FLCC> bike transportation

[Dan Timmerman]

For continental bike touring and the alternative travel often required, my 
friends and I usually prefer rail travel.

-it's fitting to support a more efficient, earth friendly means of travel 
such as trains when you touring
-the train journey is often scenic and enjoyable and usually a bit cheaper
-last I used Amtrak, they charged $15 to take a bike and provided a large 
cardboard box for a small fee (actually, I think I have gotten them for free 
in the past) that was big enough that you really only had to remove the 
pedals, turn the bars sidways, and roll the bike in. It's been a few years, 
so things may have changed, but it seems much more convenient than stuffing 
a touring rig into a travel case and then paying $100 to take it on the 
plane.

the possible negative aspects are

-a train journey from NY to ID would be a few days
-due to the fact that rail travel isn't so popular here, the routes are not 
as good as they could be

I feel like the positives of using rail travel out weigh any negatives. Like 
I said, that long journey is often enjoyable if you have the time and even 
though Amtrak might not have a station right where you want one, your on 
bike, so you can just ride to the nearest station and get on the train since 
they usually provide a very user friendly box that you can, more or less, 
just roll your bike in and then get off and ride home. Otherwise, you drive 
to get a box, drive home, stuff it in, then drive to the airport or wherever 
and then have to do it all again when you get there. Of course, I would 
check to make sure they still have these boxes and find out what the charge 
now. They could have changed everything, which would make me sound like a 
moron, but I hope not, because I found Amtrak to be a great addition to my 
bike tours in the past.

DT



"Be the change you want to see in the world"
Mohandas Gandhi





>From: "Anna Geraldine Barensfeld" <agb34 at cornell.edu>
>To: flcc at icycle.org, cucyle-l at cornell.edu
>Subject: FLCC> bike transportation
>Date: Wed, 9 May 2007 20:35:41 -0400 (EDT)
>
>hi all-
>
>two friends of mine just arrived in ithaca after at 2200 mile journey from
>idaho on bike. they have no current plan for the return trip and need some
>input on transporting the bikes.
>
>options--
>* US or Canadian railway (bikes and people)
>* bus (bikes and people)
>* shipping the bikes and traveling separately
>
>if anyone has any experience with any of the above (or alternatives),
>please pass it along. they don't even really know anything about where to
>find a bike box for shipping. i haven't ever shipped a bike either, so i'm
>not much help.
>
>thanks. enjoy the weather.
>~anna b
>
>
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