6-4-2010"...S and S Couplers are bomb-proof and literally
have no negatives..."
David Morgan, Technical Editor, Tandem Magazine,
Spring '97
"Of course there is something very disturbing about
cutting a bike in half, but after you've seen it and felt it you
can believe it."
David Morgan, Tandem Magazine summer
"96
"In a few moments, you can pack a full-sized, 700
cc-wheeled bike into a case 10 inches deep and just barely big
enough to hold the wheels. The case will not be surcharged at the
airport. The bike comes up the conveyer; you grab it off the
carousel. When you put the bike back together using the small
tool supplied with your couplers, your bike will act as if it was
always one piece. There is no negative aspect, no way to tell
the frame separates. Uphill, downhill, rough roads, anything at
all. Just like a bike"
Maynard Hershon, Contributor Cycle
California!™ Nov. '96
(Maynard is also a senior writer for VeloNews.)
....."Although the concept of riding a split bike sounds
scary, amazingly, the couplers work so well that there's no
extra play in the frame even when you're hammering."
Jim Langley, Senior Editor/Technical, Bicycling
July '94
....." Although a certified klutz, I slapped the bike
together in less than 15 minutes on my first try."....."I
felt no abnormal vibration or swaying in 100 miles of riding,
even when climbing out of the saddle."
Roy M. Wallack, Features Editor, Triathlete
August '95 (testing a Co-Motion road bike)
....."The torque couplings are superbly well made, and
they reflect the technical competence of S and S
Machine.".... "I can promise you that you won't
notice any difference riding a bike with S and S Couplers.
The couplers add a trivial few ounces of weight. Because they're
beefier than the tubing around them, they add slight stiffness. They
don't creak or groan because the coupling hardware is far too
well made for that. When they are properly tightened (with a
wrench that looks like a bottom bracket lock ring spanner) the
tube now behaves like a solid tube.".... "If you were
squeamish about getting that dream bike sawed in half, let me
assure you: It's a giant improvement with no technical
drawbacks."
John Schubert, Technical Editor, Adventure
Cyclist August '95 (testing a Bilenky Cycle Works touring bike)
....."Hey, we'll admit it. Two years ago at the annual
bike trade show, we saw this system that lets you screw your bike
apart and carry it around in a small case--and cringed. A bike
that comes apart in the middle? Scary. People who see it for the
first time still think it's scary. But after two weeks of
traveling Europe--and downhill racing--with a bike built using
the system, we can say that the damn thing works. It works
beautifully.".... "S and S bikes are real
mountain bikes. For serious off-roading, the ability to have
a bike with suspension and 26-inch wheels is a major plus. The S
& S system lets you take your bike, your size and your
geometry along. That's cool."... "The S and S
coupling system remains the only way to get true dirt pleasure
that folds into a handy pocket size."
Dan Koeppel, Senior Writer, Mountain Bike September/October
'95 (testing a Co-Motion Cycles mountain
bike)
"I logged about 100 miles on a Co-Motion bike
equipped with your Couplings last weekend for an upcoming product
review in Cycling Science. My review couldn't be
easier: The Couplings worked exactly as
they should; i.e., they have no noticeable effect on the bike.
It is rigid in the sprints, there's not a squeak to be heard, and
they go together and come apart with Swiss-watch precision. In
addition, the Couplings are elegant in appearance and to
my eye don't detract from the appearance of a finely crafted
bike. Even after this short exposure I believe a No-compromise
'travel bike' is now a reality.
Chris Rutkowski, Contributing Editor, Cycling
Science (testing a Co-Motion
Co-Pilot)
"The Co-Motion Expresso I tested with the Torque
Coupling System resembled a folding bike in only one way: It
folded. And very neatly, at that. Otherwise, it had the sweet
feel of a stiff Prestige steel road racer. The coupling system
is so strong and light that it just doesn't affect the quality of
the ride. Hard to believe, but it's true."
Bob Howells, Correspondent, Outside
....."One question that came to mind was that of
structural integrity. Would the addition of the couplings weaken
or cause unwanted torsional flex throughout the frame? Smilanick
assured me that tests showed significant increases in tensile as
well as torsional rigidity above and well beyond that of the
original Reynolds 531 steel alloy tubing. Our test bike seemed
well up to the task and supported every claim."
Steve Higginson, Features Editor, Plane &
Pilot January '95 (testing a Don
Walker Cycles road bike)
"S and S Couplings are the ONLY way to chop a bike in
two, and still be able to ride it. Full size wheels. Full size
bike. Full size performance. One snazzy gray suitcase. Riding
around on an S and S equipped Salsa made me feel like James
Bond."
Mike Ferrentino, Editor At Large, Bike Magazine on a Salsa all rounder)
"A press release from S and S Machine arrived on my desk
at exactly the time I was looking for high-end travel bikes to
feature in the 'Cruising Yachtsman' column of Yachting.
The notion of having a travel bike that matched my regular
racing/training mount appealed to me more personally than
editorially, so I arranged to have one sent to my office in New
York.
First surprise: It fits snugly into a hard case that's easy
to wheel around, even in mid-town Manhattan during rush hour.
