tourbiker

I just traveled on the BC Ferry’s ‘Coastal Celebration’ from Victoria to Vancouver where there are no bike racks and no place to safely put bikes. The crew member rudely told me to lean my bike against the other bikes that were already there. I was not allowed to find a better spot and had to lean my expensive bike against other bikes with no way to protect them. This has happened on other routes where they have older ferries.

The Spirit class ferries on the Vancouver-Victoria route have bike racks and the crew tend to allow bikes to be put along the sides aft of the racks where they can sometimes be secured. However, an older bike was leaned precariously against mine this morning as there wasn’t sufficient space.

I love riding in the areas served by BC Ferries but is it acceptable to risk damage? Or am I being too picky? BTW, I did discuss this with the ship's Chief Steward who was unaware that there are no racks on that ferry.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

travelinhobo

You must be American. I can't believe this whiny post. What's wrong with putting your bike up against (gasp!) other bikes?? That's how it's been done on many of my boat trips in Europe. I'd love to see how a bike could be leaned "precariously" against another. Is this a real post? My suggestion: pop the ego or stay home.

Happy Feet

That is status quo for BC ferries so you didn't experience anything too unusual. I ride the ferries a lot and try to get in the boarding que early or walk a little faster than the others (but not in a goofy way) so I get a good pick of leaning spots.

Sometimes there are bike racks just back a bit amidships near where the walk on baggage cars park but I actually prefer the wall as you can lean it pretty good. Just dawdle and wait until someone else comes so you can be present and help them lean their bike against yours if it's busy.. This double stacking usually only occurs at peak tourist season, otherwise there is enough room for everyone to single lean.

seeker333

Cover top and seat tubes with an overlapping wrap of old inner tube(s). This will protect finish from scratches, and the tubes from dents to a smaller extent. This is sometimes done by commuters who lock and unlock their bike frequently.

You get similar protection from wrapping tubes with 3M Scotchlite retroreflective tape, but it adds some nighttime visibility/conspicuity.

Doug64

We've traveled on BC ferries with our bikes many times without any problems.

​​​​All the bike tourers in my family carry "ferry straps". The straps are made from a 6' piece of 1/2" tubular nylon webbing with a Fastex side lock buckle. They allow a lot of flexibility securing your bike while on the ferries.
​​

spinnaker

I always have a bungee cord at the ready when boarding a ferry.

spinnaker

Also if you can't afford to have it scratched (or stolen for that matter) then you are riding the wrong bike. Ride something you can afford to loose or have damaged. You will get scratches in many more places than just ferries. I got a pretty good on on a train out of Verona, Italy. I consider them sort of badges of honor. A lot of good memories come with them.

Machka 

Rowan and I have travelled by ferry many times with our bicycles, and there have never been bicycle racks!!

Our experience with the ferry between Vancouver and Victoria, and then Nanaimo and Vancouver was just fine ... pretty much the same as any ferry we've used in various parts of the world.

Big Lew

I've always traveled early in the year before the main tourist season. I've used Washington State ferries a few times,
and I've used BC ferries many times, including the Inside Passage Route and back and forth from Haida Gwaii without
any issues. Never saw a bike rack, but I could bungee my bike tight against the side bumper railing up at the front each
time which allowed me to get off quickly and out of the way. I also had no vandal or theft issues.

gregf83 

We do a group ride once a year to Cedar, near Nanaimo and take a ferry. There is a rack that holds a couple of bikes the rest just get leaned against the side of the ferry. I don't recall having to stack bikes but we may have. We all have decent road bikes and they're always unlocked with our sweaty helmets offering the only protection. I believe the ferries have security cameras that cover the bike storage areas. I've never heard of a theft although I suppose someone could take a bike and stuff it in a van.

reppans

Tourist in MSN

I never took a BC ferry. I took a ferry from Key West to Marco Island, Florida. The ferry company insisted that their staff put our bikes on the ship, and nothing be attached to them. Thus I had to lug my four panniers, etc., onto the ship as carryon luggage.

Later I saw where they put our bikes, with the garbage bags. Photo was taken through a window. No damage was done.

I often have a 6 to 8 inch long piece of foam pipe insulation on my top tube held on with velco when I travel in case I might have to lock up my bike to a steel post or something like that that could scratch the paint. But that is the only protection that i have usually carried on a bike.

Papa Tom

+1 for carrying a bungee or two. Some miscellaneous fabric (for wedging between the frame and the contact point on the ferry) wouldn't hurt, either. And when your bike gets scratched while on tour, do what I do and cover the scratch with a decal from the place you just visited. My entire frame is now plastered with "mementos" from cool places, and I get to look at them for hours at a time when I am riding.

axolotl

I once took a ferry from Wales to Ireland. A ferry worker told me to move my bike to a spot he specified. When the boat arrived and I went down to my bike, I discovered that during the sailing, engine oil had been dripping directly onto one of my rear panniers and onto the sleeping bag bungeed on the rear rack. Oil had penetrated inside the pannier to the clothes inside. I filed an immediate claim in the ferry office. They sent me a check fairly promptly.

I've taken BC Ferries and like others, never saw a bike rack on their boats, or any other ferry boats throughout the world. My last time on BC Ferries was 2 years ago. I was on Washington State Ferries about 10 days ago.

fietsbob

hand rails are on the sides of the drive-on drive-off car decks ..

that is what you tie, with a short length of rope, your bike onto,
while the ship is underway .

used several open ocean ferries , on bike tours over the years..

1st on 1st off is a great advantage..



...

Tourist in MSN

Much smaller ferry, just used the kickstand. Quick trip across.

GP

+2 or 3 on bungee cords. I ride a train everyday where we stack 5 bikes in a 2 bike space so when we did the Pacific Coast tour recently, I brought along an extra for my nephew. We used them on ferries then to hold 1G water bottles to our racks.

coolkat

Some have racks on the horshoe bay-nanaimo run, as I recently found out. I started to lean my bike against the wall on the bottom level, then got yelled at to go use the racks upstairs. Of course, I was on my bikepacking bike, so the tires were too fat for their racks so I got yelled at again before they let me lean it precariously upstairs. The other one I've been on had racks on the bottom level. So it's totally a guessing game.

I grew up in the nw and have ridden wsf and bcferries my whole life, often with bikes, and i still get yelled at basically every time. I do like the ropes they have on wsf though.

tourbiker

Thanks to everyone for the helpful suggestions. I always have a bungie for the ferries (if able to use it) but will add something like a foamie to protect the frame.

I’ve also taken the Washington State Ferries and found that their ropes work well…a simple but effective method. I also haven’t had problems with the smaller Gulf Island ferries. One of the problems with leaning bikes together is that you have to wait until others move their bikes. On busy days on the major routes, I’ve seen bikes stacked up to 5 deep.

With more people biking, and BC Ferries having a bicycle surcharge, I’ll probably write to BC Ferries advocating for racks on ferries, as was recommended by the Chief Steward. But, I think we had a particularly grumpy crew member directing cyclists on last evening's trip.

fietsbob

Remember bungees are elastic and the motion of a vessel on the water can stretch it and then bang things

if not tight enough...

which a Static rope will not allow that kind of motion cycle ..

tension and release..






..

Papa Tom

Yeah, rope seems like a good idea for the reason you stated, but you never know the length you're going to need. A bungee can always stretch that final inch you need to reach a hook somewhere.

GP

You can use a Nite Ize bungee or their figure 8.

https://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-NCJ2...words=nite+ize

https://www.amazon.com/Nite-Ize-F9L-...e+ize+figure+9