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Anybody have any expieience taking a tandem on the train from Solano beach to San Juan Capistrano. Amtrak officaialy says the bike must be in a carton and will only be allowed if that particular train has a baggage car. There is also a local train called the coaster, if we use that I think we would have to transfer.
72andsunny
09-02-08, 04:12 PM
Anybody have any expieience taking a tandem on the train from Solano beach to San Juan Capistrano. Amtrak officaialy says the bike must be in a carton and will only be allowed if that particular train has a baggage car. There is also a local train called the coaster, if we use that I think we would have to transfer.
I've ridden (and attempted to ride) Amtrak with a tandem numerous times (Pacific Surfliner, not the Coaster). I have been allowed to wheel the bike onto the baggage car (once), been refused entirely (once), and been forced to break the couplers apart and hang the two halves from the single bike hooks (once).
The key to riding on Amtrak with a tandem is: The conductor has the power to do whatever he/she wants. The other key to Amtrak is: have a backup plan for getting home (even if it's riding the train home, then coming back with the car).
A highly recomended alternative is to bike to Oceanside, then take Metrolink to SJC. The McCreadys (sp?) tell me that they frequently take their quad on Metrolink without a problem--except that Bill has to hold it up, and unblock the doors whenever the train stops (every once in a while the conductor makes them break it in half--which has got to be about tandem sized).
I have never ridden the coaster...but if you can take it to Oceanside, you would be able to switch to Metrolink from there. The coaster website gives this info:
http://www.gonctd.com/coaster_howtoride.htm
There are bike areas on the COASTER. Enter the train car through doors marked with a bicycle emblem and store your bike in one of the spaces provided in the lower level of each train. Simply secure your bike's front and back wheels using the black Velcro straps. Bikes must not exceed six feet in horizontal length, must not have any protrusions and must not block seats, aisles, doorways or exits. Unsecured bicycles are subject to removal from the train. Bicycle lockers are available at COASTER stations. Call RideLink at 511 and say "ride link" when prompted to obtain a locker.