S and S Machine
Bicycle Torque Couplings (BTCs)
Your Travel Bike........Your only bike!
Framebuilder Comments
" As the head honcho here at Salsa I travel a fair
amount. In doing so I sorely miss my daily rides. Until I saw the
Bicycle Torque Couplings from S and S Machine I hardly considered
traveling with my bike. The various hinged, small wheeled, and
other such compromised 'travel bikes' just never called out to
me. This travel system is different. Why? Because after about 10
minutes of assembly time I've got a regular bike that feels
absolutely normal. The thing even breaks down to a size that
the airlines don't charge extra for. Check it out, this is one
of the coolest things to hit cycling since the balloon tire!"
Ross Shafer, Salsa Cycles, Petaluma, CA
"I recently returned from a seven week tour of the
Southern Alps. I climbed over 200,000 feet on my Calvin and Hobbs
road bike with BTCs. The ride was about as stiff a challenge as a
bike is going to see. There is no degradation of efficiency
even on the stiffest and hardest climbs. I am totally pleased
with the bike."
Glenn Erickson. Erickson Cycles, Seattle, WA
"After riding my custom Merlin Titanium Mountain
Bike equipped with S and S Bicycle Torque Couplings hundreds of
miles, I can honestly say that it rides exactly like a Merlin
should. It feels perfect and you can't even tell the couplings
are there."
Gwyn Jones, Founder Merlin Metal Works, Cambridge,
MA (bike built with TIG weldable 6Al-4V titanium couplings)
"The S and S Bicycle Coupling System works GREAT!
Excellent machine work, beautiful finish--What a fine idea. I'm
happy to recommend it as an option on new frames or as a
retro-fit on pre-builts. I'm confident that frames which are
coupled are as mechanically sound as those which aren't."
Richard Sachs, Richard Sachs Cycles, Chester, CT
"It is a rare pleasure to work with S and S Machine's
Bicycle Torque Coupling. They are consistently perfect in every
way, cleaner and more precise than any other frame tubing,
fitting, or component that I've ever worked with. Because of
their faultless performance, I find it impossible to find
anything less than superlative to say about them, and the service
from the people at S and S Machine is equal to the quality of
their product."
Dwan Shepard, Co-Motion Cycles, Eugene, OR
"When riding, you're not even aware that the S and S
Machine Bicycle Torque Couplings are on the bike. But when
you check in at the airport--and put the extra fifty bucks in
your wallet--the Couplings make their presence felt."
Scot Nicol, Ibis Cycles, Sebastopol, CA
"The S and S Torque Coupling is a great product. They are
beautifully made, a pleasure to install and produce a travel bike
that is indistinguishable from one without the Couplings. My
customers have had nothing but great things to say about their
bikes."
Steve Rex, Rex Cycles, Sacramento, CA
"Congratulations. Finally someone has designed a product
that makes a difference! Your S and S Torque Coupling is that
product. The more things change the more they stay the same. No
new product or component has changed a bicycle so much. A quality
custom built bicycle is still just a quality custom built
bicycle; not much different today than they were years ago. Now
thanks to S and S Machine, we have something new to offer--a
quality custom built bicycle that can be fit into a suitcase for
travel. Your coupling just may be the most innovative new
bicycle product of this decade!"
John K. Cherry III, Cherry Bicycles, LaFayette, IN
"I think S and S Torque Couplings are revolutionizing
bicycle commuting and touring and I hope it's increasing our
awareness of cycling as an alternative means of
transportation."
Kimo Tanaka, Tanaka Custom Frames, Davis, CA
"We're delighted that the S and S Couplings provide a
good secure connection while preserving all the good ride
qualities of our bikes."
Richard Schwinn, Waterford Precision Cycles, Waterford, WI
"The S and S Bicycle Torque Coupling system is an extremely
well thought out system. It is well designed and is extremely
applicable for someone who wants to separate a bicycle to make it
smaller for whatever reason. It has a pleasing appearance. It's
pretty cool.
Otis Guy, Otis Guy Cycles
"A typical comment from my customers is, 'It blows
away any folding bike out there!' I agree. Now I can build a
frame that rides right and is still portable like a folding
bike."
Mitch LaMoure, Cycles LaMoure Custom Frames, Roseburg, OR
"Real bikes that get real small !; a precision
product that elevates our frame building process and expands the
utility of any type of bike we build."
Steve Bilenky, Bilenky Cycle Works, Philadelphia, PA
"S and S Torque Couplings are especially good for the
extra length of a recumbent frame so it can be broken down
for easy transportation. We also use them on tandem recumbents
and there is nothing longer than a tandem recumbent."
Gardner Martin, "The worlds oldest tandem
manufacturer" Easy Racers Inc., Watsonville, CA
"Excellent concept! Excellent Execution!" Ralph
Ray, Designer of the Zip Bicycle, Ralph Ray Engineering, Boulevard,
CA
"S and S Couplings allow us to build a bike for the
active traveler with no compromises. The couplings are perfectly
machined with precise tolerances so our installation is
consistent and quick. The finish is excellent. Customers
report that the lugs are undetectable in use and the
convenience of a portable bike far outweighs the cost."
