Folding Bikes - Multi-modal Commuting

When you commute with your folder, do you take the train and/or the bus or do you take the bike all the way to your destination? Care to share your experience in multi-modal commuting with your folding bike? I have no experience yet doing this and would like to hear from the group. Thanks.

Andy

I multi-mode. I ride my folder to BART, then take it on the train. BART has restrictions on bicycles which were my motivation to get a folder in the first place ("regular bikes" are not allowed in some stations and on some trains during commute hours; folding bikes are always allowed). Cyclists take a lot of liberties with the restrictions, and BART officials are inconsistent in enforcing the restrictions. On my inbound commute, I almost never fold up my bike. I make it a point to ride in the last, least crowded car and there are normally non-folding bikes present regardless of any "No Bikes" denotation on the arrival sign.

On my homeward commute, I always fold and carry my bike because I board at a station that prohibits regular bikes at the time. Even so, a lot of cyclists waltz right through with their non-folding bikes. Over the past few years, I've definitely noticed a pattern by the station agents: they will usually call out and try to turn away college hipster and professional-looking cyclists while they usually ignore and let pass the more thuggish looking cyclists. This is in or around downtown Oakland.

I've done quite a bit of multi-mode commuting / travel with Amtrak, Greyhound, Metra and South Shore (the last two in that list are regional commuter trains in the greater Chicago area).

My folder is a Dahon Boardwalk S1 (20 inch wheels), and I use Dahon's El Bolso carrying bag. I've never had trouble getting my bike onto any of these options. The only headache I've had is that at 30 pounds it can be a bummer getting my bike onto an overhead luggage rack... especially when I board a train late at night and folks are sleeping. But, it's easy to get the bike in underneath luggage space on Greyhound, and I can usually find floor-level luggage storage on Amtrak.

I've written more detailed accounts of my experiences on a bike-advocacy blog, if you're interested:

http://bikemichiana.org/tag/monkey-bike-chronicles/

My normal commute is completely by bike. However, when I visit my girlfriend in Providence (I'm in Boston) I will take the commuter rail in and ride the rest of the way.

Folders are allowed any time on the Subway or the Commuter Rail train and I've never really been hassled about it. (I've been questioned a few times while rolling my bike down the platform unfolded, but had no problems once I mentioned that it was a folding bike. In fact I didn't even have to demonstrate the fact). Now folders being allowed vs how convenient it is in actuality is a totally different matter. The commuter rail and subway get very crowded during rush hour. I can get by with my tikit without too much trouble, but if you brought a full size folding bike you would not have a very pleasant trip.

When you commute with your folder, do you take the train and/or the bus or do you take the bike all the way to your destination? Care to share your experience in multi-modal commuting with your folding bike? I have no experience yet doing this and would like to hear from the group. Thanks.

Andy

After I had gotten the Dahon Speed UNO, I have started commuting with it on trains and boats. Haven't tried a bus yet, but perhaps next year if I visit Victoria BC using Pacific Coach on my usual museum run or into Tofino BC.
Initially, I NEVER considered multi-modal commuting as I always consider people who do this are weak cyclists. I used to cycle pretty much every where, except needing a boat to cross the channel from time to time. But when I saw at least 2 friends who I know are strong cyclists and had done PBP (Paris Brest Paris) very well and use their folders on commuter trains just to save some time, then I realize it is a viable efficient solutions to longer commute or out of city travels.

I chose the Speed UNO simply because of simplicity and folding size. No cables to worry about. Can be rolled folded and I have the Dahon carrying bag. The size of the bike crucial as well since our old Gen 1 Skytrain here has smaller cars with narrow corridors.

There is no shame commuting by bike with trains, buses and boats as you are helping to green the environment!

I ride my DaHon Curve 8 from my home to the Norwalk Metro (Green Line) station on my way to work (some MUP but mostly roads). When I get there I use my TAP card (Transit Access Pass - like an Oyster in London or an EASY in Taipei) to get in, walk down to the platform and fold my bike.

