S&S Torque couplings

(Pete Cresswell) said:

Per Matt O'Toole:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Breakaway+Travel+Bag+Deluxe+with+wheels&vendorCode=RITCHEY&major=9&minor=1

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How about the S&S soft case with the backpack straps?

Quoted message said:

I keep bringing this up.... but nobody ever replies: How about two
cases - both of which are within regular luggage limits.

Given a breakdown bike and a willingness to stuff clothes and
whatever in with the bike it seems like two cases would have a
substantial advantage in handling ease, packability into a car, and
re-packing ease for the luggage checkers (assuming they would wind up
more than large enough for each "half" of the bike....)...

Since nobody seems db doing it, there's probably a flaw in the above
reasoning...but what?

Luggage limits?

Also, it's possible no one here has experience with the S&S soft case, thus no
replies.

Matt O.

Regarding airport security opening your case and not repacking it
correctly. Steve Bilenky recommended the recently developed S&S
Security Set. There are good pictures, packing instuctions, and
anecdotes posted at both their sites. Using this velcro and net bag to
wrap the packed bike inside the case as the final step in packing, TSA
can open the case, see everything, and then simply close the case back
into its safely packed state.
Concerning the 'weak' closure hardware on the cases, they're not
meant to pull the cases closed only to keep the cases securely closed.
They will fail if used harshly. Other than that, like everyone else
said, the cases and the couplers on our tandem work brilliantly. I'm
looking forward to traveling this summer with my trusty old 753 Raleigh
newly transformed into a coupled travel bike.

Best wishes, Mark

Rudi Lutz said:

Hi!
I suspect this may have been asked before, but I have not found the
previous discussion. Anyway, I am having a new custom Audax bike built for
me and am considering having S&S torque couplings fitted. Does anyone have
any experience of S&S torque couplings? Are they as good as claimed, or are
there drawbacks? Also if I did have them and wanted to have a pretty strong
case for protection in aircraft, is there a good cheaper alternative (e.g.
some brand of ordinary suitcase at an ordinary price) that could be used
instead of the "official" case?

Thanks very much for any advice

Rudi

itsfred said:

A couple of previous posters mentioned they had read positive

comments

Quoted message said:

awhile back about the Ritchey case, and I suspect they may have been
referring to a post I wrote in response to somebody trying to decide
between S&S's hard and soft case.

Regarding eithre of the two Ritchey cases, what happens to it when the
bike is removed? With the S&S soft case, it seems foldable enough that
I could tie it down to a Carradice and ride with it from the airport.
Do the Ritchey cases fold that way too?

Any reports from people who ride around with the S&S soft case folded
down, and attached to, say, a Carradice?

The Ritchey case has two U-shaped plastic walls that line the side and
provide some stress-relief to the contents. You can remove the walls,
nest them together, and fold the bag up into a mass roughly half the
size of the full case. Actually, this comment pertains to the original
bag - I see that they have now added wheels so the new case may not
collapse as fully. Ritchey says the idea was to be able to fit the bag
into a station storage locker. I doubt that you would want to ride very
far with the folded up bag strapped onto a rack. By the way, the
following is slightly off topic, but I believe Bike Friday offers a
wheel set and hitch which turns their case into a trailer, which sounds
like a pretty good trick. Maybe there is somebody who offers such a
contraption in a larger size to fit an S&S bike?

Fred Roses

41 said:

itsfred said:

A couple of previous posters mentioned they had read positive

comments

Quoted message said:

awhile back about the Ritchey case, and I suspect they may have

been

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

referring to a post I wrote in response to somebody trying to

decide

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

between S&S's hard and soft case.

Regarding eithre of the two Ritchey cases, what happens to it when

the

Quoted message said:

bike is removed? With the S&S soft case, it seems foldable enough

that

Quoted message said:

I could tie it down to a Carradice and ride with it from the airport.
Do the Ritchey cases fold that way too?

Any reports from people who ride around with the S&S soft case folded
down, and attached to, say, a Carradice?

I have comunicated with someone who used the s and s soft case and took
out the plastic liners and replaced the plastic ones with card board.
When they got to their touring destination, they dumped the cardboard,
folded the bag and bungied it to their touring bike's rack. I guess on
the way home, they found more cardboard repacked and shipped the bike
home. For touring that sounds like the perfect solution.

