Couplings: Bikefanclub.com

Let me clarify a couple of points in my post earlier today. First, carbon fiber frames are not really fragile, but carbon fiber tubes may not have the impact resistance of metal. You should not, for example, clamp a carbon frame in a bike stand, or you may damage the tube.

Second, I remove the cassette when packing because otherwise, using the standard S&S packing technique of placing the front triangle in the bottom of the case followed by placing the rear wheel on top of the front triangle with the cassette facing down, the cassette teeth may dig into the downtube. I have a small frame and the downtube passes right through the center of the case as long as I leave the fork attached. With a larger frame, the downtube would not pass through the very center of the case. Or, if I removed the fork, I would not have the downtube in the middle of the case. If you review all the different packing methods listed on the S&S page, you'll see lots of variations. Some people remove the fork, and I may try that on my next trip. I removed the front brake on my first trip. On my second trip I simply disconnected the brake cable from the brake. The front brake cable is short and does not have any type of cable coupler. If you leave the fork in the headtube, you can't pull the handlebar very far away from the front triangle when packing. Some frames require removal of the right crank and chainrings. I've found I have to remove the right crank, but I don't remove the pedals. Of all this disassembly, removing the cassette is pretty trivial. Of course, if I find a packing technique which doesn't require cassette removal and is generally quick, I'll be glad to use it.

The cable couplers are large enough that they occasionally will bump the adjacent tubes if you don't pad the frame, especially if the road is rough. I wouldn't worry about it with a brushed titanium frame but I'm sure that bumping could eventually rub the paint off a Calfee frame, and the noise irritated me. Ideally, a travel bike would have cable stops which would hold the cables a little farther from the frame than usual. I just stuck some kind of black adhesive pad onto the frame next to the cable couplers, and the inner tube I pull over the couplers to keep out water also provides a little protection and noise damping.

As far as water in the frame is concerned, I was not surprised by it--my other bike is Trek 5200, notorious for taking on water in the rain. Somewhere on the S&S website or in the instructions I got with the bike there was advice to cover the couplers in rainy weather. I don't think water in the frame is a Calfee defect.

Whatever bike you get, I would suggest a wireless computer; it will make packing the fork and front triangle and handlebar easier not to have wires. I have to slide the sensor off the fork leg when I remove the handlebar from the stem, and I'm always worried about the wire getting pulled loose during packing or unpacking.

Carbon frames are not only less impact resistant than most metal frames, but they are also not very scratch resistant. I think a brushed titanium frame could probably be packed quickly with very little padding, and would make an excellent travel bike. But it wouldn't be a carbon bike, and I love the ride of a carbon bike.

L. D. Lide