I ride the Metro from Norwalk to the Harbor Freeway (110/105) station (about 18 minutes usually), unfold bike, walk down more stairs to street level and ride about a mile to work. Repeat in reverse (well, of course I don't ride in reverse!) on the way home.

I've never had a problem with getting my folder on or off the train, and (as noted above) lots of riders with normal size/non-folding bikes board the train when they're really not supposed to. Unlike noted above, I've never seen any Metro officials so there's really no one to stop these riders from boarding. What I have noticed is that non-cycling passengers appreciate the fact that my folded bike is so much smaller (and hence easier to get by/around) than normal bikes.

Sometimes those on the train will ask me about my bike (riders and non-riders alike), just out of curiosity, but no one has ever voiced an objection to it.

Rick / OCRR

Edit: Okay, I said I'd never seen Metro offcials at the stations and then on the way home yesterday I saw Sheriff's Office deputies checking to make sure everyone exiting the train had either a valid ticket or a TAP card. I guess this was one of those "Never say never" moments.

if you brought a full size folding bike you would not have a very pleasant trip.

I don't know about that - I'm in the Boston area, and I have a full size folding bike (http://www.montaguebikes.com) - I've never been told I can't take it on, even if it is crowded rush hour. Basically, I just show whoever that it's a folding bike and they let me go ahead.

For regular bikes , to cross at rush hour there was a Cal Trans sponsored
trailer and van shuttle using the bay bridge, to carry riders and bikes . a buck a head, I think.

a friend of the SF shop I worked in, lived in Oakland, and worked on the baggage crews at SFO
and used the shuttle scheme daily.

Sometimes I do a multimodal commute. I get reimbursed for parking downtown, however to pocket that money, I'll take my car and park as close as possible to a subway stop in a free parking spot. I unfold my cheap dahon and ride and lock it up outside my subway stop. I take the subway downtown and report for duty.

I would not take my brompton and lock it up outside a subway stop. I'm afraid that'll be a tempting target for theives.

I bought my Swift specifically for multi-modal commuting in Portland, OR. In the mornings I ride 3 miles downtown, then take the train to suburban Beaverton, where my work is right next to a station. Most of the trains officially have spaces for just 8 bikes, and the last couple years it's become increasingly difficult to snag a legal spot. And about the same time space started getting tight, our transit agency decided to start enforcing the rules, reducing the effective capacity by a third or more. So I've had to let a lot of trains pass me by, making me late to work or home way too many times.

In a few years we'll supposedly be offered bike storage near where I catch the train on the west end of downtown, which would allow me to avoid even having to deal with my bike on the train, but of course I needed a solution NOW.

The Swift isn't the most compact fold, but it is good enough. I do the quick fold, then quick-release the handlebar/riser and use a nylon strap to cinch everything together. If I stand the bike on its back end, I can easily stuff it into the narrow space in between a hanging bike and the wall. It only takes me about a minute to fold the bike and maybe half a minute to unfold, so I've started doing this even when the train isn't full, to make room for one extra non-folding bike rider who might get on after me. Now I only miss a train when it's SO crowded it's difficult to stand, which is uncommon.

My employer allows bikes in cubicles, and many of my coworkers take advantage of that. One advantage of the Swift is I can quick-fold it in seconds and squeeze it into a cranny where it takes up much less space than a regular bike.

I don't know about that - I'm in the Boston area, and I have a full size folding bike (http://www.montaguebikes.com) - I've never been told I can't take it on, even if it is crowded rush hour. Basically, I just show whoever that it's a folding bike and they let me go ahead.

Ah, I'm not really commenting on whether the mbta attendants will allow it. More that it can a bit difficult when it's super crowded. I've tried using my BF Pocket Llama a few times (granted, it probably has one of the worst folds, Mine doesn't have the folding stem and you can't wheel it around) and getting around in a crowded car was quite difficult.

On a side note, I'm curious why I see so few montagues considering they're a local product. Otherwise, folding bikes definitely seem to be on the rise locally.