Christian Jones, Rhygin Racing Cycles, Sommerville, MA
"S and S Couplings are great! When traveling you get the
freedom of a fold up. When riding you get the rock solid
performance only a full sized bike can deliver!"
Peter Weigle, J. P. Weigle Cycles, East Haddam, CT
"I like them, very smart."
Grant Petersen, Rivendell Bicycle Works, Walnut Creek, CA
"Ti CYCLES builds Steel and Titanium bikes which
incorporate the S & S Machine Couplings. These couplings
allow for the ultimate travel bike. Couplings only add a few
ounces to the weight of the frame, they don’t change the
handling or the feel of the bike at all and almost any size
and type of bike can be packed in a standard size suitcase for
travel thus avoiding airline surcharges. We love them and ride
them." - - - "I’ve been traveling with my
coupling bicycle for almost a year and the only thing that I
would have done different is to build one two years ago. There
is no down side to these couplings." - - - "We have
coupled all types of frames, some of my favorite have been the
"Amp-style" full suspension mountain bikes. These
titanium bikes are the ultimate in off-road fun, ready for you to
fly in to Moab (or your favorite off-road Mecca) and ride. We are
talking a full suspension bike that measures travel in
miles."
David Levy, Ti CYCLES, Seattle, WA
"I’ve been building hand crafted frames since 1983.
As an active cyclist I started racing road bikes in 1976. I raced
for many years as a cat 1 & 2 racer and now race as a master.
If you want a folding bike, the S & S coupling is the only
way to go. You can ride your own bike with all the benefits
of a folding bike. I ride mine every day, rain or shine (which is
a must here in Oregon), with no adverse affects."
Mitch LaMoure, Cycles LaMoure, Roseburg, OR
" I think the coupling system is the best thing that hit
the bicycle industry in awhile. I've only built a few coupling
bikes but have had great response from them. I built one for my
dad last year and I've been riding it lately and I love it. It
feels just like any other mountain bike, and even better than
my personal bike. I have been using it off road and it feels
great. I might just have to build myself one." .
Jeremy Sycip, Sycip Designs, San Francisco, CA
"We have been using S&S couplings on our GTR Touring
Trikes, our Sports Tourers, and our Tandem Trikes....Before I
used them I tested them and found they were both stronger and
stiffer than the Cro Mo 4130 frame tubes themselves.
As expected, the trikes built with them have also been slightly
stiffer than that trikes built without them, thus unlike many
folding bikes I have come across, there is a slight enhancement
in the handling, instead of a deterioration, due to frame flex.
Because these stainless steel couplings are precision machined on
a CNC, and have tapered, interlocking teeth, there is absolutely
NO slop when correctly tightened, thus they are also completely
silent. In fact IMHO it is completely impossible to detect
their presence just from the feel of riding the
trike/bike.....Thus I feel confident in recommending the S&S
couplings."
Ian Sims, GREENSPEED, Ferntree Gully, Australia
"BTCs are
the greatest thing since sliced bread! OK, so maybe they're not
quite that good, but they are the single most innovative product
to hit the bike industry since the derailleur. The unique
features of the BTCs allow for many interesting uses. The most
obvious is, of course, to build a bike that breaks into two
pieces (or three pieces for a tandem) for travel. Less obvious,
though no less interesting, is to add more BTCs and use smaller
wheels. This gives you a bike that's as easy to pack as a
foldable, without any of the problems of a foldable. Even less
obvious, and more interesting, is a convertible. No, not the kind
with a removable top. The kind that converts from a single to a
tandem. Or even a triple! I don't think that we've discovered all
the uses for BTCs yet, but I sure am having fun with them! So are
my customers!"
Matt Houle, Bicycle Specialties, Seattle, WA
"Our
demonstrator is a rather elderly and much abused Kona Cindercone,
which has been fitted with BTCs for about five years. The bike
has been used for commuting, offroading, jumping, etc, and almost
every part of the bike has broken or worn out of all recognition.
Apart from the BTCs - they are still as smooth and shiny as when
I fitted them. In normal use, they are completely undetectable -
there's no creaks or clunks (wish I could say that about the rest
of the bike!), no flex and no loosening. My personal opinion -
they are expensive, but not when compared to the cost of a decent
folding bike (or the replacement cost of a new bike when the
baggage handlers trash yours). They do not make your bike fold
really quickly (although if you do not bother with taking out the
seatpost, wheels or stem, you can get to a pretty small package
in 30 seconds) but you get a real bike at the end of it - no
matter what people will tell you, folding bikes always have to
compromise on something."
Ben Cooper, Kinetics, Glasgow, UK
"When folks turn up at our factory who are interested in demountable trikes I
get a buzz out of handing them a coupling and watching their reactions...these things need no words from me, they are quite simply
superb...."
