[Sportsandrec] S&S Couplers

[Thornbury, Kelly]

Sorry LM, but as you have probably learned by now, and for anyone else, couplers allow you to break down a bike so it will fit into regular sized suitcases, or for easier transport in smaller cars. S&S is a machining company that now makes couplers that bike manufacturers can build into their bikes, or the couplers can be retrofitted to many older frames. I've been reading a lot about S&S couplers and how well received they have been, but I've been looking for the "counter points" about them, as most of my research has led me to sites that sell the couplers or bikes with them installed. I believe some models of da Vincis are available with the S&S couplers, but I'm not sure. I'm sure that if you did have them, you would know it as it is usually a "selling point., much like the other components of your ride. 

Ron, my experience with "folding" frames, both singles and tandems, was over 13 years ago, and never since. Our race team was allowed the opportunity to test several bikes with couplers (but I don't think they were the S&S ones I'm looking at now) for a French bike manufacturer, and most of us found them to be absolutely awful; the convenience of the folding frame not worth the horrendous ride these bikes afforded. The singles had a great deal more flex than their rigid counterparts, and the tandems were exponentially worse, akin to riding a slinky. I'm headed down to a "brick and mortar" tandem shop in Denver in a couple weeks, which advertises a number of Co-Motion bikes with these couplers, and I am just trying to find out more about them before going down there and looking completely foolish. I'm also planning a trip to Eugene at the end of August for the Co-Motion races and factory tours, hopefully for another chance to really play with these break-down frames. 
Loved your explanation of velodromes, which brought many fond memories. Our race team/club had both an indoor (250 meter wood) and an outdoor ( 400 meter asphalt). For outdoor events we usually allowed most any bikes...gears, brakes, and all, but the indoor track was reserved for the race team and track bikes. In fact, the nerd I am, spent the next ride on the trainer after your post daydreaming about those track days; high gear accelerations and sprints, and reverse apexing corners (in my mind of course). Memories of my favorite outdoor club event (that really didn't have a name), where 10-15, or sometimes more, riders started on the track for a half hour event. at predetermined times a horn was sounded, and whatever bike next crossed the line won the sprint...even if that rider was 5 laps behind the leaders. Points were awarded for the overall winner, number of laps completed, and top three for each sprint. You could be a couple laps behind, but win enough sprints to win the overall, or be enough laps ahead to win without ever winning a single sprint. Ah, the good ol' days. 
So, have you attended the racer development seminar in Colorado? I'm thinking about applying this year, but I'm also supposed to start an internship in September, and I don't have a bike set up for that kind of road riding yet, but may have one if the bike-building fever burns more quickly.