Seijun

Has anyone taken their folding bike on a greyhound lately? Is it true that all bikes are charged an oversize fee even if they do not exceed the 62" size limitation?

On a related note, are their any folding bikes under $300 that would be under 62 combined inches when folded? I am looking for something to take up to Portland Oregon about once a month for a 7 mile commute.

Cyclosaurus

If you put your bike into a bag like one of these so it is just another piece of luggage then maybe you will escape the bike surcharge. Pretty sure a Brompton folds down < 62", so I'm guessing other 16" folders may also. Can't vouch for the quality, but you can get a Tokyo Citizen 16" for a couple hundred bux.

Pinigis 

I don't know if there is anything that folks to less than 62" in your price range, but the Origami Crane 8 can be packed into one of pour cases (61.75") with minor disassembly in about ten minutes.

fietsbob

AFAIK your 62" air carrier girth measurement is not important on a Bus. ground transportation.

Wrapping it up to not put greasy dirt on other peoples luggage from your chain, would be advised..

I've put regular bike boxed bikes in the bottom cargo hold.. on busses .

tcs

I'm sure you've read Greyhound's baggage info web page. Looks to me like folded bikes under 62 inches (H+W+L), less than 50 lbs and packaged in a sturdy fabric bag are just 'luggage'.

The manufacturer's published data indicates the Tokyo Citizen 16" bike's packed size exceeds 62".

You should have no problem finding a 1982-1999 Dahon Classic III well under budget on eBay/craigslist that would fill the requirement.



With disassembly, most 20" 'Dahon style fold' bikes can be packed into a std. <62" suitcase (photo courtesy Gaerlan).

ShortLegCyclist

Where are you coming from?

BoltBus serves Portland, OR and as far south as Eugene, and there is no bike fee for BoltBus.

BoltBus is a subsidiary of Greyhound and they even use the Greyhound terminal in Portlant, same drivers, but less cost due to much more limited stops and route times.

I've used BoltBus many times from Seattle to Portland and Seattle to Vancouver, it's a nice service and I would never use Greyhound proper if there was a way to get to the same destination with BoltBus instead.

Seijun

Unfortunately I am in corvallis, and we only have the greyhound

I called the local station manager, and he told me that all bikes are charged an oversize fee even if they are under 62", which seems absolutely ridiculous to me. I called the greyhound customer service number and they were no help. They didn't seem to understand the concept of a folding bike. Then I found this https://theprudentcyclist.com/2011/06...and-greyhound/

I found some threads where people mentioned getting away with folders by calling them something else. My greyhound manager loves rules though, so I don't know if I could get away with it.. Perhaps if I claimed it was a trailer add-on or something, and hope he doesn't recognize it as a bike!

How easy are dahons to disassemble? In particular the wheels.

ShortLegCyclist

BoltBus stops in Albany, OR and that's very reasonable cycling distance from Corvallis, IMO. Just bike to Albany and catch BoltBus there are pay no bike fee.

Dahons are no harder to disassemble than a regular bike other than my Dahon does not have QR wheels so you need to pack an adjustable wrench.

fietsbob

get a ride in a car, to Eugene or Salem and you can use Amtrak ..

Albany is close enough to ride the bike there. I5 is on the main Up Valley route.

Talgo-Amtrak other than the Coast Starlight run, is not fussy

ShortLegCyclist

I'm pretty sure Amtrak stops in Albany, too.

fietsbob

They Amtrak have a Bus too.

Seijun

Yeah, I would have to bike to albany. In that case though I could take the amtrak and not even need a folder. But I need an excuse for a new bike, lol! I think I might just keep my eyes open for a fuji folder, use that as a travel bike, and try to avoid greyhound altogether if I am bringing it along (assuming it will fit me, I am only 5'4").

mconlonx

Maybe you could get away with calling it a golf bag carrier...?

Depends on the Dahon -- the Derailleur models will have wheels with quick releases, and are as easy to remove as with a regular bike; the bikes with internal gears will have some kind of shifter unit and 15mm nuts to deal with.

ShortLegCyclist

You never need an excuse for a new bike. It's the N+1 theorem of bicycling.

CliffordK

There are a few Bike Fridays showing up on Craigslist around Oregon. A bit above your budget, but they are nice.

Bike Friday w/ Travel Suitcase
Bike Friday New World Tourist touring folding bicycle
Bike Friday

Once you get it in the suitcase, it is more luggage than a bike. However, plan on a few extra minutes for the teardown and buildup.