Martin Arnold, LogoTrikes and HPVs, Spearwood, Western Australia
"First introduced in 1993, the S&S Machine Bicycle Torque Coupling (BTC) has revolutionized the bicycle industry and forever changed the image of travel bikes. Folding tandems with non-standard parts have become obsolete"
Dwan Shepard, Co-Motion Cycles, Eugene, OR
"These high precision couplings are beautifully CNC machined in the USA, specifically for cycle
frames using 17-4 (chromium-nickel) stainless steel. The steel is used in a variety of critical applications such as jet engine parts and nuclear reactor components.
The couplings allow the main frame of your bicycle to be separated for easy transport. They are secure, perfectly aligned, strong, durable and undetectable in use."
Robin Thorn, Thorn, Bridgwater, Somerset, England
"The thing that is most amazing about
BTC™ is that they are like the electricity or water in your home. You never think about them. They have worked so well for me that they operate below the consciousness level. They are like the frame tubing on your bike. You just do not think about them after the first few miles on a new bike. A rider often has thoughts in the "back of his mind" about tires, crank arms, even his chain sometimes, but not about his tubing or couplers. Reliable, stiff, strong!"
Bob Davis, Zona Cycles, Peoria, AZ
"Such bikes (S&S Coupled bikes) are a pleasure to take
traveling and the advantage over other designs of folding/traveling bike is that there is no compromise in performance or comfort - it's your bike, built for you."
Chase Robert, Roberts Cycles, Croydon, England
"S&S frame couplers are a superior product that guarantees a quality travel bike. There doesn’t appear to be another system available that allows you to disassemble a single road bike and pack it securely in a hardshell suitcase small enough to travel as standard airline luggage with no oversize charges. Our globe-pedaling customers have been happy with the ease of packing and unpacking their coupler bikes. The S&S bike suitcases also protect the bikes from the bumps and bruises of airline travel."
Brian Myers, Ravello Bicycles, Escondido, CA
" I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and have been flying with my bicycle since I was about twelve. Years of logistically complicated bicycle travel, as well as my tendency to be quite hard on cycling equipment, attracted me to the elegance and strength of the S and S BTC design for myself as well as my customers. I have been training for the Cream Puff 100 Mile Mountain Bike Race on an S and S coupled, 29 inch, rigid, single speed mountain bike for the last eight or so months and I have been continually impressed with the S and S
Couplers -- not only because they actually stiffen the front triangle considerably but also because they have withstood many miles of technical, abusive singletrack, proven to stay tight and they have required little to no maintenance. I have built several S and S coupled bikes for customers and all have been extremely impressed with the ease of travel and durability of the product."
Sam Hall, Ramblumtick Bikes LLC, Missoula, MT
"These couplers are superbly designed and precision machined, whether in steel or titanium, to hold each tube together as strongly as if it were one piece. Naturally, we install them with impeccable workmanship into the tubes; we do this before mitering the tubes and building the frame. The couplers add some weight, but otherwise
the ride quality of the bicycle is exactly the same."
Lennard Zinn, Zinn Cycles, Boulder, CO
In general,
the best systems available are those that provide key functionality, yet often
go unnoticed by the user as a result of the fluid nature in which the system
functions. The S&S Coupler system is
just this type of system – user friendly when you need it, and goes unnoticed
otherwise. The key functionality
that the S&S system provides is take-apart capability.
When the frame is assembled, the S&S system is benign. The performance of
a frame with S&S couplers installed is indistinguishable from the same frame
without the couplers installed. The
mechanical integrity of the S&S couplers meets or exceeds the material it
replaces.
This phenomenon is similar to what one experiences with a great
frameset – the “feel” of a great riding bike - seamless integration of bicycle
frame and rider, such that the bike seems to disappear as a separate entity – as
a leaf is part of the tree, and the tree is part of the forest.
Matt Klucha,
MSH1 Bicycle Works®
" When I'm
not building bicycles I'm riding them. I play a lot of bicycle polo, and this
has me travelling to cities all over the world to play. Anyone who has travelled
with a bicycle knows what a pain it can be dealing with airlines and all of
their extra charges. Riding a coupled bike solves these problems, and other than
the convenience when travelling, you'll never know the difference when you're
riding your bike. I have seen no other solution that works as well as S & S
couplings, so if you plan to travel with your bike S & S couplings are a must!
Justin Gullickson, Star City Cycles
"As a
seasoned and intrepid bike tourist, I specialize in the value of mobility. It's
my mission to provide a finely tuned and intelligently engineered travel bike;
one that can haul you and your gear comfortably, anywhere you want to ride.
Adequately equipped, even the roughest road is a passage... so long as there is
ground beneath your wheels! Of course, this ground-beneath-the-wheels limitation
means that much of the bicycle-navigable world is out of your reach without a
lift. For a conventional bike this means a huge box and a big fat fee, followed
by an anxious wait at the oversize baggage pick-up area, and a big mess of
cardboard and chain grease as you assemble your bike at the airport (since that
oversize box won't fit inside a taxi or airport shuttle.) S&S couplings are
stronger than the tubes they connect, maintenance and worry free when they're
coupled, hassle and surcharge free when they're not. I have them on my own
Littleford and I forget they're even there... until, of course, I have to fly
somewhere. " "S&S couplings... like wings for bikes." Jon
Littleford, Littlford Custom Bicycles
4-2011
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