Thanks for the replies. I am still mulling over which folding bike to get. Choosing between a Dahon Eco 3 or a Boardwalk D7. Both are used and priced the same. Since I moved to another office I've had to take the bus and a 15-minute walk after. If you asked me last year what I thought of folders, I would've said, "I don't get them." However I've realized that these bikes are versatile. At least that's my opinion after test riding a Dahon Eco 7. I guess my next concern is the bkie's weight and getting on and off the platforms. Another is the change of clothes I need. I did some multi-modal commuting last year but I'd ride my bike to my sister's place and leave it there then I'd take the bus. This year it's a different route. I have to take the bus to work but would have to walk to the bus stop. I'd rather bike than walk.

My folder is a Dahon Boardwalk S1 (20 inch wheels), and I use Dahon's El Bolso carrying bag. The only headache I've had is that at 30 pounds it can be a bummer getting my bike onto an overhead luggage rack... http://bikemichiana.org/tag/monkey-bike-chronicles/

How long have you had thie Dahon Boardwalk? And are you happy with the bike's handling? I read your blog and found the stories interesting. Easy read.

How long have you had thie Dahon Boardwalk? And are you happy with the bike's handling?

I got it early summer 2008, so over three years now. The handling is okay -- it's actually kind of a fun contrast to my other bikes, and it's great in urban areas like downtown Chicago. Several times per summer I use it coupled with Amtrak to visit my family in PA, and that involves a 16-mile ride from the train station in Erie to their house. Despite being close to the lake, it is fairly hilly road, and the single-speed Boardwalk definitely makes me work to get up the bigger inclines. But, I kinda get a kick out of it.

It occurs to me that I wrote most of those blog entries when I was still getting the hang of traveling with a folder. I got flats on my first few "significant" trips and, frankly, those were all major bummers because packing as lightly as possible, I don't carry tools, a patch kit or a pump. However, I switched tires: Schwalbe Marathon Plus in the rear and a Marathon in the front, and I've had many flat-free trips since.

I too take Los Angeles' Green Line train (it's internal volume and layout is rather like a subway or BART car), and I also take the MetroLink train (sized like an Amtrak car) every day to work and back. I ride a Dahon Mariner D7 (think rustproof Speed D7).

On the MetroLink, I never bother folding up the bike, because the trains are large, there are almost always dedicated bike racks in the cars available at my stops (and the racks are right next to the doors), and the trains aren't too crowded. Heck, some trains have dedicated "Bike Cars" with nothing but racks for 20 bikes on the lower levels! I have folded it up a few times on the ML due to overcrowding due to some trains having mechanical difficulties and being shut down. I really don't think a folder is necessary for this type of train.

On the Green Line, on the other hand, it's a different story. All bikes are now allowed at all times on the Green Link (until a few months ago, non-folders weren't allowed during rush-hour; everyone ignored the rule/law), contrary to what a few bike-hating conductors may say. I always fold it on the Green Line because it is so crowded at rush hour. Bike storage area are as far from the doors as possible, so if you need to get on or off when the trains are crowded, a full size bike just pisses people off, whereas the folding bike (when folded) makes people smile, say how cool the bike is, and folks actually make space for me to carry it through!

So I leave it unfolded heading onto the platform, then fold it in 15 seconds as the train arrives, and then on I go with it folded.

It really is a great system, and I really recommend it.

-Warr

this is against the raison d'etre of this particular forum, but have you thought of two clunkers, one at either end of the train/bus journey, doesn't matter if they get stolen, leave locked somewhere.

I've done this, can be easier/cheaper that a folder. Or it would be if I could stop myself from buying folders anyway.

I always fold it on the Green Line because it is so crowded at rush hour. Bike storage area are as far from the doors as possible, so if you need to get on or off when the trains are crowded, a full size bike just pisses people off, whereas the folding bike (when folded) makes people smile, say how cool the bike is, and folks actually make space for me to carry it through!
So I leave it unfolded heading onto the platform, then fold it in 15 seconds as the train arrives, and then on I go with it folded.
Warr

Warr,
I totally agree with your comments about the Green Line, but I do things a bit differently. I always fold my bike as soon as I get on the platform . . . just so I have it done and don't have to deal with it as the train arrives.

