The quest for the ultimate travel bike: BTC's

by JFS_PGH on Apr 10, 2009 10:06 AM EDT Comment 1 comment

Anyone have a bike using torque couplings? Or know someone who does? Some impressive names on the list of builders who use them. The folders are sweet, but my legs say it would be sweeter yet to be able to retrofit one of the tandems for ease of travel. (Yes, liking the tandem IS the ultimate wheel-suck on my part, no apologies for that.) Especially as Amtrak and airlines have different rules for tandems and non-tandem bikes. I don't know if they make them for ovalized tubes like the Burley, but the older tandem should work. It sounds like Bilenky replaces oval tubes with round to do the retrofit on Burleys and Santanas. (Not sure how I like that, though if you can trust anyone to make good structural choices, you'd think it would be Bilenky.)

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both the Ritchey Breakaway frame and

c & c couplings have good reputations in the randonneering community as key travel bike options. Some people are happy enough to have a Bike Friday. It really depends on your frequency of planned bike travel as some of the nicer coupled bikes have kinda expensive boxes. In the last few year more costly bike surcharges are out there now for many airlines.

If you don’t travel that much, you might be better off just boxing your own bike, and just pay, and then you get your own regular bike with you so that’s nice.

Have read nice things about Bilinky’s c&c coupling service too, though really not too familiar will Bilenky, and don’t really know.

Suggest always carry on your saddle and shoes, if you’re really gonna need them.

And answering your question without recommending, the ultimate is to get a free bike box from the local bike shop, put your bike into it, and then make it bombproof.

by thisisntthezodiac on Apr 10, 2009 5:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs