Foo - Railbiking anyone?

A few months ago while internet surfing, I discovered the sport of railbiking. If you've never heard of it, I'm not terribly surprised. I certainly hadn't.
I'd describe it, but I think this picture describes it much better.
http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2007/10/gallery_bike_hacks/railbike.jpg
Almost all of the websites I could find were either terribly out of date or were hocking some bizarre 4 wheeled contraption.
So have any of you ever done this before? Live near abandoned railroad track? Know where some are?
I'd really love to try this out, (maybe even build one) except all the tracks around here are very much in use, and as one of the only websites about it I could find states, "It only takes one train to ruin your whole day."

(Mods, if you think this totally doesn't belong here, go ahead and move it. I would have put it in alt/culture, only no one would ever see it.)

Haven't seen it before, but it looks like another good way to thin the herd.

Haven't seen it before, but it looks like another good way to thin the herd.

Looks kinda fun though.

Hey ya'all watch this!

Pretty clever. And as far as getting run over by a train, well, if you can't hear a train coming in time to get off the tracks then you may have hearing problems. You can usually even hear that metallic creaking sound in the tracks long before the train gets there.

Pretty clever. And as far as getting run over by a train, well, if you can't hear a train coming in time to get off the tracks then you may have hearing problems. You can usually even hear that metallic creaking sound in the tracks long before the train gets there.

And you can generally hear the giant airhorn...

I'd try it, looks like fun. :)

I dont think I would use my favorite road bike though, might have to abandon it sometime.

And you can generally hear the giant airhorn...

I'd try it, looks like fun. :)

The MUP I ride to work every day crosses some rails, so I've gotten used to seeing trains without hearing the horn until it's coming to some other crossing down the tracks. It's actually very dangerous. :lol:

Yes, I've rail-biked. There are a lot of inactive tracks Like the NWP route from Napa to 17 miles north of Willits. Start checking out your local steam engine fans to find in-active rails. Using active lines, even if the trains only come by every week or two, will get you grief from local and Railway police.

wait for one to come buy and jump on after. the train would be good to draft

The rails are private property, so the number of places where this is legally allowed is very limited. Even on inactive rails, the rail companies are not interested in any liability issues. However, I understand there are some places where this is allowed.

It strikes me as very impractical because you have to get the rig to and from the tracks and there is no way to pass rail bikers going in either direction. On inactive rails, it would be nice to not have to worry about any kind of traffic though.

It strikes me as very impractical because you have to get the rig to and from the tracks and there is no way to pass rail bikers going in either direction.

That would be damn funny if you met another railbiker coming in the other direction. :D

Haven't seen it before, but it looks like another good way to thin the herd.

+1

Abandoned track? I thought you said it was a sport?

There is a 30 mile abandoned rail here whose ownership is in limbo. Looks like something related to fun.