I'm in the process of having a new touring bike built (a Sakkit, by Bob Beckman), and had asked him to put S&S couplers on it, so that it could be a travel bike.

I'm having a few second thoughts about the couplers as I near the top of his queue, and wanted to hear from someone who's done both a folder (such as Bike Friday) and S&S.

Which do you prefer, assuming either short (1-2 day), or medium (1-2 week) tours?

Thanks for any insights.

Sorry I haven't gotten back in touch with you. I forgot!

You already are having this bike built, and I'm sure it isn't cheap. If you hadn't put the money down for it, I'd say reconsider and get the Bike Friday. But since you have already started on it, I say go with the S & S couplers. It's always good that you can compact your bike down for a suitcase easily for travel.

Koffee

Koffee, thanks. I definitely want the Sakkit for serious touring, but was wondering if it would be the best answer for trips where I just want to get in some day rides, or add on a short tour, and thus, don't need to carry scads of gear. Setup and teardown, since I'd have to remove racks, would be larger than with a BF.

So, my real question is whether getting the BF in addition to the Sakkit makes sense (and dropping the couplers from the Sakkit), or if I should try to make the Sakkit serve several purposes.

Believe me, I think the tear down of the BF would equal about the tear down of your bike. I love my BF, and I much prefer it to what I had before, but it's no walk in the park to pack it for travelling either. It's still a great bike for travel, but you still have to be careful with packing and you have to take down the handlebars, fold it up, arrange it just so in the suitcase, etc.

I vote for getting the bike you have and getting the couplers put on it.

Koffee

That sounds good to me. I wanted to hear it from someone with folder experience. This way, I don't have to get yet another bike to fit me.

Thanks for the advice!

No problem. Good luck and produce the pics when you get it!

Koffee

Let me preface by stating that I don't have either a folder or an S&S equipped bike.
It seems that if you could stop the process of having the S&S couplers from going into your new bike at this point that yopu would want to consider a few factors.
What is the price of having the S&S couplers put in vs the cost of owning your folding bike of choice?
What disadvantages are there to having the S&S couplers installed vs the advantages?

I have found with other products that if I try to combine things, sometimes I get a less desirable product ie: a clock radio/toaster oven/can opener that doesn't keep accurate time, doesn't have good speakers, makes OK toast but leaves sharp edges on cans.

If you could have a folder always ready for travel and your Sakkit always ready local use, would that be better?

Definitely do the couplers. I currently own a Dahon folding single, a Bike Friday tandem and an S&S coupled bianchi. the s&s bianchi is a superior road bike, but is less compact when stashed for travel. Coffee is right - packing a folder for travel is not significantly less time cosuming than an S&S, it's just that the package is smaller and easier to tug around. One thing though - actually getting the final bit of packing to squeeze the S&S frame into the hard case is really, REALLY frustrating the first few times. sounds like a great bike - I think you made the right choice.

A couple more thoughts. My job responsibilities changed this year and I found myself on the road 2 weeks a month. In order to keep my sanity, I started looking at folding/ss bikes. I ended up buying a Bike Friday and don't regret it at all. If I took a cycling vacation a couple of times/yr, I would have gone with a S+S bike. Since I travel for business and ride as a form of exercise, I find the BF more convenient.

When you travel for business, you cannot always stay in a cycling friendly area. I can fold my BF, put it in my tiny rental car and drive to the local MUT or park to ride. Also, if you stay in hotels that have a fancy lobby, some hotel managers do not like/allow bikes to be wheeled through the lobby and up an elevator. I can fold my BF and carry into the hotel.

In answer to your question, it depends on what your needs are and how you intend to use the bike

You mean they make combination ,clock radio/can opener /toasters ? Sign me up. What a spacesaver! I have read it is better to get s&s couplings put on when the bike is made rather than later.That way you do not have to a repaint.I have also heard they are a good product.

I have been doing a lot of research and reading on both and my vote is for the S&S coupled bike.

I am having my 1984 Trek 720 retro fitted with S&S couplers. From everything I have read, a S&S coupled bike rides just like a standard bike, no difference.

with an S&S bike you use all the same equipment as you would on a regular DF bike. A folder may require special parts and different sized tires, etc. Just something to keep in mind when traveling, so not be a problem in most places, but it could be.

A Sakkit bike is a top of the line touring cycle with a totally different feel than a Bike Friday. If someone is buying a Sakkit, then a Bike Friday would feel totally different and maybe even unsuitable. I would test ride a Friday first before even thinking of buying one because a 20 inch wheel tourer may suit your particular tastes.

In the end (at least partially because Beckman's schedule keeps slipping), I decided to get a BF as my travel bike. It just came today, and I've toodled around a bit, and like it so far. It's a bit flexy fore and aft, but that doesn't cause control issues, and will probably make it more comfortable