brownnugen

Hello, I am interested in building a do everything (year round 25 mile commute, occasional light trail, and travel 3-5 times/year) bike. My bike shop can set me up with a Ritchey components and frame. Of the breakaway bikes, I am thinking of the new model, the Ascent because that is the only one that will take disc brakes.

Things that I know I want- road set up, disc brakes (hydraulic would be perfect, but I am getting mixed reviews on that versus mechanical for traveling), centerlock rotors for ease of travel, 700c wheels. I will probably go with a 105 or Ultegra groupset. I am on a budget, so my priorities are durability, packability and value.


So, if you were to take this frame and build it up with as many Ritchey parts as you can, please recommend what components you would pick.

1. Bar
2. Stem
3. Wheels
4. Seat Post
5. Saddle

I know I could simply pick the cheapest component, but am interested in knowing if certain components are definitely worth spending a little extra on.

Thanks in advance.

fietsbob

Tom, he too contracts with Maxway Ltd TW for that , and Gets other branded parts , through similar companies for most other parts


It is How the Bike Biz Works these Days .. the brand Embossing is part of the contract details .

Tom is another Importing designer , gets other companies to make stuff sold under his Name ..

yes a separable frame makes Hydraulics un realistic.

one thing to get is this Locking Spacer Problem Solvers

so when you remove the stem to pack the bike in a carton, for travel, the fork wont fall Out.


unless to pack smaller, you want to re install the fork each time..

a 4 bolt face plate will be safer than 2 if you strip aluminum threads thru overdoing tightening.
Think TR designed one puts the pairs close together ..


Google yourself Away Intrepid Explorer..
You want Me to build it for You? ship the frame and Your credit card number and I Can Bill you for my Work.

Ill do it when I am at The LBS .. we see a lot of touring cyclists , but most already Have their bikes .

brownnugen

fietsbob, I was looking for people to recommend what components to use, not a person to actually build the actual bike. I can see how my title is misleading; I tried to change it, but can't see how to.

Have you heard or have any thoughts on Formula's Speedlock system? Speed Lock Formula

Their website says "Formula’s SpeedLock hose is totally hidden under the brake hose dust cover. This versatile hose allows for the disconnection and connection of the hose multiple times without losing fluid or introducing air into the brake.
The SpeedLock hose is the best option for internally routed frames, the traveler who packs their bike, or anyone who is constantly assembling/disassembling their bike."

antokelly

well get the 105 shimano and with the money u save not buying ultegra get a quality set of wheels. chris king headset ritchie bars and stem ans seatpost saddle fizik alanti carbon probably the best made saddle on the planet.compass tyres fizik bartape .
have fun .

brownnugen

Would you recommend any of the wheels or headset from Ritchey? Or are those not good quality? I ask because my LBS can get me a "deal" on Ritchey products.

antokelly

not sure on the wheels but Tom Ritchey don't make bad gear .
maybe post a link to the exact gear you want to go for,but yeah a ritchey build is gonna be one sweet bike that's for certain.
are these the wheels your after.
https://ritcheylogic.com/wcs-zeta-dis...ke-wheels-1375.
ah just looked at your frameset man oh man what a machine expensive bit of kit but worth every penny i'm thinking.yeah if your getting a deal on the wheels take there hand and all .

bradtx

brownnugen, I've used a smattering of TR parts in the past. The TR pedals I have are just not suited for touring as they are micro sized and require a very stiff shoe sole. I would think a TR seat post should be available, it may depend on size.

How much gear do you suppose you'll carry on a tour? This may affect suggestions in the drivetrain.

Brad

seeker333

Ritchey components are medium quality - not crap and not great. They're OK if you can get them at LBS cost, otherwise I would not limit myself to a TR frameset + TR parts. Ritchey parts are no better then QBP's Dimension parts, most of which are an excellent value.

Since the Ritchey Ascent is primarily a 650b wheeled bike, make sure you are happy with the selection of tires available for intended use. 650 and 700 tires are not widely available outside NA, and even then it is often an order situation to get tires you really want. Don't expect to find 650b tires in the size you'll want in many LBSs, and carry spares if you leave USA.

There are many good value touring bikes available. For example, a Surly Disc Trucker Complete bicycle costs less then the TR frameset you linked in post no.1 and all the parts on it have been carefully selected based on good value performance for loaded touring. Buying one saves you the trouble of a. figuring it all out, b. finding parts at good price (getting kinda late in the season to get great deals), c. actually getting parts, d. assembling parts into a bike and finally f. adjusting everything and redoing the things you didn't get right the first try.

Be sure to budget for racks and panniers and camping/sleeping/cooking/clothing/etc if required for your 3-5 trips/yr. All this stuff can cost more than the bike.

