PM, then we can do that, but maybe others are interested in this subject too. I have lots of questions:

1-The BAB has vertical drops. How were you able to get proper chain tension with your Alfine? Did you have to use a chain tensioner? 

2-You say you abandoned the Alfine. This was for weight reasons, or gear range reasons, or both? I've got a Salsa Casseroll with an Alfine 8. It doesn't have the range of a geared system, but I've geared it so that I lose the top end, but have plenty of easy gearing for hills. It's not intended to be a fast bike, but a practical one. I'd like to replace it with the BAB cross frame. Also, there's supposed to be an Alfine 11 out soon. I'm too poor for a Rohloff, but an Alfine 11 on a travel bike would be great. Yes, they're heavy, but the Casseroll isn't that much heavier than a traditional geared bike. Would you please expand on how your fared with the Alfine on your BAB. How was it w/ the vertical drops? How easy was it to put on/take off the wheel for travelling. Did you find it required less adjustment than the derailleur system? Is a cable splitter required for an Alfine? I'm all ears. 

3-What size frame did you get? Did you find you had to remove the cantis, when packing? 

Thanks for all the info. And, if this results in a thread hijack, I'm sorry and we can do this via PM. However, I've googled and never found this information about an Alfine BAB, so maybe others want to know too.


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## Ritchey_Dave

Thanks for the thoughtful feedback on the BAB frames. I'll definitely forward them to our product manager for him to brew on. They're good points.


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## flatlander_48

bud wiser said:


> Thanks, Dave
> 
> I've been considering a BAB for a long time now but keep wavering whether to get the BAB, or spring for a *custom frame with the Ritchey BAB system*.


Is anyone still doing this? I wasn't aware of any other BreakAway frames other than a Dahon model. A few years back, Andy Hampsten's company offered (I think) a custom BreakAway. That's the only custom one that I remember. He is now doing S&S Couplers ( I know, Evil Empire) for travel bikes.




bud wiser said:


> 2-For me, I'd love to put an internally geared hub on the bike to once again reduce the amount of components hung on the frame. * I've never heard of someone bending or breaking their derailleurs*, but it seems more practical on a travel bike to eliminate them altogether.


The former Northwest Airlines broke 2 rear derailleurs on my bike. There is a little protrusion on the body that acts as a stop for the idler assembly. This protrusion was broken off and it would be very difficult to repair (and likely very unsightly). Eventually what I realized is that with the way that the BreakAway packs, the derailleur winds up at the bottom. Either the case was bounced or something was placed on top and distorted the case. This would put a vertical load on the derailleur. My workaround was to remove it and wrap it up, but without disconnecting the cable. Therefore it goes on just like it came off with no adjustment. I also switched to a Wippermann chain with the quick disconnect link so that I can completely remove the chain and wrap it. As it eventually wore out, I'm now running a solid Record chain, but I bought Wippermann and Forster links to test.


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## burgrat

Here's a framebuilder that can do the Breakaway system into a custom build:

http://www.iglebike.com/


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## bud wiser

flatlander_48 said:


> Is anyone still doing this? I wasn't aware of any other BreakAway frames other than a Dahon model. A few years back, Andy Hampsten's company offered (I think) a custom BreakAway. That's the only custom one that I remember. He is now doing S&S Couplers ( I know, Evil Empire) for travel bikes.



And Curtlo can do it as well:

http://www.curtlo.com/frame_pages/travel-bike.html


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## Ritchey_Dave

flatlander_48 said:


> Is anyone still doing this? I wasn't aware of any other BreakAway frames other than a Dahon model. A few years back, Andy Hampsten's company offered (I think) a custom BreakAway. That's the only custom one that I remember. He is now doing S&S Couplers ( I know, Evil Empire) for travel bikes.


They can if you request it. We sell a lot of parts to framebuilders all over the country and all they have to do is call us up and order the tube fittings. The S&S Couplers are nice but you need a special tool to tighten and loosen them versus an allen key for the Ritchey fittings. Plus the Ritchey design adds next to nothing to the frame.


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## flatlander_48

Does Ritchey also sell the titamium BreakAway parts?


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## Ritchey_Dave

flatlander_48 said:


> Does Ritchey also sell the titamium BreakAway parts?


Yes, we have both steel and titanium fittings.


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## bud wiser

*BreakAway cable connectors?*

Reviving an oldish thread....

Does anyone know which cable connectors these are? Or how they work?


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