Are travel couplers on a travel bike still worth it?

[hoj]

Hi all,

I'm working with a builder to create a custom ti frame. They give the option of adding travel couplers (ie, S&S, breakaway, etc), but I'm curious to know what people's opinions are on the utility of adding couplers to a frame nowadays given that several of the airlines no longer charge exorbitant fees to travel with a bike case (assuming it falls under the 50lb weight limit). Thoughts?

FWIW, the bike I'm building will have hydraulic disc brakes, so take that into consideration as well when deciding whether or not travel couplers would make sense. I imagine I would need to add in a brake hose quick-disconnect, similar to the No. 22 Brake Break, at a minimum.

While I don't necessarily anticipate traveling with the bike more than once a year (if that), I figure if the collective Paceline mind convinces me the option is worth it then I would rather have it done at the time the frame is built as opposed to retrofitting it down the road.

Thanks!

[saab2000]

Big cases are harder to deal with logistically at both ends of the trip you are planning to use a taxi, mass transit or an app-based ride service.

I wonder the same thing at times and have both and rarely use either.....

Both have advantages and disadvantages. Having a large case and moving it and storing it are the primary disadvantages of using an uncoupled bike.

[Pegoready]

S&S couplers have gone up in price lately. Couplers plus a good case, and you're out ~$2000 investment upfront. Pair this with the fact that hydro brakes don't travel easy with couplers (unbolt the brake entirely and coil up, or find an odd duck splitter) and add weight (1/2 lb.) and arguably look ugly I would personally skip them at this stage in the game. They made a lot more sense on a rim brake bike with exposed cable.

$2000 would buy you oversized luggage fees for several trips if the airline even charges.

[unterhausen]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Big cases are harder to deal with logistically at both ends of the trip you are planning to use a taxi, mass transit or an app-based ride service.

I think the next time I go traveling with my coupled bike, I will actually manage to find proper size case for it. In 2019, I went to France and carried it in a full-size case. It was a pain.

[hoj]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Big cases are harder to deal with logistically at both ends of the trip you are planning to use a taxi, mass transit or an app-based ride service.

I wonder the same thing at times and have both and rarely use either.....

Both have advantages and disadvantages. Having a large case and moving it and storing it are the primary disadvantages of using an uncoupled bike.

Thanks all -- I hadn't considered this aspect of it too much, but agree that the annoyance of lugging around a full-size bike case might be a challenge, particularly when traveling internationally.

I think I'm currently leaning towards a breakaway-style linkage on the top tube/seatstay with an S&S coupler on the downtube near the crank/bb -- which the builder is able to do. From a purely aesthetic point of view I've never been a fan of the S&S couplers, but they do seem a bit more robust -- having one down near the bb area would be more or less out of sight.

[zennmotion]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Big cases are harder to deal with logistically at both ends of the trip you are planning to use a taxi, mass transit or an app-based ride service.

I wonder the same thing at times and have both and rarely use either.....

Both have advantages and disadvantages. Having a large case and moving it and storing it are the primary disadvantages of using an uncoupled bike.

^^^this. The flight is only one travel component. Taxi's (Ubers/Lyfts), rented cars, crowded trains, sometimes tiny hotel rooms (at least on my budget, especially staying in larger cities) and box/case storage while you ride are important considerations especially in Europe or other international destinations. There is no reason NOT to add couplers to a bike you want to travel with other than the added expense of the frame. And my "travel" bike is also my "gravel" bike, a Ritchey Breakaway cross that sees lots of of on and off-road miles right here at home.

[Spaghetti Legs]

In the “before times” I travelled once with my 22 lb steel bike. It required serious contortions to get below 50lbs and I think I had to leave the hard plastic Serfas case behind and use a lighter plastic covered shipping box. Even then I couldn’t put all my bike gear in. A lighter Ti bike, of course, not as big a problem.

I’ve thought about the day when I get my custom steel bike with fancy chrome lugs and whether I’ll put couplers on it. #1 , couplers detract from a really nicely built bike IMO, #2 - I just wouldn’t want my nice custom bike to get beat up by the airlines, and it will.

