john426

I have a new folding bike and am planning a trip from Niagara falls to Montreal. I see on the Amtrak website that folding bikes are allowed as carry on luggage. Does the bike have to fold as small as allowed carry on luggage? A few years ago I took a trip to Montreal and the conductor was being difficult with the size of people's carry ons. My other choice is to use a "disposable" bike and ditch it in Montreal. John

prathmann

According to their site:
"Folding bicycles under the dimensions of 34" x 15" x 48"/860 x 380 x 1120 mm will be allowed onboard all trains in lieu of a piece of baggage."

https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...=1241210575921

Note that those dimensions are pretty generous.

noteon 

I'd also print out that regulation and take it with you.

And a bungee. Last time I did NY->Montreal with a folder (a few years ago), it came in handy for stabilizing the folded bike.

BassNotBass

It's a smart move on Amtrak's part to allow a folding bike to substitute a piece of luggage. A folding bike that fits under those dimensions certainly weighs less than a comparably sized over-stuffed suitcase.

tcs

Walk on, stow the folders in the luggage bin, go find a seat.

Ozonation

It might be worth having a fitted bag over it so it's not so obvious what it is. And just in case... what the conductor can't see can't be objected to...

prathmann

Good to have a bag to cover the bike both for its protection and to protect other things it may contact. But note that Amtrak's normal carry-on luggage size limit is much more restrictive: 28 x 22 x 14 inches - so a fussy conductor could still object to a folding bike inside a bag just on the basis of its size. As mentioned above, it would be good to carry a copy of the official Amtrak policy on folding bikes just in case anyone raises concerns about the size.

kraftwerk 

you can put it in a huge laundry bag and carry it on.. If it is a one way trip the bag can be packed pretty small and mailed home. Bike? What bike?

smallwheeler

i love this couple:

https://pathlesspedaled.com/2011/01/v...le-for-amtrak/

smallwheeler

BassNotBass

They're great, aren't they? I'd love to meet them on the road one of these days. (What I mean is that I'd like to meet them pedaling their bikes along the same stretch of road as I... not see them on the road like a flattened opossum).

smallwheeler

(/-_-)/

mr geeker

as long as you dont have a 26" wheel folder than you should be able to take it on. 26" wheel folders are definitely outside the amtrak dimension limit. at least mine is anyway.

john426

Hey everybody: thanks for your helpful replies. I have a 20" wheel folder and it is smaller than the Amtrak dimensions. I will take a copy of the website rules in case if I get a fussy conductor.

Tourist in MSN

Agree.

And if they object to the size of the bag, tell them that you put it in the bag to keep your greasy chain and dirty wheels from getting other traveler's stuff dirty. But, if they want you to take the bike out of the bag, you will happily comply.

Some extra velcro straps to hold things together may come in handy too.

K6-III

Just don't bring your folding bike on Acela, otherwise you're fine. (Acela has no room even for a foldie)

In the Pacific NW, the Amtrak Cascades trains even have bike hooks for full size bikes!

kraftwerk 

Its too bad Amtrack is not up to speed* on the european model of roll on roll off with in train bike racks. Down side: It costs about 1/2 the price as the ticket sometimes. (there are ways around this..) It helps for parents with those huge jogger strollers too (for them there is no charge) If you have a folder you just fold it and put it in a luggage rack: no charge! But the roll on roll off is a great thing if you are a commuter and there is a sudden down-pour or if you just want your bike with you on the train.

* speed is really the wrong word here. For longer jaunts the TGV is often faster then taking a plane if you figure in the PITA of going to an airport.

Little factoid: The Acela was originally designed to go A LOT faster but because of a mix-up in calculations from the English to the Metric ( duh!) the rails were spaced too wide so the top speed is shaved off to keep the damn thing from flying off the rails. As a result its top speed is about one third the speed of Europe's fasted train. Sad.
Lastly, the NYC to Chicago train was FASTER 100 years ago than it is today and was more often on time!

Everybody: "Are we not men? We are DEVO! "

BassNotBass

Seriously? I was under the impression that all tracks in the USA adhered to the Standard (Stephenson) gauge of 4' 8.5".

prathmann

Yes, all Amtrak trains run on standard gauge rails. There are speed limitations on the Acela trains that vary in different sections based on characteristics of the tracks (spacing between tracks, condition, other trains using them, etc.), but they are not related to the gauge, or spacing between rails. One exception to standard gauge in the US is the local subway/rail system in the San Francisco area - BART uses a gauge of 5' 6".

jobtraklite

I've been all over the country with my folding bike ever since I found out about the policy in 2008 - long distance, short distance, sleeping car, coach. I had been questioned by the conductor only once, and had gotten complacent and stopped carrying a copy of the policy. But I was questioned twice during a recent 8 train trip from Illinois to San Diego via Chicago and Portland and return via Santa Fe. In the first case, like the earlier one, once I mentioned the word folding, the conductor went about his business.

But in the second case as I was boarding the Southwest Chief in LA, the conductor said positively no bikes of any kind permitted. I just stood there smiling, not saying a word, knowing he was in a tight spot. He quickly relented and had me put it in the ski locker.

Incidentally, the wording of the policy was changed recently. Instead of the vague "aboard passenger cars' is the "on board all trains", which would include Acela. Gone are all the locations you can and can't store them. Unfortunately, folders now count as one of the two carry on baggage pieces. This isn't quite as bad as it sounds, since there are quite a few things, like large baby carriages and I suspect panniers, that don't count. Besides, the general rule is that if you can get on board without causing a commotion, you are good to go.

But as more and more people ride trains and they become more crowded (the old claim that nobody rides trains has become an old wives' tale), something may have to give.

tcs

interestingly enough, San Francisco's famous cable cars are 3' 6" (Cape gauge). Another rare standard gauge exception is the historic 3' gauge rail system in Colorado, a few sections of which are still operated for tourists.