Every folding bike I’ve seen has been a sorry excuse for a real bike… more like something out of the back pages of Popular Mechanics magazine. Heavy, awkward and questionable durability all come to mind when I think of travel-friendly, folding bikes–not something I would spend money on or even think about actually riding.
Thanks to the engineers at Ritchey (who know a thing or two about bikes), those negative perceptions are about to change. Their Break-Away line of travel bikes are built to match the ride characteristics of non-travel bikes. What’s amazing is that these frames can be disassembled in minutes and stuffed into a 9 x 26 x 29-inch travel bag! At that size, it’s TSA-friendly and also compact rental-car friendly.
For spring 2008, Ritchey has introduced the first mountain bike in the Break-Away lineup. Tipping the scales at a scant 3.6 lbs, this titanium wonder promises performance equal to the best titanium bikes on the market–all in a travel-friendly design.
On business trips, I typically resort to a run on the treadmill or local trails. With one of these babies by my side, a trip to the local singletrack would definitely be part of my travel plans. Here’s a little more info on the new Ritchey Break-Away Ti mountain bike frameset:
- Custom drawn 3/2.5 aerospace grade titanium tubing
- 100% full size bicycle can be split apart mid-frame and packed into 9″x26″x29″ case
- Patented locking compression coupling system adds less than 100g to complete frame
- Custom TR designed dropout w/ replaceable derailleur hangar
- Suspension corrected for 100mm travel fork
- Disc or V-Brake compatible
- Includes travel case and WCS headset
- Available in 5 sizes 14″-21″
- 3.6 lbs (frame only, Large)
The secret to this frame lies in the strategically-placed release points and overlapping tubesets. Using the seatpost for reinforcement, the seat-tube is locked down by two bolts. Then, the downtube is also locked into place with a clamp. Well thought out, this lightweight and comfortable frame can handle day-to-day abuse and be your new best friend on trips.
I’m anxious to see and ride one of the Ritchey Break-Away Ti mountain bike frames. Hopefully I can and will bring you a first-hand review of it.
May 20, 2008 - 10:03 pm - posted by Brig Graff
Now that is an awesome advancement — much more practical, if you are riding for everyday enjoyment & travel is part of your life. Sure, if your goal in life is to have people adore you for your sexy bike and your jaw-dropping skills then I suppose this probably wouldn’t be the thing. But if you do it for intrinsic enjoyment, which I hope most of us do, then I think this could be very cool.
May 26, 2008 - 7:53 pm - posted by Brig Graff
Cole Sport in Park City has one of these built out with full Ultegra & such. Very cool — though the model they had was the steel frame version. Still awesome. And I took a look at the suitcase it comes it, and it’s definitely not a carry-on but it’s about the same size as a checkable bag. My brother-in-law is a pilot for Delta & is definitely considering picking it up….
May 26, 2008 - 10:13 pm - posted by Jason Mitchell
So, they must have a roadie version, not the MTB version. Very cool!
May 28, 2008 - 7:56 am - posted by Brig Graff
yeah Cole Sport’s was a roadie.
May 30, 2008 - 9:27 pm - posted by Sembach
Though I’m excited about the prospect of the Ritchey breakaway bike, I tend to disagree with your assessment about all folding mountain bikes. I have to ask, have you ever ridden a Montague Paratrooper or a Swiss Bike? Rock solid frames and as clean a ride as any reputable HT out there. The Paratrooper itself weighs 29 lbs with stock components, but can obviously be made lighter. Yeah, the stock components leave a bit to be desired, but the frame itself is not something to scoff at.
June 19, 2008 - 2:04 pm - posted by Brig Graff
While I would always feel safer on the Ritchey, if you could buy the paratrooper frame on its own (instead of having to buy all the cheapie components & fork with it, then stripping them & replacing) then it actually doesn’t look too different from the mtb frames that Klein used to have back in 2000.
July 22, 2008 - 4:53 pm - posted by Jason Mitchell
I dunno man… Yes, I’ve seen that bike and it still gets lumped into the sketchy category by me. Anything that’s billed as “Military Tested” is immediately suspect in my mind. There’s tons of overhyped “military-issue” garbage out there, when all it is is a camo paintjob on a Wal-mart-quality item. It reminds me of those Rambo knives back when I was a kid… everyone had to have one because it was military-issue, but the one I got sucked! Maybe I’m just scarred for life?
I may be wrong and would welcome testing one to find out for myself, but it looks ugly and the parts spec looks absolutely ghastly. No-name fork and absolutely bottom-of-the-barrel components aren’t making me feel too warm and fuzzy inside. Also, I see a lot of flexing going on in those rotating pivots real soon, but again… I’ve never ridden one and it just seems so from the pictures I’ve seen.
If anyone hasn’t seen one of these, check out their site: http://www.militarybikes.com
Have you ridden a Paratrooper?
For me, if given the choice between a Ritchey Break-Away and a Paratrooper, I’d opt for the Ritchey Break-Away every time. If you’re serious about riding (road or mtn) while on vacation or business trips, save your pennies and get the Ritchey.