Santana Cycles Inc.
Builder Profile

Unrivaled strength and unmatched portability

Until now, high performance tandems couldn't fit inside a small car or private plane. Today, however, S&S Machine's Couplings allow a full-sized tandem to be packed into a suitcase-sized package. 

Frequent flyers will appreciate how a packed Stowaway lives up to its name by traveling through airports unnoticed establishing a four year history of free flights for tandems. On the way to and from airports our optional Airliner SafeCase™ slides into taxis, shuttle-vans, buses and tiny rental cars all without fuss or question. 

Santana Stowaway tandem features

All of the features of our cromoly, nivacrom and titanium models, plus:

An uncompromised ride

Incredible convenience.

8 coupler Stowaway™ Tandems

Immediate delivery: choice of 9 models 

While most builders provide only 6 couplers, heavy plain-gauge tubing and a compromised bottom tube (for a less-than-optimal ride), only Santana combines 8 couplers, lightweight double-butted tubing and twin bottom tubes to create the only packable tandems with undiminished stability, comfort and performance. And while a typical cost per coupler is $200, innovative tooling and streamlined production schedules allow Santana to reduce the price of portability to $125 per coupler. 

Comparison weight: 8 couplers add 2 pounds to steel models. 8 couplers add 1.25 pounds to Ti models. 

Colors: Stealthy Jet Black for easy touch up (Cromoly & NivaCrom models), or Polished (Titanium models) 

Standard sizes: 26î/700c in S, M, L (see chart, page 9) 

Pricing: Any stock or custom CroMoly model: adds $1,000; Any custom NivaCrom model: adds $1,200; Any stock or custom titanium model: adds $2,400 

Built-to-order: For a Stowaway with custom paint, sizing or frame configuration, see page 39

Airliner safe case

Designed and built exclusively for Santana, the Airliner SafeCase is a tough vault-like case with thick foam lining, interlocking edges, full-length hinge, locking hasps, comfortable self-retracting towing handle and recessed industrial-strength rollers. Twice as strong as other cases designed for folding or take-apart bikes, the SafeCase alone is rugged enough to allow you to ship your tandem by truck, UPS or FedEx. 

Size: 27” x 33” x 13” $500 

Order a new Stowaway tandem and Airliner SafeCase together and we’ll throw in QuickSwitch cable unions, auto-extracting crankarm bolts and 30 feet of cut-to-fit frame pads. Further, if you then add full factory preassembly to your order, we will assemble and adjust your new tandem before packing it into the case. Because the Airliner SafeCase is strong enough to allow new tandems to travel by UPS, this option typically cuts new-bike shipping costs by $100.

The best couplers

S&S Machine (BTC®) Bicycle Torque Couplings

Principal features

Precision-tapered teeth lock out all movement between frame sections when the coupling nuts draw the lugs together and are tightened with their included spanner wrench In torsion, tension and bending tests, the couplings prove stronger than the frame tubes When assembled, the couplings hold the frame together in perfect alignment, rigidity and safety.

How it rides — How it ships

Santana’s design uses double-butted tubing and eight couplers for a portable tandem with uncompromised ride quality. Just as important the frame separates into stronger components, enabling a packed Santana to survive the rigors of travel. 

Competitors’ design  uses only six couplers, forcing the use of heavier plain gauge tubing including an inefficient round bottom tube. Not only is the ride quality crippled, the resulting pieces are vulnerable to shipping damage and can be tweaked out of alignment with a three foot fall from a baggage cart.

Packing a Santana Stowaway tandem

Disassembly: 15-30 minutes. (Use standard allen wrenches and included S&S tool) 1. After releasing the front brake cable, use QuickSwitch cable unions to disconnect the rear brake and both gear cables. 2. Remove wheels (and their q-r skewers), seatposts and stoker stem. 3. Remove either four crankarms or pedals (using auto-extracting bolts to remove crankarms proves easier and faster than removing pedals). 4. Loosen captainís stem bolt and slide stem off the top of fork. 5. Unscrew all eight couplers, and set aside the four frame tubes and timing chain that are freed. 

Packing: 15-30 minutes. 1. Place the tandem frame’s front triangle in its case with fork turned inward. 2. As this, and each following layer is added, wrap and pad as necessary. 3. Pack the rear wheel with cogs facing down. 4. Next, pack the tandem frameís rear triangle. 5. After packing the tandemís front wheel, pack all remaining parts where convenient. 

Stowaways--small package, big performance

Unlike a 6-coupler tandem (which compromises frame stiffness with a single undersized bottom tube), our 4- and 8-coupler Stowaways improve efficiency by using dual bottom tubes (and 2 extra couplers).

 

Santana Ti Stowaways

With Ti tubing, couplers and hardware, these are the lightest and best-performing take-apart tandems made. The XXL-size Stowaway frame shown below was custom built for a 7' tall dealer.

Convertible...... Tandem or Triplet?

Can't decide between a triplet for your family or a Stowaway™ travel tandem of spontaneous romantic escapes with your spouse? It's amazing how many couples have faced this difficult choice - and now there's an answer. Just before the close of the millennium Santana solved this age-old problem with the invention of the Cabrio. You could say the Cabrio is both mineral and vegetable, that is, it's a triplet that can be transformed into a tandem by simply removing the center section of the frame, Thanks to its 12 strategically-placed S&S couplers, the resulting tandem or triplet can be stowed in one or two suitcases that will travel through airports unnoticed.


Products and services available utilizing BTCs.

We sell frames and complete bicycles.

Standard frames

Custom frames

Retrofitting services

Construction methods

Frame materials

Purchase from


Contact Information

Santana Cycles Inc.
P.O. Box 206
LaVern, CA 91750

Phone: (909) 596-7570
Fax: (909) 596-5853
e-mail SANTANAINC@ aol.com


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