Bike Builder Recommendation
 

I'm looking for a road bike with S&S couplers for travel, etc. I am interested in titanium or carbon, not alum or steel. Am looking for road racing geometry. Which bike builders would you recommend? Don't necessarily need a custom frame. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Where are you? I think that will help narrowing down. Unless you can travel to different place to visit, measure and then go back to pick it up.

If you don't care about custom, maybe just buy a frame/bike and send it to this guys?


Or maybe you can just order a Gateway from Seven directly, if price is not a concern.

Carl Strong makes an awesome custom titanium frame, however he is located in Montana, so unless you're close I'd have a trusted fitter nearby.

Take a look at Kish Bikes and Kirk Bikes. They both build Ti bikes. Kish is a little less expensive.

Here is a link to their pricing:

http://www.kishbike.com/prices.htm


If you want carbon, take a look at Calfee, Parlee and Crumpton. I think Calfee is less expensive than the other two.

http://www.calfeedesign.com/index.htm

I'm in Hawaii. As a result, it easier to buy a new frame rather than ship an old frame to the mainland and back for retrofitting. Am looking for recommendations from people who have had these types of frames built. Who has best build, customer service, price, etc.? Thanks again.

What do you guys think of Lynskey? Thanks

Bill Davidson in Seattle builds a lot of steel and ti bikes with S&S couplers.

A gallery of his S&S bikes is here:

http://davidsonbicycles.com/sands.html

Price list on his website.

How would S&S couplers work on a carbon bike. Don't you have to cut the frame in 2 places and then insert the couplers? Would this not compromise the carbon frame in some way?

http://www.bikyle.com/s_&_s_couplers.htm

As I understand it, Calfee offers carbon frames iwth S&S couplers. I don't know of others and any one who has had one. Any comments? Right now I'm looking toward Lynskey or other builders you may recommend for a Ti frame. Thanks

Anyone have any experience with Lynskey titanium frames?? Thanks.

Zinn bikes in Steel, Titanium or Magnesium with couplers. This page shows travel bikes and has links to other models they have with couplers...

http://zinncycles.com/Zinn/index.php/travel

Beautiful bikes (I'm biased though - as I've got a custom titanium beast from Zinn)

I saw one of the steel Zinn travel bikes yesterday. I was impressed.

I built up a Ti / Carbon Ritchey BreakAway for a friend. It's a nice bike and a good bit cheaper than going with the S&S couplers. He rode it in France for 10 days with no complaints.