=====================

I just did the Eugene to Portland ride following the "Oregon Scenic Bikeway". Whew... it was long. I hit Corvallis at about the 50 mile point.... cutting that of, and it would be a much nicer ride.

CliffordK

Did you ever find a bike?

This one showed up in Eugene today.

Bike Friday (incomplete) - $400 (Eugene/Springfield)

It sounds like it mainly needs pedals, a seat, and probably a full tune-up. And a case????

ShortLegCyclist

I'm always wary of a seller who spells pedals "peddles."

1nterceptor

Bromtpon folds to less than 62"; but above your budget.
I've used two other folding bikes that don't fold down to 62"; but with a bit of breakdown will fit into a standard suitcase.
Both copy the Dahon fold in the middle and folding stem for the handlebars. Same Samsonite luggage used both times.

Tobukaeru with 20 inch wheels, bought used on Craigslist US$150:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUQN...6zPoymgKaIoDLA

Tokyo Citizen with 16 inch wheels, bought used on Craigslist US$170:
2013 Citizen Tokyo in a suitcase by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Seijun

Hey, thanks guys,
I ended up getting a $40 Marlboro folder. If I need to take it to portland I will just use the amtrak. I plan to repaint it and fit it with all new components. I have read elsewhere that this bike is "not worth it", but I have dreams.


I will most likely be getting the tokyo citizen as well.

CliffordK

Yes, I noticed that... peddling a bike with one pedal. It is a deal since only one is missing (assuming the crank isn't destroyed).

But, the first thing that one often does is replace one's seat and pedals.... so not having them doesn't phase me a bit.

There isn't a good photo of the bars, but I think I'd have to change to drops, and perhaps a few other updates too. BF uses a unique split drop bar.

If it doesn't disappear in a few days, I may snag it and give it a tune-up, but I just bought one

Hopefully that works out for your needs. That is the one with 26" MTB tires? I have wondered a bit about those, but hopefully it works out.

ThorUSA

if the pedal is missing make sure that the threads in the crank are unmolested ....
its possible to re tap alloy cranks ... with inserts .. some bike shops can do that ... but usually its expensive and might be more than the cheap crankset in your bike

just sayin

CliffordK

For transport in a hard case, I think BF recommends removing the pedals, as well as disassembling a few other parts. So, I could imagine a heavily used bike could have the pedal put on and off a few times. Perhaps the seller knows this too

It depends a bit on the level of parts in that build, but I seem to be happy enough to just find two cranks that are the same length and approximate shape without worrying about brand and model. But... it is easy enough to source the correct parts on E-Bay.

TransitGeek

I have traveled extensively with my Brompton and I have no problem with Greyhound or other buses when the bike is folded and covered before approaching the bus. Make sure you do this before any drivers or staff see you, so it just looks like a wheeled suitcase. With Greyhound you still need to get a tag for it so you have to wait in line and you may have to put it on the scale, so just make sure you're comfortable handling it and don't hand it over to anyone except the person actually putting it under the bus when you're about to board. Whenever you can, load it in yourself, so you can stand it up between other luggage and minimize the change that a suitcase will be thrown on top of it. Usually the handlers see that it's an awkward shape so they'll let you do it or at least be careful with it.

Generally in larger cities, where people have seen folding bikes, nobody will give you a problem. I've had more than a few bus drivers say "I wish everyone's bike was that small". But I've also had a few bus lines in the midwest try to charge me a bike fee. I think the only times I've actually been turned away or forced to pay, was when I was running late and rode all the way to the gate before folding it.

L Arnold

Fitting 62" usually give you a few choices.

16" Dahons (EEZZ D3, Jifo Uno and the "coming soon" Visc SL all fit under 62" in the fold.

I have a modification to fit 20" Visc, Vitesse and Mariner bikes into 62" suitcases and bags. You can dissassemble and reassemble the bike in about 2 minutes. This is not as fast as the 16" bikes but it is pretty darned fast. You can normally fold these bikes after the modification as before, but using the mod I can take about 15" out of the measured space for transport.

I have flown within 62" about 6 times in the last year and never had a problem. About half of my trips were with the smaller bikes, and half with my Visc D18.

wesgreen

What's your modification to fit 20" Visc, Vitesse and Mariner bikes into 62" suitcases and bags?