Comments regarding S&S Couplers

[IanD]

All,

Looking for riders who have had there bikes retrofitted with these couplers and to read pluses and minuses to this procedure. I'm looking to installing the couplers to my Colnago Mexico. Thanks!

Ian

 

[daveornee]

All,

Looking for riders who have had there bikes retrofitted with these couplers and to read pluses and minuses to this procedure. I'm looking to installing the couplers to my Colnago Mexico. Thanks!

Ian

We have 4 bicycles, one a tandem, with S & S couplers. All 4 were built with couplers.
I think a retro-fit will be challenging and costly due to structural considerations and cosmetic work.
Have you talked with S & S and a frame builder that would do the job?
They might need to replace the top tube and down tube to meet the structural integrity required.
We love the coupled bicycles and the travel freedom they allow. Quality and reliability have very good.

 

[satanas]

We have 4 bicycles, one a tandem, with S & S couplers. All 4 were built with couplers.
I think a retro-fit will be challenging and costly due to structural considerations and cosmetic work.

Some months ago there was a discussion on a framebuilding forum (sorry, address not at hand) about this and some builders said that it was in fact *easier* to build the frame (and get the alignment right), then immediately cut it apart with a tube cutter and add in the S&S fittings. Apparently, it is more difficult to keep the tube straight when it is out of the frame. Glenn Erickson (sp?), was mentioned as one of those who did this, so I don't think it can be said to be a dodgy practice!

Cosmetics only means a new paint job, and as I understand it, just about any (non-alu) round tube can potentially be joined. There are two types of steel couplers.

The more common (stainless) ones are made to go over the OD of the tube, so as long as the tube is a standard diameter (and round) this should be fine. (If your Mexico is one of the ones with "figure 8" shaped tubes you'll be up for a new top tube and down tube too, but these are cheap compared with the couplers and labour, etc.) Thin tubing is not necessarily a problem, with thicknesses down to at least 0.5mm wall being okay.

The other type of steel couplers are made to fit internally, and wall thickness is a factor here, but these are less common.

S&S also make Ti couplers, available on frames from Seven, Merlin (Ti) and Calfee (carbon), etc. I assume these are also external...

Also, there *are* fittings for alu tubes, but to date these have been only available on certain (Santana?) tandems. These are specific to certain tube sizes, and don't seem likely to become more widely available.

Lots of info on the S&S website.

I have never seen a negative comment about S&S couplers, apart from the cost...