Originally Posted by
BluesDawg
There are many. The point is that this same frame would cost less without the added cost of adding the breakaway hardware etc. No way around that. Nothing against breakaways. They seem like a great idea and a good execution. But it would be nice to be able to get a Ritchey frame without that feature if you didn't need or want it.
If there was sufficient demand, I'm sure Ritchey would. If he were to make a regular steel frame, I don't think there would be a lot of differentiation from other products in the marketplace. Basically making it a travel bike (and touring bike as sold by Dahon) allowed Ritchey to continue with a viable product. I would also suspect it also allows Ritchey to increase their profit margin per bike.