Just bought a Ritchey Breakaway. Anything I should know/look out for?

[Lewis Moon]

Always wanted a travel bike and a Ritchey Breakaway came up in my feed. Anything I should know or look out for?

[AngryScientist]

Not really, it's a pretty tried and true breakaway system. Maybe grab a spare clamp for the DT and keep it in your travel bag.

[mass_biker]

Things I've done:

- Zeta wheels; you can easily remove the freehub for a more compact packing process
- Little o ring thingies; keeps the Ritchey cable splitters from pinging on the bike frame tubes
- More burly tires; to keep flats from ruining my adventures (not setting any speed records)

Things I'm planning on doing:

- 1x drivetrain; again to aid in the breakup/breakdown process
- MKS "Rinko" pedals; these are SPD compatible and very easy to pop on/off

Good luck - great bikes...

m_b

[Lewis Moon]

I'm setting it up 1x from the start. I may go 10x Campy in the future but for now, I need a 1x in the barn.

[prototoast]

Rim or disc brake?

[Lewis Moon]

Originally Posted by prototoast

Rim or disc brake?

Rim.

[prototoast]

My tip is quick release bottle cages.

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/pro...8-QR-CAGEMOUNT

Sure, removing bottle cages isn't that much work, but when it comes to packing and unpacking, there are so many steps that each take a minute, but really add up to a lot of time. To save that time is really a treat.


Also, I use a rear light mount on the seat post to lock in the correct height. I know some people use tape or marker, and those are fine, but again, it's slightly faster to just slam the seat down in there and know that it is at the exact height without having to so much as eyeball it.

[jc031699]

Originally Posted by prototoast

My tip is quick release bottle cages.

https://www.topeak.com/global/en/pro...8-QR-CAGEMOUNT

Sure, removing bottle cages isn't that much work, but when it comes to packing and unpacking, there are so many steps that each take a minute, but really add up to a lot of time. To save that time is really a treat.


Also, I use a rear light mount on the seat post to lock in the correct height. I know some people use tape or marker, and those are fine, but again, it's slightly faster to just slam the seat down in there and know that it is at the exact height without having to so much as eyeball it.

I did not need to remove my bottle cages for packing.

The Bicycle Doctor website from Bloomington IN has a hack for reducing the case to 62 inches so you can avoid oversized fees. I just did this, will see for my next trip.

The light mount is a great tip! Thank you-


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by jc031699

The Bicycle Doctor website from Bloomington IN has a hack for reducing the case to 32 inches so you can avoid oversized fees.

Typo => 62 inches.

[jc031699]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

Typo => 62 inches.

Fixed it thx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Spaghetti Legs]

If it’s packed in the case when you get it, pay close attention and even take pics. There is an art and differing opinions on how to pack it up. I have t had a chance to travel much with mine yet, other than loading in the back of the car, but I really like the way it rides.

[weisan]

Lewis pal, congrats on getting a travel bike, the world is your oyster.

You have already received a lot of good, practical, real world advice from pals here. The only thing I would add from my own personal experience is:

This is my custom steel bike that comes with the ritchey system.



1) Use zip tie to tie the broken down bike into a bundle. This will keep everything together. I have TSA opened up my suitcase to inspect when I was not present, and having all bundled up into one unit has prevented any screw-ups or having to figure out the jigsaw puzzle. It's a no-brainer - lift up, check, all good? Put it down and close the luggage. Simple, easy.



2) I have both the ritchey softcase as well as the S&S hardcase and I have travelled with both. The ritchey one exceeds the airline requirement slightly but not much, usually they will overlook if you are nice and smile - don't EVER throw your weight around or show any displeasure when you are interacting with airline staff. they are just trying to do their job. The ritchey case works like a backpack with straps that you can carry on your shoulder, it's handy if you are walking a long distance and hands free. But you need to make sure all your tubes are protected with pipe foams (get from Lowes or Home Depot).



3) I like to throw everything bike-related into the case including my helmet, shoes, cycling kits, tools etc. You will be surprised how quickly it adds up and exceeds the 50 pounds limit. So be aware of that, you might need to transfer some stuff over to your carry on.