When I get on the train, I just step to the "opposite" doorway, i.e. the one that never opens (at least in my experience). I just stand there the whole time, leaving the seats for people who need/want them. Agree too that passengers think the folder is interesting, some even watch me as I fold or unfold it. Not much other entertainment on the Green Line!

And yes, the full-sized bikes are awkward at the very least, difficult for entering or exiting passengers to step around. So I think they appreciate the smaller size of the folded bike. I'm really enjoying commuting by bike and Metro; don't miss the "stuck in traffic" times at all. And my bike/Metro commute takes approx. 15 min. longer than the car commute, so no worries there either!

Rick / OCRR

I multi-mode every day I go to work. I ride 7 miles to the Trenton train station, ride the train for an hour into NYC, ride 2.5 miles to my office; afternoon reverse the process but get off one stop before Trenton. The bike is a somewhat customized Downtube 8H, one of the best bikes I've ever had. It has about 4200 miles on it now.

Before that I rode a Downtube Mini for a few years (9000 miles), and before that a Strida. When I rode the Strida I kept it in a locker at the train station and rode a converted MTB to the station, leaving that in the locker while I was in the city.

Before that I rode a Downtube Mini for a few years (9000 miles)

What ever became of your Mini? Do you still have it? Any current pix of it?

When you commute with your folder, do you take the train and/or the bus or do you take the bike all the way to your destination? Care to share your experience in multi-modal commuting with your folding bike? I have no experience yet doing this and would like to hear from the group. Thanks.

Andy

For myself-it depends on many factors. I prefer to ride my folding bike(s) and avoid using public transit completely whenever possible. If I am constrained by time and/or distance, I fold up (with my older Raleigh Twenty, using it's special augmented straps), bag it, and carry on board. To be perfectly honest, I rather drive though.

Thanks for the replies. I am still mulling over which folding bike to get. Choosing between a Dahon Eco 3 or a Boardwalk D7. Both are used and priced the same. Since I moved to another office I've had to take the bus and a 15-minute walk after. If you asked me last year what I thought of folders, I would've said, "I don't get them." However I've realized that these bikes are versatile. At least that's my opinion after test riding a Dahon Eco 7. I guess my next concern is the bkie's weight and getting on and off the platforms. Another is the change of clothes I need. I did some multi-modal commuting last year but I'd ride my bike to my sister's place and leave it there then I'd take the bus. This year it's a different route. I have to take the bus to work but would have to walk to the bus stop. I'd rather bike than walk.

If you are planning to commute and use the bike a great deal (as I think you are going to do), buy the best bike you can afford. I once had Dahons. They were nice bikes for riding around in the park or other light recreational usages. I simply needed bikes that fold (to protect them from theft and the weather) and have been used far more than the designers intended to be. So my present Brompton-almost 6 years now, and my refurbished Raleigh Twenty with it's uniqe package locking augmented straps fit my needs and wants far better.

Warr,
I totally agree with your comments about the Green Line, but I do things a bit differently. I always fold my bike as soon as I get on the platform . . . just so I have it done and don't have to deal with it as the train arrives.

When I get on the train, I just step to the "opposite" doorway, i.e. the one that never opens (at least in my experience). I just stand there the whole time, leaving the seats for people who need/want them. Agree too that passengers think the folder is interesting, some even watch me as I fold or unfold it. Not much other entertainment on the Green Line!

And yes, the full-sized bikes are awkward at the very least, difficult for entering or exiting passengers to step around. So I think they appreciate the smaller size of the folded bike. I'm really enjoying commuting by bike and Metro; don't miss the "stuck in traffic" times at all. And my bike/Metro commute takes approx. 15 min. longer than the car commute, so no worries there either!

