In the year and a half since I wrote the article, S&S couplers considered harmful, I've really been vindicated. One of my co-workers even admitted as such on an internal mailing list the his S&S single bike (an otherwise beautiful Rivendell marred by the cancerous looking couplers) just was so much of a hassle to break apart and ship that he found himself using my cardboard box method of shipping.
Another couple I heard from recently also switched away from S&S couplers back to an uncoupled bike --- the hassle and time taken to take apart a bike was simply not worth the extra costs to them. There have also been recent reports of airlines now charging to ship a bike, whether it's been uncoupled and packed into separate cases or not, which really eliminates any cost advantage they might have had.
I can't say that the public opinion has completely come around to my point of view, but the trickle of real world experience reports are definitely a far cry from the S&S hype and marketing machine that greeted my first expressed opinions of the couplers with both derision and scorn. Let me say it here once and for all, except for a select few, S&S couplers are a solution in search of a problem.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
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28 comments:
What is _your_ "cardboard box method of shipping"?
The cardboard box method is to simply go to the airline counter and buy a bike box from them. Usually, it will be an enormous United Airlines bike box. Those boxes are so big that all you have to do is to roll your bike into them and tape them up after removing the pedals. No removal of racks, fenders, or wheels are necessary with the United Airlines box, though if you have wide handlebars, you might want to lift the bars off and tape them to the frame.
These cardboard boxes cost all of $10.
...plus $85.00 every time you want to take it with you.
That $85 only applies to domestic flights. For international flights, bikes fly free, period.
And of course, nowadays, airlines are known to charge for bikes, even those in S&S cases.
Do you have any recommendations on travel insurance to insure one's bike while traveling since no airline would cover damages? I've looked at competing plans from TravelEx and others but never used them. Thanks.
I've always self-insured with the bike. While losing the bike would be a major pain, we've always managed to recover the bikes, even with the incompetent US Airways. Because our tours are typically unbooked (no reservations), we don't lose anything when we travel. The real major pain would be losing the tandem, since that's hard to replace (custom bikes generaly are), but so far that's not happened, and that kind of stuff can happen whether or not you use S&S couplers.
With recent announcement that airlines are starting to charge even if you have more than 1 normal checked bag I think that there will soon be a direct increase in any bag/box which is not of standard size that will be in addition to the above charges (which they state are in direct correlation with increased fuel costs) but then again this is just a postulation and is yet to be determined. Who knows yet if there will be any significant difference between cardboard box and SnS scenario in the near, or far, future...
IMHO, I haven't seen any significant hassles with breakdown/rebuild of SnS bike when traveling.
I'm glad you haven't had trouble with your couplers. I'd like to see you beat my 20 minute packing time and 10 minute unpacking time with my uncoupled tandem though! And of course, not having extra boxes to stow while traveling is a great benefit.
Hi, this is an interesting thread - and I remember reading the original article about a year ago and it's just begun to become relevant to me because I'm considering retro-fitting a tandem with S&S couplers. The reason? I live in the UK, and even in the last year, the number of train operators who will accept a tandem have dwindled. I live in Oxford, without a car, and so am reliant on trains to go anywhere holiday wise that is not within a riding distance from my home. So, are S&S couplers really that bad? I think not, if the following coniditions apply:
a) you have them only in a 'front-off' design. On my double damond frame tandem that means I only need two couplers, and 'front-off' basically means only the front forks and wheel as well as a length of top tube and down tube comes off the cycle. This configuration doesn't touch the chainset etc. Estimated time to drop the 'front-off' about 3 minutes.
b) With the front-off you are then effectively able to book the tandem onto any UK trains, either as two cycles (current onboard cycle storage is mostly in solo proportions) or if you are prepared with some leather buckles, you can book it on as one bicycle by overlapping the front fork with the rear frame, in effect presenting the wheelbase of a solo bicycle. I am assuming that in theory, the proof of the pudding will be when I have tried it out.
So, I just thought I would present those scenarios when S&S couplers may be very useful. I agree with the sentiment that all that stuffing in boxes with plumbers foam to avoid airport surcharges and then reassembling them and tinkering is a lot of hassle. Dreadfulto think of it really. But if you want to travel in the UK and France (TGV) by train - it's my understanding that S&S couplers are a boon.
I just moved to Munich, and traveling throughout Germany with an uncoupled tandem hasn't been a hassle at all. On inter-city trains, you have to make a bike reservation like everyone else, but the tandem counts as only one bike. This applies to Switzerland as well.
As for French and English trains, the French train system is so bike unfriendly that it's been easier (and possibly cheaper) for us to rent a car and drive/ride to a non-French train station so we could board with our single bikes. So I suspect that you're out of luck even with a couple tandem in France and England in that case.
And the TGV won't even take single bikes in many cases. I've basically given up on long distance trains in France (and I'll have to write a blog post about it one of these days).
Just stumbled on this blog, you've outlined many of the reasons that I've rarely used my S&S coupled bike:
http://briandesousa.com/blog/?p=11
Agree with your findings around S&S couplers. After having (and crashing) a Surly Travelers Check, the couplers turned out to be more of a liability than asset.
I'll gladly elaborate if necessary. I'll just say couplers in a wet and sometimes salty climate justify concerns, even after frame-saving.
