I built up a Ritchey Breakaway road bike (54cm steel frame, SRAM Rival group, carbon bars and post, DT Swiss wheelset, 17.5 lbs) last spring, and have done some truly amazing rides with it. It takes a little time to build it up and break it down, but a lot easier to travel with than a full-size bike case.

The only problem is that the Ritchey case is not deep enough and not protective enough (and the plastic bulge to protect the cassette always raises eyebrows at the check-in counter). I've tried packing it in accordance with the printed instructions, and with the new videos on the Ritchey site, and with some suggestions from Ritchey tech support, and I still have to cram everything in way too tight. So the bike gets banged up in transit, the wheels go out of true, etc. I know that some people have resorted to packing their handlebars and other smaller items in a separate bag, but I don't want to do that.

An S&S case looks like the most protective option for this kind of bike, but the S&S website implies that its cases won't fit bikes with "other" (unnamed) coupling systems.

Has anyone actually packed a Ritchey Breakaway in an S&S case, or have other suggestions or advice? Dahon also sells a version of the Breakaway -- is their case any better?

I'm very interested in a breakaway myself...the excel website says that the s&s case works well with the breakaway: https://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?p...ajor=9&minor=1
but I don't have any experience myself...if looks like a tight fit and it might be that certain things could be packed separately, but I can't image anything but the saddle and seatpost being packed spearately.

buy the S&S case from Excel Sports. Their website creates a warranty of fitness for purpose. (i.e. that it will in fact work well with a Ritchie Breakaway) If it doesn't you're entitled to rescind and get your money back.

The Excel people in my experience are pretty good, so I'd bet they are correct in saying it does work well.

You're in luck. Just got a Ritchey Breakaway 52cm. I was skeptical about the ritchey case b/c it is over airline dimensions, so I immediately sold it new on ebay and flipped the money and bought the S&S case. I actually just packed it this past Sunday. The bike fits perfectly, but it has to be packed just right. You have to remove the air in the tires and I had to remove the right crank arm.(I think I can pack it without removing it.) There are several ways to pack the bike, and many pictures listed will give you ideas.. the website has packing pictures (click on the "packing" link). I only tried one way, but you can try others with the handlebar in different positions. You will not get much in it besides the bike - maybe shoes, definitely clothing and you might cram a small water or 2, but space is tight and there is no way you will fit your helmet in.. I put the link below of one packing idea. My bike is small, but you will easyly fit a larger bike in. The S & S case is a little pricey, but it's super strong, and worth it becasue no one makes a case that size. I looked hard.

https://www.sandsmachine.com/pack_r3.htm

By the way, I bought my case at www.yellowjersey.org Smaller bike shop with a webiste. Great service.

Thanks for the suggestions. Before I shell out $400+, I think I'll try packing my Ritchey case the way S&S suggests packing its case, and see if that works better. I've always taken off the handlebars, seatpost and saddle, front brake, and pedals, but it looks like some people also remove bottle cages, one or both crank arms, rear derailleur, and the stem.

charliekeri, I've flown several times with the Ritchey case, and never had a problem with it being slightly over the size limit. I did get asked about the plastic bulge on the side, but once I explained I had bike parts in the case, all was well. I just wish the case fit and protected the bike better, because it's a heck of deal that they throw it in with the frame. How much did you get for it new on eBay?

Slight digression. My reccomendation is not to pack waterbottles with the bike, even empty ones. I've found a direct correlation with the bike getting inspected by TSA, and having waterbottles in the case.

Could just be a spurious correlation, but I think it has to do with concerns about fluids and fluid containers. so when they see the bottles on XRay, they open it up.

And you can't count on TSA to pack it back right.

I basically gave away the case on ebay for $150. I saw the case was on sale at Excell at the time for $200 so I didn't feel that bad. Yeah I heard no one ever had a problem with the Ritchey case, but I wanted the extra protection, and one time getting nixed by the airline would justify buying the S & S case. Unfortunately from what I;'ve heard they treat the hard cases rougher, so pack it good. I used high pressure water hose I got a Lowes to protect the tubes. Works real well.

I just got a used Breakaway and that bulge in the case has me very nervous. I've spent a lot of money to be able to travel with the bike for free, and it would frustrate me to no end if I had to pay extra to ship the bike. I've been thinking about getting the S&S case just to be 100% sure I can travel for free. $400 is a lot for a case, though.

How big of a problem is the bulge in the suitcase? I was thinking I could do a little modification and remove it, but I'm not sure how good of an idea that is. I would love to sell it for $150, but it's not new and I wonder how much of a market there really is for the Ritchey case.

There isn't a huge market, but this time of year you should be able to dump it on ebay and net around $100. I didn't get a huge response for mine, but I did get rid of it.

I use the soft case with no problem. I have never been able to fit the handlebar/stem combo in it though. I stick it in my suitcase and put clothes in plastic bags and they fit in the bike case.

I also took a piece of heavy cardboard and cut it to fit the wheel side of the case, provides a little more protection for the spokes, never had a problem.

My big problem is with the lower joint. It bottoms out before it is tight enough. Ritchey doesn't seem to want to do anything.

Well, I just packed up my 60cm Breakaway Road (first trip with it this weekend). It looks okay, everything well protected.

1) Front frame/fork/headset/stem on bottom of case, front brake removed and kept with handlebar
2) Rear wheel, cassette-down (I find having this wheel above the front-frame half helps reduce the bulge on the case backside)
3) Handlebar tucked around rear wheel at right of case. Bottles and cages in free space between shifters
4) Rear frame half, dropouts in upper left of case, rear derailleur and left crank arm removed
5) seat/post between chainstays at free space to left
6) Front wheel on top.
7) accessories: seatbag velcroed to wheel in free space at bottom right, crankarm, skewers, pedals, breakaway collar in black musette bag, tools in black cloth bag both cinched tight and lashed to wheel at bottom left.



NOTE: Per the advice in this thread, I removed the water bottles to hopefully avoid having TSA rip it open.

I actually fly out 6am Sunday but I'm racing on Saturday so I can't put other crucial items like shoes in yet.