Rick / OCRR

I live in the Los Angeles basin like you two. The difference is....I don't automatically fold my bikes anymore. I have found that when I fold up, some jerk likes to jam their oversize non folding bike in from of mine, making it very hard to climb over and exit out. So, when I ride on most any train (vs. a bus-I always fold up there rather than use the front bike rack), be it MTA lightrail or the heavier Metrolink, I don't bother. I claim my spot just like anyone else as I pay my way too.

Commuting?

Try a Strida. Best invention. Ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRPLz3O431M

http://www.infotec.be/index.aspx?PageId=633072329512714856#cyclotec

this is against the raison d'etre of this particular forum, but have you thought of two clunkers, one at either end of the train/bus journey, doesn't matter if they get stolen, leave locked somewhere.

I've done this, can be easier/cheaper that a folder. Or it would be if I could stop myself from buying folders anyway.

Had a $10 yard sale Bart bike that I used this way. Got back to it once and someone had lifted the grips. Luckily it wasn't a cold day and that was all they took. The homeless practically live in the stations and are quick to capitalize on any opportunity, as well as the usual cast of characters(say buddy, wanna buy a watch?).

I live in the Los Angeles basin like you two. The difference is....I don't automatically fold my bikes anymore. I have found that when I fold up, some jerk likes to jam their oversize non folding bike in front of mine, making it very hard to climb over and exit out. I claim my spot just like anyone else as I pay my way too.

I hear you folder fanatic, but like the recording on the Metro starts out, "Please consider your fellow passengers . . . " So I fold my bike, which makes more room for the cyclists who have non-folders. Plus, by the way, makes it easier for non-cyclists to get around me and my folder.

I pay my way too (TAP!) but honestly, I haven't had any problems with "some jerk," on the contrary, everyone seems to be polite, sometimes excessively so (which I don't mind).

When I get to my stop and a non-folder is in my way, in every instance they've actually exited the train, let me out, then rolled back on (yeah, to the tune of "The doors are closing.").

Of course YMMV, as apparently it has.

Rick / OCRR

When you commute with your folder, do you take the train and/or the bus or do you take the bike all the way to your destination? Care to share your experience in multi-modal commuting with your folding bike? I have no experience yet doing this and would like to hear from the group. Thanks.

Andy

I don't think you should have any problems bringing a folder on a train or lightrail. It's rare to find a train that won't allow folders even during rush hour. The bus is a different story altogether. I find that city buses are easier to bring a folder than a commuter coach which has no place but the overhead rack to put a bicycle. I would be very careful about putting a 25 pound bicycle on an overhead rack in a bus! You could make a dangerous situation.

You didn't state how far you would have to bike? Are there any hills? How far to the bus/train station?

I don't think you should have any problems bringing a folder on a train or lightrail. It's rare to find a train that won't allow folders even during rush hour. The bus is a different story altogether. I find that city buses are easier to bring a folder than a commuter coach which has no place but the overhead rack to put a bicycle. I would be very careful about putting a 25 pound bicycle on an overhead rack in a bus! You could make a dangerous situation.

You didn't state how far you would have to bike? Are there any hills? How far to the bus/train station?

I guess my main concern is the ability to come up with options for me to get to work and back home. It's about 7 miles one way so, 14 miles for both. 14 miles may not be a lot but for someone who lives in a tropical country with no bike lanes and poor road conditions, multi-modal commuting could be the best option. I live in Manila where the temperature on the road could go as high as 96F maybe even higher. Some hills but not steep, lots of vehicles on the road and the rules are somewhat like a guideline. I could ride all the way to work but sadly there is no safe parking place for bicycles in the area where I work. A foldable bike is allowed in the office building so that's why I'm considering this option.

I hear you folder fanatic, but like the recording on the Metro starts out, "Please consider your fellow passengers . . . " So I fold my bike, which makes more room for the cyclists who have non-folders. Plus, by the way, makes it easier for non-cyclists to get around me and my folder.