Two years in a row, first Air France then Alitalia - 170 Euros each way for each of my wife and my bikes from Toronto to Sardegna. That's CAD $1200 plus an extra $15.00 each to and from our home to the airport. That's almost $1300.00!! Plus the colossal hassle of dragging hard shell boxes around, not even one of which will fit into a European sized car. The price of airfare is not likely to be going down anytime soon either. The airline's difficulty dealing with a bike - arrived 3 hours before flight - were the LAST to get a seat. No fun sitting against the toilets on a 10 hr. flight. Although I have yet to use my newly arrived S&S coupler equipped road bike I think my case has been made. These, assuming there will be no extra charges for them, I hope, will be a dream come true for us.
Last year I moved to Munich and back. The tandem flew free on the way there, and would have cost an extra 100 Euro on the way back --- about the same as an extra piece of luggage (fortunately, my corporate movers took care of it for me). It was annoying, but not enough for me to justify a new bike.
The charges are rising fast. I just got back from a trip to japan. I was assured by united customer service that it would cost 60 dollars each way. That was accurate for the US to Japan flight but this morning when I got to the airport they demanded over 200 dollars or they wouldn't put my bike on the plane. That is more than 3 times the price I was quoted. I'm definitely looking into a bike with couplers or some kind of a folder.
You didn't do you homework. We recently flew to Hokkaido from San Francisco (see tour report) on ANA. I was charged an overweight fee of $25 on the way there. On the way back, I repacked my bike differently and the bike went for free. Not only that, my companion's cardboard boxes looked like they got the white glove treatment as well.
After we got back, I wrote a letter to United telling them they lost 4 tickets to ANA because of their stupid bike charges. If you care about this, shop carefully --- understand the airlines' bike policies.
Couplers are still incredibly expensive: $800 for the hard cases, and $1000 for the couplers. In exchange you get an ugly bike that weighs more. If things get really onerous, for $1800, I can buy a bike in Europe and leave it with a friend.
Hi Piaw,
I was wondering if your thoughts about coupled bikes apply to something like a Bike Friday tandem as well. It sounds like they would.
Russel
I've seen Bike Friday tandems at work --- they do have a lot of issues, and owners seem to spend a lot of time fiddling with them, even for local rides. On the other hand, they do have a clever design that turns the hard cases into trailers so you don't have to worry about what to do with those bike cases if you do an open jaw trip.
I think Bike Fridays are very useful if you're doing a bike tour in a country where the train system was unfriendly to full sized bikes (e.g., France or Japan), and you intended to use the train a lot. I'd rather just plan my trips so that I don't use the trains that often.
I just spent about 4 hours putting my Cross Check into a Crateworks box. (Admittedly, I mislaid the directions, and in a truly staggering FAIL, they aren't online.) Given how much of a massive hassle that was, I'm way less excited now about putting couplers on it, as I'd been considering.
Great to find this blog, very appropriate for what I am considering.
My wife and I are planning a trip to Israel and Europe (including France) staring late April for 2 months. I am 6ft and 155lbs and my wife is 5ft 4in and 140lbs.
I am much fitter so I am thinking of the possibility of a folding tandem (so I wouldn't be waiting).
We are not into long distances or endurance but more a leisurely trip putting the bike on the train whenever it suits or the weather doesn't cooperate!.
We normally have a weight restriction of 20Kg per person on airlines from NZ.
My other option is 2 folding bikes. Any suggestions welcome.
I wouldn't bring 2 folding bikes, since both Europe and Israel would have plenty of bikes for you to rent if you weren't going to go long distances, then you might as well just rent. That way you never have to put the bikes on the train and pay bike carriage fees.
If you're dedicated to the idea of getting a tandem, one possibility would be to write to Santana Europe and ask if they would rent you a tandem there. Outfitter Tours used to rent tandems as well, and you might want to ask them. That saves at least a one way journey on the flight.
I just finished shopping for a flight from San Francisco to Europe. As far as I can tell, all the airlines from here are charging $100-$175 USD each way for a boxed bike + overweight fees, EXCEPT British Air.
We booked our trip 2 weeks ago. $50 each way on Air Canada. I was willing to fly British Air as well, but no one else in my party was willing to put up with flying through LHR.
I'm sorry to join in on an old discussion, but I'm curious to hear more about your experience moving to Munich in regards to bike transport.
I'm getting a frame built, and I'm considering having it coupled. I live in the US, but will live in Europe for 3month-12month periods of time over the next several years for my job, and so I anticipate wanting to take my (single, not tandem) bike with me not for tours, but when I move.
Most of the commenters here seem to be discussing packing/unpacking speed, and the ability to ride to and from the airport. I'll probably have large suitcases with me every time, and so the S&S couplers seem desirable because the hard case would be much easier to put in a taxi along with another large suitcase and a carry-on.
Do you think that couplers might be more useful in such circumstances, or did you find a way to transport all of those things and a largish cardboard bike box?
In your situation, I'd just buy a second bike and leave it in Europe. :-)
Buying another bike always seems like a good solution, doesn't it? :) Unfortunately, I'll be going to different cities each time!
In that case, S&S couplers might be acceptable, but I would seriously consider the Ritchey Breakaway design as being less ugly:
http://ritcheylogic.com/dyn_category.php?k=114342
Or you could go crazy and buy a Bike Friday just for this depending on what you plan to use the bike for. I wouldn't tour on a Bike Friday, but folding bikes are very useful on European transit, especially in France, where they are not very friendly to bikes on the trains.
Thanks for the suggestion!
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