I have a Ritchey breakaway that I’m perfectly fine getting scratched up and tossed around, for random travels. For the epic trips on #1 bike, pack it up secure and ship it to the destination. So yes, I think a coupled bike is very useful but no I wouldn’t add couplers to a custom bike.

[FlashUNC]

There's enough cases out there at accommodate pulling the fork that I think couplers are a bit unnecessary these days.

[woolly]

How important is the riding you expect to do while traveling? If it's just for pleasure, and not any competitive or bucket-list rides, I would suggest passing on adding couplers to your custom Ti frame.

It's not that I'm against S&S couplers, I'm not. Actually I'm a big fan. But my experience is that your bike/frame ends up taking a bit of a beating in the tear-down, packing into the airline-legal case, transport itself (especially if the airline opens the case to look around & then try to put it all back), etc. - regardless of how careful you try to be.

If you're just wanting to have a real bike with you to get a few rides & miles in, for not much more than the price of the Ti couplers & installation you can find a used S&S bike that you won't have to worry about as much. Especially if you build it out with an eye on speed and ease of assembly/disassembly. When you're not using it, storage in the smaller case isn't too-too difficult. Certainly easier than storing a full-sized hard-sided bike case.

That's been my experience dealing with these (now on my third S&S bike). But my priorities when traveling have skewed more to the "ease & speed" side of things, less so towards ensuring I have my "best bike" with me. If I have been smart, I would have never gotten rid of the Bike Friday that I once had. . .

[Ken Robb]

How about a bikefriday and the suitcase it fits in? They are very easy to adjust for fit over a wide range with parts sold by bikefriday. They ride surprisingly well.

[zzy]

I've been very happy with my EVOC Pro with my hydro bike. Both wheels come off and fit into reinforced wheel slots with rotor protectors. It fits into the trunk of a limo, and it's easy to drag through the airport. I've had good luck with only getting hit with an oversize fee (extra ~$25) as long as it's below 25kg/50lbs internationally. Domestic US flights do tend to ding you for a lot tho (except Alaska).

[572cv]

Building on the comments made already, I'll throw in a few thoughts.

- How big is your frame? if it is small, or pretty small, soft bags like the airport ninja can squeeze in to the 62" rule framework (they look small too). They are quite compact.

- having a case that compresses, lies flat, or is just plain small is a nice bonus when traveling. So, soft shell, like ninja or ritchey and others, or small like the S&S box, work well.

- On S&S you need cable couplers generally or in your case hydro couplers. more or less the same difference, I guess.

- In terms of ease of travel with different systems, on a couple of dozen trips to France, for ease of travel and bike set up, my rankings:
ninja with regular bike****,
S&S bike in S&S case ***,
Thule rolling bag with the whole bike stand thing and regular bike **3/4 (the three-quarters because of the bike stand which everybody used to set up their bikes),
EVOC case ** 1/2 ( it collapses and is pretty light and well designed)
Big stinkin' ol' Thule hard shell case **(harder to hit weight limits),
Cardboard box with extra roll of duct tape *(had to start somewhere).
The five star solution is to get a place and leave a bike there.

- S&S (which I have on a Serotta Fierte Ti) doesn't change the ride at all.

[foo_fighter]

I went with this setup on 2 bikes and it worked great. I'm not sure if you can still get a Ti based kit from Ritchey or if the builder will fab his own parts. (Like Holland)
You don't need hydro couplers, just unbolt the calipers. Also get centerlock wheels and discs.

Originally Posted by hoj

I think I'm currently leaning towards a breakaway-style linkage on the top tube/seatstay with an S&S coupler on the downtube near the crank/bb -- which the builder is able to do. From a purely aesthetic point of view I've never been a fan of the S&S couplers, but they do seem a bit more robust -- having one down near the bb area would be more or less out of sight.

[prototoast]

I wouldn't build travel couplers into a high-end bike. I would get the high-end bike, and then get a used Ritchey breakaway for travel. The upcharge of s&s couplers on a titanium bike are basically the same cost, but this way your nice bike stays nice, and your travel bike can live in its suitcase.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Big cases are harder to deal with logistically at both ends of the trip you are planning to use a taxi, mass transit or an app-based ride service.

:::mic drop:::