I pay my way too (TAP!) but honestly, I haven't had any problems with "some jerk," on the contrary, everyone seems to be polite, sometimes excessively so (which I don't mind).

When I get to my stop and a non-folder is in my way, in every instance they've actually exited the train, let me out, then rolled back on (yeah, to the tune of "The doors are closing.").

Of course YMMV, as apparently it has.

Rick / OCRR

I fold it up for purely selfish reasons: I get off at Crenshaw, (on the Green Line) which is mid-line. It is just too much of a hassle trying to squeeze through the crowds for the door when the bike is unfolded. No problem when it's folded; especially when held like a battering ram and saying "Excuse me, please" politely but firmly.

I never fold it on the MetroLink. I paid for my ticket just like the next guy.

-Warr

No problem when it's folded; especially when held like a battering ram and saying "Excuse me, please" politely but firmly.-Warr

True Warr,

That's my technique too; works every time! Also, I don't ride Metro-Line (just Metro), but I don't understand the difference, i.e. why you wouldn't fold it on the Metro-Link. Is there more room on the Metro-Link cars than on the Metro (Green Line for example)?

Rick / OCRR

True Warr,

That's my technique too; works every time! Also, I don't ride Metro-Line (just Metro), but I don't understand the difference, i.e. why you wouldn't fold it on the Metro-Link. Is there more room on the Metro-Link cars than on the Metro (Green Line for example)?

Rick / OCRR

The MetroLink is a wide, spacious Amtrack-like train. The Green line is a narrow subway-like train.

The Bike Racks on the MetroLink are right by the doors. The "bike storage area" on the green line are on top of the hinge that connects cars, and is the furthest away from the doors as possible.

-Warr

I hear you folder fanatic, but like the recording on the Metro starts out, "Please consider your fellow passengers . . . " So I fold my bike, which makes more room for the cyclists who have non-folders. Plus, by the way, makes it easier for non-cyclists to get around me and my folder.

I guess that was one of the underlying reasons why I try to avoid the lightrail when I have one of the bikes with me. I don't like to make a spectacle of myself (as it seems to come unbidden when using one of the folder), or worse yet, accidently run over someone's foot or mark their clothing. And folding the bike seems to encourage the larger bikes to cram themselves right in front of the folded packaged bike. I feel I get it both ways when the bikes go along with me. So when I am forced to use public transit for the last several months, I now leave the bikes at home. End of problems-especially around the Crenshaw area-very troublesome and dangerous. If I am forced to go around there by necessary, the less interaction I have with the other passengers, the better.

I do have the option to "dress up" and hide the covered up bikes like they are actual luggage and I am going to LAX-complete with a foldable luggage cart. But it's too much trouble unless the bikes must or has to be with me.


I pay my way too (TAP!) but honestly, I haven't had any problems with "some jerk," on the contrary, everyone seems to be polite, sometimes excessively so (which I don't mind).

Please don't think that I am saying that you don't pay or way or are a fare cheater. Far from it. But perhaps I use these trains at different times than you do, thus making a far different environment and experience than yours. I am glad for you-really.


When I get to my stop and a non-folder is in my way, in every instance they've actually exited the train, let me out, then rolled back on (yeah, to the tune of "The doors are closing.").

Of course YMMV, as apparently it has.

Rick / OCRR

I wish I had that same experience as you. Perhaps I would bring my bikes back. Though unless a good reason(s) come up, I rather doubt it now. I do look forward to the economy improving and many of the forced-to-bike crowd to fall away and return to driving or move back wherever they came from. Only then the lightrail trains (and buses too) will have the manuvering space and the odd nooks and crannies to place the bikes out of the way of others. I do think it will be quite a while for that though to occur.

Definitely do a sort of hybrid-commute.

I'll either take the Curve SL or a 20" folding bike to work and get picked up by the missus at a certain spot, 5 miles before my place. There is 300ft of elevation on the ride back, so sometimes I will bypass the hill and have her pick me up.