Second surprise: Unpacking and setup were easy,
though I have to confess I've always bought frame sets and
finished them myself.
Third surprise: Uncoupling the frame and repacking for
transport was easier than I expected. The more often I did
it, the easier still.
Fourth surprise: No way anyone could tell that the bike
has couplers in the frame. Except for a tiny weight penalty,
the Waterford that I tested feels exactly like any
top-quality race bike.
Would I have a custom frame built with S and S Couplers? You bet
your life I would if my hectic business trips gave me any time to
ride."
Dennis Caprio, USCF Masters racer and Senior Editor, Yachting
"I checked the couplings on our Waterford/S&S test
bike after every ride and never found them to be loose.
And as to the integrity of the frame, if you didn't look down,
you'd probably never know they were there. In fact, I
know of one person who used them on a downhill mountain bike and
loved them."
Mark Riedy, Bicycle Guide, November '95
"But yeah, they work. Incredibly well. A
small spanner is all you need to take them apart and they make
the bike ride like they're not there. Which is a compliment if
ever there was one."
Brant , BIKEmagic
(internet review)
"When opened, the maze of parts in the luggage looked
daunting, but it was all padded and uncannily organized. Two
different people found that the bike was deceptively
simple to put together and that the claim of
assembly in a few minutes was not overstated. When
joined, the toothed, stainless steel couplings became completely
rigid and added but about eight ounces of weight. They are
designed to be stronger than the frame in torsion, tension and
bending. A full-size, wide- tire bike with advanced features like
handle-grip gear control miraculously emerged. Performance
was terrific, as one would expect from a normal
Co-Motion, because it was a normal Co-Motion. Most importantly,
the execution was so flawless that there was little commotion
getting the Co-Motion back into the box! For anyone keen on
getting around when getting there, this approach opens up a whole
new road."
Steve Callahan, Cruising World Magazine, June, '96
"The couplings are completely rigid-more rigid than the
tubing itself"
Charles Maurer, Cycle June '98
"Slipped the bike right past the airline baggage check
dude-he can collect that $40 from some other chump. Fit the bike
into the trunk of that compact rental car that was waiting for me
at the airport-no problem."
Karl Rosengarth, Dirt Rag Nov '95 #48
"Even if you're not a business traveler, but you fly to
race bikes or triathlons, then it's a no-brainer. You have to get
your bike ready to fly."
John Robson, Florida
Sports Magazine
"I found that both assembly and disassemble of the S and
S-equipped sixteen-speed Co-Motion Co-Pilot that I sampled took
almost exactly half as long as did building up and knocking down
my own Bike Friday.
Stephan Wilkinson, Pilot Magazine
"And we are unabashed S&S advocates. S&S couplers
make sense on just about any tandem (or single, for that
matter)."....."If you are unsure about S&S
couplers, just imagine that they are to tandems what ferrules are
to a fishing rod: That well integrated and that necessary. You
wouldn't pack around an 8-foot fly rod, would you? So why wrestle
with an 8-foot tandem? Put joints in them and break them down.
Simple."
David Morgan, Tandem Magazine summer
'98
"Well it performs like a solid bike should. Once I
tightened down the coupling, I never noticed it again. No Flex,
no Loss of Power, no Creaking or Groaning."
Patrick Bailey, WWW
Bike Repair Shop (internet review)
"S&S
Bicycle Torque Couplings - You collect your suitcase from baggage
handling at an airport, carry it outside, open it and pull out
your mountain bike. A few minutes wrenching and you ride off.
How? With the rather nifty Bicycle Torque Couplings. They’re
special fittings that allow you to split your frame in two and
reassemble it. Sounds scary? Yep. Although not as scary as the
fitting process, which involves cutting your frame apart and
silver brazing the couplings in. Amazingly, though, when
you ride about you can’t tell they’re there. No
wobbles, creaks or squeaks. They’re pricey at £200
and they cost around £75 to fit, but if you travel a lot with
your bike they’ll pay for themselves because your bike
becomes luggage. Or get a custom frame with the couplings
included. Function: 5/5 Value: 3/5 Verdict: The
best way to travel with your bike - if you can afford it."
Mountain Biking UK, July 1997 Vol 10 No 7 Page 28
"......S&S couplings really work.....if you are at all
serious about riding off road, an S&S couplings machine is
worth considering. The Kona was lighter, faster, and more agile
than the folders - a quality MTB that can be transported safely
and conveniently out to the wilds."
The Folder Magazine
"S&S Machine's BTC couplings are exquisitely machined stainless
steel couplings silver-brazed into the top tube and down tubes. The couplings,
stronger and more rigid than the tubing they replace, actually strengthen the
Co-Pilot. Once tightened with the supplied spanner, they're completely
trustworthy.........S&S coupling locks with safelike security"
Bicycling Magazine, October 2001, Race-worthy
steel road bike that fits in a suitcase by Garret Lai
"Remarkably, once assembled, the S
and S Torque Coupled bike is curiously ordinary. However your bike
would've steered, climbed and descended without the Couplings, that's how it'll
perform with them installed. The difference is in the convenience -- and THAT is
night-and-day."
Maynard Hershon, Senior Writer, VeloNews
6-4-2010
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