41 said:

itsfred said:

A couple of previous posters mentioned they had read positive

comments

Quoted message said:

awhile back about the Ritchey case, and I suspect they may have

been

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

referring to a post I wrote in response to somebody trying to

decide

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

between S&S's hard and soft case.

Regarding eithre of the two Ritchey cases, what happens to it when

the

Quoted message said:

bike is removed? With the S&S soft case, it seems foldable enough

that

Quoted message said:

I could tie it down to a Carradice and ride with it from the airport.
Do the Ritchey cases fold that way too?

Any reports from people who ride around with the S&S soft case folded
down, and attached to, say, a Carradice?

Per Matt O'Toole:

Quoted message said:

Luggage limits?

That seemed to be the advantage - assuming we get two pieces of check-in
luggage... But I've managed to avoid flying for quite awhile now...maybe it'd
down to one on international flites?
--
PeteCresswell

(Pete Cresswell) said:

Per Matt O'Toole:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Luggage limits?

That seemed to be the advantage - assuming we get two pieces of
check-in luggage... But I've managed to avoid flying for quite
awhile now...maybe it'd down to one on international flites?

Actually the international flights are less restrictive. Some are quite
generous in what they allow -- up to four bags. Boxed bikes are often free too.
For US flights, I think most airlines let you have two checked bags, one
carryon, and one personal item (whatever that means). But some allow only one
checked bag.

I now check bags that I used to carry on, because it's too much trouble to have
the TSA go through them. So while I might have been fine with one checked bag
before, now it might be a problem. Many people have the same issue.

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

(Pete Cresswell) wrote:

Quoted message said:

Actually the international flights are less restrictive. Some are

quite

Quoted message said:

generous in what they allow -- up to four bags. Boxed bikes are

often free too.

Quoted message said:

I now check bags that I used to carry on, because it's too much

trouble to have

Quoted message said:

the TSA go through them. So while I might have been fine with one

checked bag

Quoted message said:

before, now it might be a problem. Many people have the same issue.

Internationally I fly in business-class on One World carriers
(American, British, Cathay, etc) and they STRICTLY enforce the two-bag
limit by charging $200 or more for additional checked baggage.

In regard to the overal TSA hassle, if I'm travelling domestically I
usually just ship my bike by UPS to wherever I'm going rather than fly
with it. For what it's worth, UPS here will not accept a bike in a soft
bag - they want hard cases only!

Fred Roses

itsfred said:

In regard to the overal TSA hassle, if I'm travelling domestically I
usually just ship my bike by UPS to wherever I'm going rather than fly
with it. For what it's worth, UPS here will not accept a bike in a
soft bag - they want hard cases only!

I"ve done that too. If nothing else it's cheaper. The problem is, I don't want
to be without my bike for so long! Coast to coast it's a week each way, for two
weeks total.

This could be a good reason to have a backup bike.

For shorter trips I've been driving anyway -- so I just throw the bike in the
back of the car. But an S&S bike would make this easier too.

Does anyone remember the rebranded AMP mountain bikes sold through Mercedes
dealers, which came with a matching suitcase? I don't remember if the case was
airline legal, but it was sure a neat idea. I couldn't understand why other
bike makers didn't jump on this bandwagon. Mountain bike frames with rear
suspension split naturally in the middle anyway. I see AMPs for sale
occasionally but never with the case. If it came with the case I would
definately consider buying one. They're still strong performers even by today's
standards. The Specialized XC designs are essentially the same thing -- that's
who Mr. Leitner sold his patents to.

Matt O.

Per itsfred:

Quoted message said:

In regard to the overal TSA hassle, if I'm travelling domestically I
usually just ship my bike by UPS to wherever I'm going rather than fly
with it. For what it's worth, UPS here will not accept a bike in a soft
bag - they want hard cases only!

Just out of curiosity...do you recall a recent Home/Destination and what UPS
charged? I'm going out to Phoenix sometime in the next year, but wasn't
looking forward to dragging a bike along.
--
PeteCresswell

(Pete Cresswell) said:

Just out of curiosity...do you recall a recent Home/Destination and
what UPS charged? I'm going out to Phoenix sometime in the next
year, but wasn't looking forward to dragging a bike along.

Fedex Ground is cheaper than UPS for bikes. I've gone between southern CA and
southwest VA several times for under $30. I've also shipped between southern CA
and CO for about $15. It usually takes 5 days, but I've had it take 4.