4) Make sure you cater more time to pack and unpack, don't rush, this is not a race. Always be prepared for the whole process to take longer than expected. Find yourself a nice big area where you can work, have a cup of your favorite beverage at hand, turn on the TV, have Paris Roubaix running in the background...just take your time, have as many breaks as you need, make it as stress-free as possible, be organized so you don't misplace your tools and such. Practice BEFORE the actual day or allow extra time if it's the first time you are doing it.

5) And last thing is...I have found that it's A LOT...and I mean, A LOT easier to pack if I just leave my wheels at home and borrow a set from a friend at the destination. Or at least just bring one and leave the other at home. With the wheels, it really is a tight squeeze and increases your chance of exceeding the weight limit. I understand that not everybody has the luxury of borrowing a wheelset at their destination but for me, the benefit is so worth it that I always try to ask around and see if I can borrow someone else's wheels. So far, I had been pretty lucky and was able to do that in the places I have travelled to. It really saves a lot of hassle, space and weight. And I am not very fussy with the kind of wheels I can borrow. Most folks are happy to loan me their heavier and older alum rim wheels because they have already upgraded to the high zoot carbon wheels and don't really care about their rim-brake, box rims. I will bring my own cassette and tools to swap out when I get there.

Ok...that's all the real world experience I can share.

[Lewis Moon]

Thank you!

Originally Posted by weisan

Lewis pal, congrats on getting a travel bike, the world is your oyster.

You have already received a lot of good, practical, real world advice from pals here. The only thing I would add from my own personal experience is:

This is my custom steel bike that comes with the ritchey system.



1) Use zip tie to tie the broken down bike into a bundle. This will keep everything together. I have TSA opened up my suitcase to inspect when I was not present, and having all bundled up into one unit has prevented any screw-ups or having to figure out the jigsaw puzzle. It's a no-brainer - lift up, check, all good? Put it down and close the luggage. Simple, easy.



2) I have both the ritchey softcase as well as the S&S hardcase and I have travelled with both. The ritchey one exceeds the airline requirement slightly but not much, usually they will overlook if you are nice and smile - don't EVER throw your weight around or show any displeasure when you are interacting with airline staff. they are just trying to do their job. The ritchey case works like a backpack with straps that you can carry on your shoulder, it's handy if you are walking a long distance and hands free. But you need to make sure all your tubes are protected with pipe foams (get from Lowes or Home Depot).



3) I like to throw everything bike-related into the case including my helmet, shoes, cycling kits, tools etc. You will be surprised how quickly it adds up and exceeds the 50 pounds limit. So be aware of that, you might need to transfer some stuff over to your carry on.

4) Make sure you cater more time to pack and unpack, don't rush, this is not a race. Always be prepared for the whole process to take longer than expected. Find yourself a nice big area where you can work, have a cup of your favorite beverage at hand, turn on the TV, have Paris Roubaix running in the background...just take your time, have as many breaks as you need, make it as stress-free as possible, be organized so you don't misplace your tools and such. Practice BEFORE the actual day or allow extra time if it's the first time you are doing it.

5) And last thing is...I have found that it's A LOT...and I mean, A LOT easier to pack if I just leave my wheels at home and borrow a set from a friend at the destination. Or at least just bring one and leave the other at home. With the wheels, it really is a tight squeeze and increases your chance of exceeding the weight limit. I understand that not everybody has the luxury of borrowing a wheelset at their destination but for me, the benefit is so worth it that I always try to ask around and see if I can borrow someone else's wheels. So far, I had been pretty lucky and was able to do that in the places I have travelled to. It really saves a lot of hassle, space and weight. And I am not very fussy with the kind of wheels I can borrow. Most folks are happy to loan me their heavier and older alum rim wheels because they have already upgraded to the high zoot carbon wheels and don't really care about their rim-brake, box rims. I will bring my own cassette and tools to swap out when I get there.

Ok...that's all the real world experience I can share.

[Spaghetti Legs]

Weisan, you’re always welcome to borrow a wheel in Charlottesville, Va. almost all my stuff is Campy but I do have one that’s 11 speed!

I like the zip tie idea.

[weisan]

Thank you Spaghetti pal, I will keep that in mind if I ever visit your area. At the moment, I am still "stuck" with 10 speed mechanicals, I have tried going to 11, even etap, but went back to 10 eventually.