Torque couplers

[slowgoing]

Does anyone have comments on torque couplers? How easy they are to use, how they affect the ride (if at all), how much easier it makes traveling with a bike as compared to the larger travel cases? I have been traveling a lot lately and am considering various options for bringing along a bike.

[Too Tall]

If you mean to say S and S couplers than yes...It is a perfect product. Very easy to use. I see no flaws or downsides other than added weight. We have them on a racing tandem and they are excellent and perfect after thousands of miles and many uses.

Go for it.

[davep]

Agreed. Strong and stiff. You will notice no difference in ride whatsoever. In fact, you won't even know they're there. Travelling with the much smaller case not only saves in airline or shipping charges, but once you get somewhere it can easily fit in a rental car or taxi. Its a bit of a pain to get packed, and sometimes security at airports (TSA) can be a hassle if they inspect the case and can't get the bike back in. I try to watch them inspect it, and always leave a note in the case with my cell number in case they can't get it repacked.

[Bradford]

Two trips with the coupled tandem, both out of the country, nothing but good things to say. Too Tall and DaveP have it right.

[rnhood]

How large of a bike will fit in these travel cases? When I see pictures of disassembled and packed bike (ie., the Richey site), it looks pretty full. And often a 60cm bike is the largest listed. I wonder if a 62 or 64 will fit. Or, do these portable travel cases come in different sizes?

[Too Tall]

Nope! I was hoping to have my Clark Kent retr-fitted with S and S couplers. However it is a 64cm bike and will not fit a standard travel case....but don't let that stop you. There are all sorts of cases for sale you can adapt. I plan to have my CK S n' S'd next yr.

[eddief]

If you are gonna have a coupler bike, then you gotta wanna take the time and the patience to take it apart and put together upon departure and arrival. I'm not saying anything negative about the couplers as I have them installed on my Kogswell P58. But is not a wam bam trivial endeavor to take it apart and put it together. Completely straight forward, but somewhat time consuming and detail oriented. My 58 fits in the case with room to spare. When I took it to Steve Rex he mentioned that he knew where to put the couplers so the 58 would easily fit into the standard hard case.

[Bradford]

My tandem (Co-Motion large/large size) fits in the hard cases, although it takes some skill. Frame in one case, wheels in the other.

[jpw]

On all the frames I've seen the couplers appear to be at EXACTLY the same position on the top and down tubes, i.e. just forward of the nose of the saddle and just beyond the diameter of the chainring teeth respectively. The positions are such to create two halves of the frame whereby both are of a similar size to be able to fit inside the case.

http://www.cyclesdeoro.com/images/Interbike%20Shows/Interbike%202005/Wednesday/P1000664.JPG

Is there any particular structural engineering reason that also dictates that these positions be as they are? Is it a happy coincidence that the couplers be in these positions for both case and engineering reasons?

This may seen oddball, but as there are smaller diameter couplers available is it possible to have couplers on the seat stays and chain stays (nearer to the seat tube than the dropouts) so as to be able to change the back end of the bike, i.e. horizontal to vertical dropouts (singlespeed to geared), or from road to commuter (rack and fenders)? Or, as a way to change braking options, from caliper to canti to disk. The idea being to have a bike with the same front end and different rear ends that just couple on as and when needed.

Alternatively, have a couple of front ends built and paint them in different colors. Or, have front ends with different fork, stem, handlebar, brake et.c. options.