S&S Couplers
04-17-23, 08:56 PM
#26
aged to perfection
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: PacNW
Posts: 1,820
Bikes: Dinucci Allez 2.0, Richard Sachs, Alex Singer, Serotta, Masi GC, Raleigh Pro Mk.1, Hetchins, etc
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 840 Post(s)
Liked 1,263 Times
in
667 Posts
right I agree that Co-motion does mostly steel.
I cannot say what that frame was. but my point was that the tubes were clearly larger diameter than the OP's Dawes which is 3-tube 531
anything else ?
/markp
I cannot say what that frame was. but my point was that the tubes were clearly larger diameter than the OP's Dawes which is 3-tube 531
anything else ?
/markp
04-17-23, 10:22 PM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,660
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1248 Post(s)
Liked 1,323 Times
in
674 Posts
Yes, and I've been one of the posters mentioning the cost. I wasn't aware the airlines have eliminated the absurd surcharge for bikes. Nice to know.
That said, a full size bike travel case or even a re-enforced bike shop cardboard box is a large and awkward thing to maneuver through airports or train stations and may not fit into taxis in Europe or Asia or into the luggage racks of busses and trains. I traveled to both Europe and Japan several times with a coupled Co-Motion CoPilot years ago. While the S&S packing suitcase was quite large, it was nowhere near the size and awkwardness of a full size box.
Yeah, the case does have to be stored but the S&S case will generally fit into an airport locker or a hotel's luggage store room. Not so much a full size bike shipping case. A cardboard bike box could be discarded at your destination and replaced at a local bike shop for your return trip but this isn't a sure thing unless you are traveling to a common bike touring area.
Agreed, disassembly/reassembly isn't trivial or super fast. After some practice it took me about 30 minutes to unpack and put the bike together and about an hour to repack it for the trip home. As to a second piece of luggage for your clothing, racks, etc., there is no way to avoid that no matter how the bike itself is shipped. Again, it's easier to find storage for the S&S case than for a full size shipping case.
Domestically, tourists can ship their bike to a bike shop or the hotel at their destination using Fed-Ex, UPS or a specialized bike shipping company and have a bike shop repack and ship it to their home at the trip's end. I'm not sure I would want to do this internationally.
That said, a full size bike travel case or even a re-enforced bike shop cardboard box is a large and awkward thing to maneuver through airports or train stations and may not fit into taxis in Europe or Asia or into the luggage racks of busses and trains. I traveled to both Europe and Japan several times with a coupled Co-Motion CoPilot years ago. While the S&S packing suitcase was quite large, it was nowhere near the size and awkwardness of a full size box.
Yeah, the case does have to be stored but the S&S case will generally fit into an airport locker or a hotel's luggage store room. Not so much a full size bike shipping case. A cardboard bike box could be discarded at your destination and replaced at a local bike shop for your return trip but this isn't a sure thing unless you are traveling to a common bike touring area.
Agreed, disassembly/reassembly isn't trivial or super fast. After some practice it took me about 30 minutes to unpack and put the bike together and about an hour to repack it for the trip home. As to a second piece of luggage for your clothing, racks, etc., there is no way to avoid that no matter how the bike itself is shipped. Again, it's easier to find storage for the S&S case than for a full size shipping case.
Domestically, tourists can ship their bike to a bike shop or the hotel at their destination using Fed-Ex, UPS or a specialized bike shipping company and have a bike shop repack and ship it to their home at the trip's end. I'm not sure I would want to do this internationally.
Never had a issue with transport to and from airports as mini vans are common. Just flew in and out of Vietnam no problems at all.
Long term airport storage is very expensive as it must follow security protocols so that is not a practice solution presently. Lockers are not a thing anymore. Hotels have never rejected my storage requests. I also end up doing at least one point to point trip a year where I travel with a cardboard box and return in a simple plastic bag.
You are also able to travel with the best suited bike for the trip if you have more than one. Carbon, disc brakes ect. All that said S&S bikes were great just things have changed making regular bike travel easier. But my main point was rather than spend a lot of money and hassle on some older touring bikes give it a try first and decide from there which direction you choose to go. The OP seems to have moved on anyways once the challenges were pointed out.
Last edited by Atlas Shrugged; 04-17-23 at 11:22 PM.
04-18-23, 02:54 PM
#28
Senior Member
On multi-flight trips I only use the S&S backpack case for the initial flight. Upon landing I roll the case up and mail it home. On subsequent flights I pack the bike in a full sized box.
Sometimes if I have a friend or family member in the destination city, I've mailed the case to them to store for the return flight.
Sometimes if I have a friend or family member in the destination city, I've mailed the case to them to store for the return flight.
10-07-23, 04:41 PM
#29
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: Maryland
Posts: 162
Bikes: Pedego Stretch 2016 (electric cargo bike for around town and grocery shopping, Small surly Ogre (2015), Bianchi Advantage (46cm) 1993, Bike Friday NWT, 2005
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 126 Post(s)
Liked 44 Times
in
24 Posts
I just have a quick question about a bike with S&S couplers. Is it possible to break it down somewhat for a train or putting in a trunk, but not breaking it completely down so that it can be put back together fairly quickly?
10-07-23, 05:06 PM
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,443
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 401 Times
in
277 Posts
I just have a quick question about a bike with S&S couplers. Is it possible to break it down somewhat for a train or putting in a trunk, but not breaking it completely down so that it can be put back together fairly quickly?
10-07-23, 06:02 PM
#31
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: Maryland
Posts: 162
Bikes: Pedego Stretch 2016 (electric cargo bike for around town and grocery shopping, Small surly Ogre (2015), Bianchi Advantage (46cm) 1993, Bike Friday NWT, 2005
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 126 Post(s)
Liked 44 Times
in
24 Posts
Yes!: I have broke mine down for putting it in a trunk many times. A couple of minutes work to un do the three cable hand nuts. The two couplers and don't forget the coupler wrench for your tool kit. I have the gold plated crimp on fittings for my light set, so i can disconnect the light set.
See - I've wondered this for a long time. Every video I see shows a complete break down, but would that be necessary? I have a Bike Friday, but I'll be over the weight limit for touring. (for every day rides, no) I'm going to assume weight limit is not affected with S&S couplers? Now I'm super mad at myself for not thinking to ask this before I got a secondhand Bike Friday! Someone is selling a S&S Coupler bike in my frame size locally - with suitcase - with all the front and rear racks and fenders.
10-08-23, 03:17 AM
#32
I’m a little Surly
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Near the district
Posts: 2,422
Bikes: Two Cross Checks, a Karate Monkey, a Disc Trucker, and a VO Randonneur
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 699 Post(s)
Liked 1,294 Times
in
647 Posts
My bike and I are on a flight back to the states, the bike bag it was packed in was less than the couplers but we’ll see if it arrives safely.
What surprised me was the no big deal attitude I rolled up with it. There was not need to argue, no weight issues, just put it over here sir.
What surprised me was the no big deal attitude I rolled up with it. There was not need to argue, no weight issues, just put it over here sir.
10-08-23, 09:05 AM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,443
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 401 Times
in
277 Posts
My bike and I are on a flight back to the states, the bike bag it was packed in was less than the couplers but we’ll see if it arrives safely.
What surprised me was the no big deal attitude I rolled up with it. There was not need to argue, no weight issues, just put it over here sir.
What surprised me was the no big deal attitude I rolled up with it. There was not need to argue, no weight issues, just put it over here sir.
10-08-23, 10:54 AM
#34
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: Maryland
Posts: 162
Bikes: Pedego Stretch 2016 (electric cargo bike for around town and grocery shopping, Small surly Ogre (2015), Bianchi Advantage (46cm) 1993, Bike Friday NWT, 2005
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 126 Post(s)
Liked 44 Times
in
24 Posts
I'm actually not concerned with flying. It's the train that I'm thinking about. There are very few bike slots and a lot of the places I want to tour, I can get their easily by train. If I have a bike that can break down, I can put it in a case and reassemble. If I can get away with only partially breaking it down, that's even better. I just cannot and will not schedule weekend or even week long rides localish to me based on a reservation for a bike slot I had to make 5 months in advance. I want to make that decision based on a 5 day forecast. Why would I purposefully ride during a 5 day window of rain if I can avoid it?
Likes For mams99:
10-08-23, 11:09 AM
#35
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,402
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,701 Times
in
2,521 Posts
Something like an orucase airport ninja gets a lot of bikes down to a size that's very close to an s&s case. I built a frame with couplers, but never decoupled it. Since I don't ride particularly large bikes, I might never get an S&S case.
10-08-23, 01:49 PM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,910
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4806 Post(s)
Liked 3,933 Times
in
2,558 Posts
TiCycles in Portland can do it. They do it all the time, often for premier US framebuilders who would rather build the bike then have TiCycles S&S it than fuss with the process themselves.
10-08-23, 05:08 PM
#37
I’m a little Surly
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Near the district
Posts: 2,422
Bikes: Two Cross Checks, a Karate Monkey, a Disc Trucker, and a VO Randonneur
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 699 Post(s)
Liked 1,294 Times
in
647 Posts
The bike is here, in one piece, and rideable.
Last edited by Germany_chris; 10-08-23 at 05:19 PM.
Likes For Germany_chris:
