Traveling with a bike is often an arduous experience. Whether it’s aboard a plane or train, the process is usually more unwieldy than it would be with a simple suitcase. There’s finding an adequate travel bag and cumbersome packing at the beginning of a trip, there’s hauling the entirety of your luggage through airports and transit stations, and there’s assembly of the bike at the final destination, only to do it all over again in reverse just a short time later when you return home.
Added costs are also typically incurred, as many bicycle travel bags and cases are heavy and bulky, thereby pushing them into the carrier’s oversized and overweight category once loaded with a bike. And that’s where specialty travel bikes like the Ritchey Septimer Break-Away, which gets its official release today, can be quite useful.
In 2001, legendary framebuilder and designer Tom Ritchey introduced the first Ritchey bike to incorporate his unique take on a travel system. Called the Break-Away, it enables a bike frame to be split into two halves, allowing it to fit into a travel case for easier transportation without compromising performance or aesthetics. Since then, a variety of Ritchey frames have received the Break-Away treatment, including the currently available steel Outback and former carbon Road Logic. And they are quite popular, even amongst Escape staffers, as Dave Rome purchased the carbon Outback Break-Away he reviewed in 2018, and Iain Treloar did the same in 2021 with the steel version.
Teased early on this year at events like Philly Bike Expo and Sea Otter Classic, the carbon fiber Septimer Break-Away bike is the newest addition to Ritchey’s lineup. With official clearance for 700 x 48c tires, a spirited geometry, and a relatively lightweight package, it’s intended to be ridden year-round rather than confined to its travel case outside of trips. I got to spend a few weeks with a prototype Septimer this summer, flying with it twice, and putting in a bunch of paved and dirt miles with one primary question lingering in my mind throughout: could this serve as not only a travel bike, but as a replacement for a standard gravel bike?
Highs: Packs small and light, rides and fits like a modern gravel bike, integrated rack and fender mounts, ample tire clearance (700 x 48 mm), and travel case included in total product cost.
Lows: Not UDH compatible, included case could use some updating, carbon finish shows scratches.
Pricing includes Septimer frame, fork, thru axles, headset, travel case, and padding. US$3,499, EU€3,399, GBP£2,958
What is the Septimer Break-Away?
Ritchey named the bike after Septimer Pass, a 7,580 ft (2,310 m) col in the Swiss Alps near the border with Italy, a zone where Tom Ritchey’s mentor Jobst Brant would famously ride. The road up was part of a medieval trade route and is steep, unpaved, and inaccessible by car, although it is open to foot and bicycle traffic. At one point, Brandt told Ritchey to go find the pass and experience it for himself on two wheels, and the adventure left a lasting impression when he made it over. According to Fergus Tanaka of Ritchey Design, Ritchey envisioned the Septimer as a bike that's simple to fly with and then ride without sacrifice, even in demanding mixed terrain, such as the Alps might offer.
Iain Treloar
The idea of the Septimer is not wholly new. It’s reminiscent of various aspects and incorporates elements of Ritchey’s previous Break-Away models. Yet its carbon fiber construction and geometry reflect feedback Ritchey has received from customers on what they would want to see in such a bike. It would be tempting to call it a reimagining of the original Carbon Outback Break-Away, but with too many differences to bear the same model name.
I’ll detail my experiences using and traveling with the Septimer later on, along with ideas on component selection for the unique build opportunity it presents. However, first, let’s crunch some numbers.
Geometrically speaking, the Septimer shares more than just a few angles and measurements with the existing steel Outback frameset. However, the two are differentiated in use cases, with the Septimer having a shorter wheelbase, a lower bottom bracket, and a steeper head tube angle, which makes it less of a steady adventure bike and more of a zippy all-rounder.
In Iain’s review of the Outback Break-Away, he called out the bike’s long steel chainstays that, at 453 mm, “stretch the wheelbase out and give the Outback its impressive stability. Those paired with the already lovely ride quality of Ritchey’s tubeset make for an exceptionally smooth ride at the back of the bike.” The Septimer, across all four frame sizes, gets 440 mm chainstays, resulting in a similar 700 x 48c tire fitment as the steel version. And its 75 mm bottom bracket drop also gives the Septimer a lower center of gravity for a stable feel on bumpy descents.
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