Folding Bikes - S&S Cyclocross?

I've got my S&S coupled road bike that has the awesome ability to fit
wider tires. I've been toying with the idea of racing cyclocross next
year on it, but wonder if I am being incredibly dumb. What do you
think? Should I trust the wonders of S&S to the rigors of CX?

I wouldn't really know but from what i hear S & S couplers are suppossed to be even stronger than the Tubes you install them on. So in theory the couplers should have made your frame a little stronger not weaker. In other words, if your frame is up to scratch to cyclocross,.. well then the coupler's shouldn't hinder you one bit.

Stickerguy, do your couplers ever losen up on their own volition? Mine do even while road riding (yes, probably spec'ed to start), so I'd imagine that'd really happen on tougher terrain. Carry your wrench.

Those couplers should NEVER loosen on their own if torqued down properly. mine neever loosened except once when I first got the bike and was timid about over-tightening the couplers. I learned it's impossible for a normal person to over-torque the coupler with the wrench they give you - so you crank it til you can't crank it no more. to the OP - I would definitely trust the couplers for off-road riding.

Nope the couplers have never loosened on their own. I'm pretty diligent about using the DuPont teflon bearing grease. Thanks for the opinions all.

jeff

I have two bikes (one Ti and one steel) with couplers and it's happened on both. I carry my wrench for this reason, as you're screwed if this happens while riding (though I don't think dangerous). The first symptom is feeling the shifting a bit off as the bike tube elongates a few fractions of a mm.

Claiming that they should never loosen on their own makes no sense. All fasteners do, which is why other environments use lock washers or other compounds to keep it from occurring. Why is the S&S different? And why would the mfctr tell you to always torque it down before riding if that can't occur?


Those couplers should NEVER loosen on their own if torqued down properly. mine neever loosened except once when I first got the bike and was timid about over-tightening the couplers. I

I think this was discussed in the cyclo-cross forum last year, you may want to search there. My recollection of the thread was that people with S&S and cyclo-cross were very pleased.