New Bike for travel?

Hasanbaydoun

Hey peeps, 

So, I'll be travelling a ton this summer, and not gonna be based home in any way. Paying for shipping my big bike case is gonna cost upwards of 1000 USD alone.....

I've decided to  scrap my old road bike (ultegra components, decent wheels, and power), and put everything on one of those collapsable frams - ritchey vs S&S vs Calfee

I've looked mostly into the Ritchey Breakaway, and wondering if anybody has any experience with their Road bike (or friends that might know). It looks like you can check it in after packing as a regular piece of luggage. Their Ti frame costs 3K vs steel frame 1K. I was wondering if I can find some input in da haus on the difference, and what to expect with each? I will be doing a significant amount of ascent and descent. part of my trip will be by the alps.

I understand that if money is not an issue, go with Ti. But the consideration is - what am i looking at expecting for a difference between those 2?

Thanks for the help. Appreciate all the input

Hasan

 

Hasanbaydoun

Here are the links to the ritchey and calfee bikes

Ritchey Ti:
http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dyn_prodfamily.php?k=472399#

Ritchey Steel:
http://www.ritcheylogic.com/dyn_prodfamily.php?k=503881

Calfee (using S&S): http://www.calfeedesign.com/product/frame/

Scott Alexander

I'm also interested in this.

I know ENer kurt Andersen has been known to make his own breakdown-able bikes as well.

mgraffeo

I think Al has a tri bike with the S&S couplers. I have my eyes on a Calfee with the couplers. From the research I've done, the Ritchey breaks down into a case that is slightly larger than the allowable limit, and therefore still could be an oversize bag charge (not so big that it always will, but someone at the desk could give you a hard time). That's the reason I lean towards the design with the S&S.

Hasanbaydoun

Thanks for the input guys; here's my question though. I'm trying to look into the packing options for the Calfee; how does that work? Is there a special bike case?

Thanks

mgraffeo

See here for case options for the S&S coupled bike

http://www.sandsmachine.com/ac_hard.htm

kjanracing

Hasan, I think you are better off going the S&S coupled system rather than the Ritchey.  My wife and I have a coupled tandem and I built both bikes we are riding now with S&S couplers.   I just drew up plans for a tri bike with couplers for my wife to replace her road bike with clipons.  We use the S&S hard case, airline regulation size.  I've attatched a picture of all our gear for IMCDA when we were in line for a car rental.  The other picture is showing my bike packed in its case.  There is a velcroed soft tube wrap that protects the frame tubes.  S&S sells case stiffeners which just support the floor and lid of the case, a good idea.  I just cut some 1" PVC tubing to do the same thing.  You can also buy a "cargo net"  to keep everything in place, I bought two and don't use them.  A lot of info is on the S&S web sight.  A really great thing is the cases are charged as normal luggage, the agents usually don't ask what is in them, and they come out on the same carosell belt as all the other luggage.  I love them.  Let me know if you have any questions too.   One more thought, if your old frame is steel and you still like it, it may be able to be retrofitted with couplers.  There are a number of frame builders listed in the S&S site that can do that.   But, that Calfee sounds pretty sweet!

Paul Hough

If I win the lottery, I'm going to buy a high end, custom Roark Mach 2 titanium AERO bike with couplers and case...figure $10K with all options. Heck, the travel case is $1500 so you better be flying a lot to get that sucker to pay for itself. Given what I've spent on bike fees and TBT transport, it might actually pay for itself in something like 5 years. I have no links to this company...just throwing it out there because it looks like they are the best of the best.

http://www.roarkcycles.com/

Coach Rich

My notes:

• My Calfee is a Luna Pro, bought in 2002, it has about a bagillion miles on it. I'm on my third set of components having bought it with Ultregra, then upgraded to DA10, now SRAM Red. It just keeps on going.
• However, it's "older technology," ie, the head tube and BB are much less beefy and I suppose less stiff than more modern frames. But Calfee is a California brand so Calfee riders out here always say hi to each other, we have a secret handshake, stuff like that . Calfee is like the Serrotta of the west coast, I guess.
• Calfee is the go-to shop for carbon repairs, etc so you know they would do a good job of creating a breakdown bike for you.
• In my experience with flying with bikes, they never measure the bike box, just weigh it. I suppose if you knew you were under the linear inches whatever for that airline you could ask them to weight AND measure it.
• You definitely need to measure it when shipping FedEx or UPS and, in my experience, shipping cost is more a function of size vs weight so you'd probably save some money there.
• I really like the idea of having one dedicated travel bike that stays in a non-bike-boxy box and is just handed over to the ticket agents with no questions asked. Don't put a bunch of race stickers on it, etc. Hell, I could even have the box kept and Wheelbuilder and just have them ship to me wherever I'm going to be.

matthewbward

Sorry to hijack, but a question: I've got an old aluminum tri-bike that I'd love to convert to a travel bike with couplers. I don't think most couplers work with aluminum - any other options?

Hasanbaydoun

WOW!!!! and this is why I like this haus..... I thought I did an extensive search over the weekend (for about 5+ hours), and could not come up with 10% of this collectiove knowledge....

A Matheww, from what I've read online - ZERO personal experience in building, aluminum is the only kind of material that can not be retofitted with S&S couplings. Obviuosly I may be wrong

Thanks peeps. I'm gonna look into things. I'm leaving on the 20th, so time is not on my side. Might have to settle with what can come quicker. tomorrow going to LBS as well. keeping fingers crossed.....

Calfee looks Suh-Weeeet - as in, that's what my next purchase is looking like ;-)

Mike - you rock

Kurt; thanks for the pics as well. That's some serious set-up you got there. Is this your race bike as well. so can someone just have a singled coupled bike?!?! If that's the case, My next serious purchase is gonna be a coupled calfee ;-) alright, off to start saving money.....

kjanracing

Of course a single bike can be coupled.  That is how S&S got started.  The owner was on a cruise or something like that and wanted to bring his bike along.  He figured it out and invented the couplers.  Yes, these are our race bikes

Here are a couple pics from IMLOU a couple years ago with both bikes.

Pretty low res. pictures.  I could e mail better ones if you wanted to see what the couplers on the frame look like.

start saving!

Hasanbaydoun

OKKKKK. I'm sold ;-)

Thanks guys. Will keep you posted. Can. not. wait!!!

Kurt, you sure you don't work for s&s? ;-)

Scott Alexander

Rich, since you're such a Calfee promoter, should EN get referral discounts?!?

robin sarner

 Yes Ritchey breakaway is oversize.

I have titanium tri bike (zinn) with four couplers because i am tall.       It can go all in one 62 inch case.    But i have been putting  frame and clothes in one and wheels and clothes in another.    Much easier to pack and frame and wheels safer.

Have steel tandem with couplers.   Goes into two cases.  

Yes most bike materials except aluminum can be s and s ed.

Hasanbaydoun

So, here's the final verdict of what I'm gonna do:

Because I am leaving pretty soon (just under 2weeks), not gonna be feasible to build a bike with couplers. Going with Ritchey steel cross frame for now; and making that a touring bike next year.

For next year, I have my eyes on custom titanium - thinking Seven, but I'd like to hear some thoughts on that, with S and S, and ditching my ultimate dream of a pinarello ;-)

Thanks for everybody's input. GREAT INFO