Matt O.

Per Matt O'Toole:

Quoted message said:

I've gone between southern CA and
southwest VA several times for under $30.

Geeze.... maybe I'm sounding arrogant, but in the context of dragging the thing
to the airport, wondering if it'll survive, and wondering if the vehicle at the
other end is going to have room for it, and maybe having to tip a few people
extra - $30 seems almost free.
--
PeteCresswell

In article <[email hidden]>,

Matt O'Toole said:

(Pete Cresswell) said:

Just out of curiosity...do you recall a recent Home/Destination and
what UPS charged? I'm going out to Phoenix sometime in the next
year, but wasn't looking forward to dragging a bike along.

Fedex Ground is cheaper than UPS for bikes. I've gone between southern CA
and
southwest VA several times for under $30. I've also shipped between southern
CA
and CO for about $15. It usually takes 5 days, but I've had it take 4.

Matt O.

FEDEX ground is cheaper...of course they also flat out lost one of my
bikes the last time I used them. Despite being insured for $2,000,
which was $1,000 less than a bike shop appraised the replacement cost at
after the fact, I only got about $975 out of FEDEX for the loss. And
this was after months of going around and around with them about it.

not my favorite company.

Baird

(Pete Cresswell) said:

Per Matt O'Toole:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've gone between southern CA and
southwest VA several times for under $30.

Geeze.... maybe I'm sounding arrogant, but in the context of dragging
the thing to the airport, wondering if it'll survive, and wondering
if the vehicle at the other end is going to have room for it, and
maybe having to tip a few people extra - $30 seems almost free.

Absolutely -- which is why I did it that way. Even the extra baggage fees
didn't bother me that much.

Matt O.

Baird Webel said:

FEDEX ground is cheaper...of course they also flat out lost one of my
bikes the last time I used them. Despite being insured for $2,000,
which was $1,000 less than a bike shop appraised the replacement cost
at after the fact, I only got about $975 out of FEDEX for the loss.
And this was after months of going around and around with them about
it.

not my favorite company.

Try fighting UPS! I guarantee they're worse, unless you're a business who ships
a lot with them. Not only that, if you go through one of those mailbox places
you can't deal with UPS directly. You have to get the shipper to file a claim,
and if they're flaky you *really* have problems. The best way around this is to
ship through a bike shop or a friend or family member with a business that does
a lot of business with UPS. Then if there's a problem you're more likely to be
treated better.

I think UPS generally does a good job, but after fighting with them about a
couple of damage claims (not bikes), I decided I'd never ship with them again.
Since then I've used Fedex Ground for everything -- including moving much of my
stuff across the country, and all of my brother's stuff a couple of years before
that. So far, so good... Sorry about your bike.

Matt O.

41 said:

Has anyone experience with the Ritchey foldable, case or bicycle, in
comparison? The coupling system is certainly much less expensive and
lighter. Many custom Japanese builders have long had similar systems,
the basic idea for which all got in turn from Herse.ˇ

After reading the replies and looking at the more detailed pictures on
the Ritchey site, I see that, from an engineering standpoint, the
system is not at all like the Japanese or Herse systems, and is not at
all confidence inspiring. I can hardly believe the lower clamp system
and the reports here make its weaknesses plain.

Many many years ago I saw someone with an all-chrome démontable from
Herse and I suppose it was the most beautiful bicycle I have ever
beheld in person. He seemed happy with it but I never got the chance to
discuss performance or ease of use.

Herse took the downtube joint more seriously:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Herse/Herse_chrome_demount_1.htm
One place where those curved QRs come in handy.

See also

www.cs-hirose.com/handcraft/frame.html
www.cs-hirose.com/handcraft/mudguard.html

and for fun
www.cs-hirose.com/handcraft/change.html
(scroll down to see the classicist's ERGO)
Don't forget to notice (a) the fenders (b) the little trick for turn
ing a regular front derailleur into a coveted reverse pull.

e

Per 41:

Quoted message said:

Herse took the downtube joint more seriously:

One of several attractive features I find in S&S is the outward simplicity of
the coupling. You can run you hand over it and not catch it on anything like a
lever or a screw head.

Another thing is the fault tolerance. They seem just as solid with the
connector collars slightly loose as when they're tight. Dunno how they do
that...
--
PeteCresswell