Ritchey breakaway connection
 

I am looking for some close up pictures and info on the frame connectors on the Breakaway's the closest i can seem to find is of a tI frame and it is not how they are made currently. I want to fab my own connectors and they are the simplest system to implement. It doesn't look like they have a spline or a key to resist twisting so i was wondering if there was something else i am missing with this design. I cannot buy S & S and the Z connectors from Paragon they don't have the size I need, and he said it would cost almost 1000 for a special size. I don't think Ritchey has a patent on the design, but it dosn't matter because this is for a personal project. Love to see some good pictures if anyone has one or can find a good detailed picture. Maybe shed some light on this design. Thanks all

Hi, I used to install S&S couplers and I am familiar with the Ritchey connectors. Unfortunately you hit the nail on the head (so to speak). That is the complaint that I have herd about the Ritchey connectors is that that they not much better than a muffler clamp. No provision for twisting force. Back in 2006, I was making a connector prototype/ alternative and came up with this terrible idea of having overlapping tubes and using a seat clamp to hold it together and set screws so it would not twist/ separate. It worked for about a mile, but after that the twisting force was too much, and it started to try pulling apart, (back to the drawing board). Well, at least I did not get hurt. If you come up with a design, please be careful!

my thoughts were if you make the faces that mate together(like the Ritchey) and make those thicker so they can be milled out so they can be keyed similar to S&S but not as many or as complex. Then use the outer clamp to keep things tight. It might work and could be simple to make except the clamp might be a pain. I still haven't done the CAD design yet or I would post a pic of the concept. I wonder how Ritchey makes it work because they sell the breakaway in several models including a tandem which is going to have a lot more weight and torque on it. According to my research Sand S's patent for their connectors has expired so technically if someone wanted to start making them for the rest of us they could. Any takers? It is a proven design just not available to us mere mortals who like to build for ourselves.

I have two Ritchey Breakaways. One is a solo and one is a tandem. They routinely go up to 30 MPH on flat ground. The tandem has been known to go 45 MPH down hills. I believe that the answer to how they work is that the geometry of the couplers and the bike frames prevents flexing.

On the tandem front section of the frame is two sides of a triangle jointed to the middle section with two clamped joints. The clamped joint is conical on both halves. It can rotate, but it can't flex side to side. The clamp pulls the two cones together, and one of the conical sides fits inside the other. It could rotate, but only if the seat tube flexes, and it does not. The rear of the tandem uses one conical joint on the larger bottom tube and a keyed coupler where both halves clamp to the seat post as the pin which holds it together. The solo road bike uses one conical joint and one of the keyed joints which clamp to the seat post.

https://www.bikerumor.com/ezoimgfmt/.../ng:webp/ngcb4

Also, I believe that the S&S patent dates from 1994, so you are free to copy it if you want. Ritchey's patent expires at the end of 2022.

The full explanation can be found at:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US...nt+no.+6886844

Doesn't that mean the SnS patent expires in 2024?

Oops, sorry, can't add, 2014

Take a look at Rob English's interpretation of a folding design. Rather ingenious.

I thought about copying the Rene Herse demountable design.

I’ve seen this type flange clamp used extensively in aviation ductwork on McDonnell Douglas aircraft and engine systems dating to the 50’s. Bicycle frame is definitely a unique usage of a very strong clamp design. “Adel” was the manufacturer of those I’ve seen.

There are versions for fluids too. I thought about buying a coupling like that from mcmaster carr, but they are quite expensive