Other times, she drops me off at work and I ride back. It really depends. We have two cars, I just try to drive my 240SX less, since its older. She gets to drive the newer Corolla. So as you can see I sometimes ride just for fun and not to actually "save the planet" since the taking me to work part cancels out my commute back home lol.

My commute is 14 miles one-way either by bike or car taking different routes respectively. Time is an issue. Especially with our 10-month old trouble maker.

When we moved to the Dallas area, I started out as I'd been doing for a few years already, and commuted the whole way. Well, I really didn't care for some of the area I had to cover, so I started buying monthly passes on the light rail. I ended up with about a 26 mile round trip pedal, with a train ride covering most of downtown Dallas. The route I ended up riding was fine, and the nearly empty train on the way to work was ok too (afternoon to night shift), but coming home, I had some close encounters with some of the nastiest people I've ever run across.

I ended up just buying a little pickup truck, and wouldn't you know it... I got fat.

Interesting how seemingly good choices end up working out. Turning bicycling back into a recreational pursuit rather than part of my lifestyle just killed my fitness. In retrospect, I'd have probably tried to find a job either closer to home, or at least on a route I was more comfortable with. Yeah, I was armed the whole time (part of my job), but that actually increases my sensitivity to risk.

What ever became of your Mini? Do you still have it? Any current pix of it?
No, no pix of it lately. When I replaced it it needed a lot of work, and including a front hub overhaul; and in doing that I killed the dynamo hub. One of those situations where I shouldn't have tried to fix it, because it wasn't actually broke (though it sounded like hell). I have to rebuild the front wheel with a new hub, and just haven't got around to it.

I was also having a terrible time with flat tires ever since they replaced the back wheel with a 36H hub and rim. There's something about the 8 additional spokes that put additional stress on the inner side of the tube, and I could not get an adequate rim strip in there. Tubes blow out between the spokes or between the valve and the spokes. Thicker rim strip helped but made it impossible to seat the tires.

Aside from all that, the bike felt used up somehow. I'm sure it was all in my mind, but I didn't trust the bike any more.

The MetroLink is a wide, spacious Amtrack-like train. The Green line is a narrow subway-like train. The Bike Racks on the MetroLink are right by the doors. The "bike storage area" on the green line are on top of the hinge that connects cars, and is the furthest away from the doors as possible.
-Warr

Thanks Warr, Now I understand the difference! I wonder if Metro and Metro-Link are different divisions of the same company, or totally separate? I guess Metro-Link is considered a real train, whereas Metro is "Light Rail." Not that it really matters; just curious. As long as they both allow folders, no problem.

Rick / OCRR

folder fanatic: I wish I had that same experience as you. Perhaps I would bring my bikes back. Though unless a good reason(s) come up, I rather doubt it now. I do look forward to the economy improving and many of the forced-to-bike crowd to fall away and return to driving or move back wherever they came from. Only then the lightrail trains (and buses too) will have the manuvering space and the odd nooks and crannies to place the bikes out of the way of others. I do think it will be quite a while for that though to occur.

Yes folder fanatic, I wish you'd had more positive experiences too and I hope you do when you bring your bikes back. I'm sure you are correct that different areas of the Green Line (and other lines) are more crowded and less friendly than others.

Rick / OCRR

I spent about 4 months commuting the bay area between San Mateo and Sunnyvale in the spring/summer. What I'd typically do is bike/Caltrain/bike using the fast "bullet train" from Hillsdale to Mountain View and have a 2mile/10min and 5mins/15mins at each end. On the return some days I'd do the same route bike/train/bike but other others I'd bike all the way home, adding about an hour to the journey but getting some more exercise.
Some days someone would visit is heading in a car towards my home and I'd put my Brompton in a trunk.
I liked the flexibility, no issue with finding space on the Caltrain, able to fit anywhere, no issue putting trunk of car, and the S6L-X nippy for a 23 mile ride in the headwind when I fancied.

Bike...train...subway or bike...... depending on the weather