The take-down style frame works better in smaller 26" wheel version because these will fit easier within the 62" airline case (normally 26x26x10"). Disassembling and reassembling a bike to fit in one of these cases is no trivial matter. Some owners of S&S bikes simply use a full size bike box to avoid the hassle. Also, airlines may not necessarily charge you less for checking your bike in a 62" box - so the payback for the additional cost of a coupled frame takes a long time unless you are some serious touring globetrotter. You'd have a much wider choice of frameset/bikes if you drop the Breakaway/coupled requirement, and save a lot of money too.

brownnugen

I've actually never toured before so I don't know. If I were to guess I would estimate 3 to 4 days ??

When I mentioned traveling with my bike 3-5 times/year, I actually meant bringing my bike with me when I go on 4-5 day trips for work, not actually touring. Sorry for any confusion.

And as far as a "deal", I could get the frame/components for close to my bike shop's cost.

bradtx

I may have the wrong impression, but I interpret this as what is called Hub and Spoke touring. This is when you travel to a spot, the hub, and ride out for a day or two and then ride back, the spoke(s). A single day trip or a non camping over nighter won't require a lot of gear and you may find that a rear rack and a rack bag, or a large Carridice seat bag to be all you need.

Generally gearing for a loaded touring bike carrying more weight is roughly 20-100 gear inches. My roadie that I have used for light touring has a 32-98 gear inch range. It could have a higher top gear if I wanted, but I ride primarily on flat land. Also I define loaded touring as 40+ lb. of baggage and light touring as less than 20 lb. The more you plan to carry, the lower end of the scale becomes more important.

Point is that now is the time to talk with your LBS about your drivetrain choices.

Brad

estasnyc

For the handlebar, you may want to consider one of Ritchey's EvoMax models:

Comp EvoMax Road Bar | Ritchey
WCS EvoMax Road Bar | Ritchey

The handlebar top has sweep like Nitto's Noodle while the drops have flare like Nitto's Randonneur handlebars.

The Comp EvoMax uses double-butted 6061 alloy while the WCS EvoMax uses triple-butted 7075 alloy, is 22 grams lighter and has an MSRP that is twice as expensive. The geometry of the two versions appear to be identical.

I don't which of the stateside vendors carry these but you can get these from the German vendors. (You can now import up to $800 worth of merchandise before becoming liable for customs duty, up from $200.)

brownnugen

So, here is what I am thinking for components and groupset. I would very much appreciate it if you can give me feedback on if the parts I am considering is junk, too good or you recommend it. I know that I am posting this on the Touring page and I currently don't "tour" at all like most you do, but it would be nice to be able to when my work pace changes. So, this bike would be my do everything bike (year-round commuter in 4 seasons using fenders, racks, studded tires, road tire and everything in between, light off-roading, etc).

Frame- Ritchey Breakaway Ascent in medium size (I am 5'10, average proportions). MSRP $1649
1.Bar- Comp Evomax MSRP $50
2.Stem- Comp 30 Degrees MSRP $40
3.Wheels- Zeta Disc MSRP $800
4.Seat Post- Comp Link 20 mm offset MSRP $50
5.Saddle- will probably use one that I already have.
6. Groupset- Shimano 105 Disc Brake 11 speed groupset It comes with the crankset, chain, cassette, brifters, hydraulic disc brakes, front/rear derailleurs, and BB. Cost- $560

Or would it be better to just forget about flying with bike and pick up the Motobecane Century Pro Ti Disc for $2300

antokelly

Wheels look class but pretty useless for touring i reckon.
i don't like the stem better to go with 10deg looks better IMHO
everything else looks super cool .

brownnugen

Those were the only Ritchey road/CX wheels on their website that are disc specific. Could I get away with using one of their mountain bike/29" wheelsets, like the WCS Vantage 29 MSRP $750?

fietsbob

29er is a 700c rim and a MTB 135 wide axle rear hub, standard 100 for the front, you dont have to add the disc ,

but the rim has to have a brake track for rim brakes.. looking at the site it seems not present, so No.

Going 105 group? Get the 105 hub wheel with a different rim that has the brake track on it's sides .

Touring? make it 36 hole.

Hydro race group,? Overspending happens .. That is your choice.

mercator

Given your stated intentions, I'm not sure why you are leaning toward the 650b frame and discs. For airline travel the breakaway frames look like great value, but since it sounds like most of your riding is on pavement without a lot of luggage, why don't you consider the breakaway steel road frame?

I see where there is (was?) a promotion to get TR parts at discount when you buy the frame, so I'd go with all comp level stuff and the zeta wheels.

brownnugen

The reason I want to stick with disc brakes is because I had a really bad crash about 5 years ago on rim brakes (wet weather + going to fast + down hill + curb = bad crash), so I told myself that I would get the best brakes I could afford and I've been using BB7s on my current bike, but was never really happy with the BB7s.

The Ascent is the only Ritchey Breakaway frame that take disc brakes. The website say that it can take either 650b wheels or 700c wheels. I am really only thinking about the 700c wheels because I already have a plethora of tires that will work with that.

About the hydro discs; the groupset with hydros are about $200 more than the groupset with regular road brakes. Even if I went with mechanical discs like the TRP Spyres, I see those go for almost $150 on ebay. Wouldn't it be financially wiser to go with the hydro groupset with new brakes then?