Originally Posted by
pdlamb
One more thing, if you decide to break the bike to ship it (which is why you got the couplers, right?), you'll want to make sure you pad the frame pieces. Murphy's Law means any exposed paint will get rubbed off in a single flight.
Minor Rant: Anybody who's planning on getting S&S couplers on a bike should be aware that padding and a case need to be part of the package, along with ways to disconnect shifters and brakes. Shops that advertise "S&S couplers added to new bike for $500" or "Add S&S couplers to your old bike for just $750" should have a note that the real cost is $400-500 more than that for frequent re-use. IMHO.
On my last flight with my S&S coupled bike, weight was important. The padding that came with my hard sided case was 2 pounds. I didn't take it last time and, instead, wrapped my frame parts with old tubes that I sliced apart and wrapped around them. I secured them with zip-ties. My frame still got dinged, but I saved weight!