[email protected] (IanD) wrote in message news:<
[email protected]>...
> All,
>
> Looking for peeps who have retrofitted their bikes with these S&S
> couplers. Looking for pluses and minuses. I'm thinking about
> retrofitting by Colnago mexico with these to make traveling easier...
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ian in SD
In 1995 I had S&S Couplers retrofitted to my 1983 Peugeot UO14 touring
bike by Bilenky in Philadelphia. After the retrofitting it felt and
performed just as it had before, perhaps handling a bit better because
it had been realligned as part of the retrofit. It had probably not
been alligned so well when it was new. In 1996 I took this bike to
England for two CTC tours and it performed beautifully. In 1997 I
rode this bike on the U.S. Transcontinental ride and again it
performed beautifully. The couplers were incidental on this trip
since I drove my van to the start in Astoria, OR, the van was used to
carry luggage for the cycling group (we took turns driving), and I
drove the van back home from Yorktown, VA at the end. The couplers
werre never unscrewed, I just preferred this bike. I took this bike
on a number of plane flights to other bike tours with no problems.
In 1998 I had Bilenky build a custom frame of unpainted Columbus
stainless steel tubing (with S&S Couplers) and I rode that bike on the
End-to-End in the British Isles in 1999 and to a couple of CTC tours
in Scotland in 2001.
Pluses:
1. Makes it much easier to take a bike along on a plane flight
2. Has no adverse effect on the way the bike rides. My good bike
retrofitted with the Couplers was still just as good as before.
Minuses:
1. Cost. Not only must you pay for the retrofitting but the bike
needs to be repainted at least in part (and it's best to have a whole
new paint job)
2. Very small weight increase. Not relevant to me.
My Peugeot did not need to have any tubes replaced and I wouldn't
think most bikes would unless built of some very light and delicate
tubing.
Retrofit worked (and works) just great for me.
Bob