jmcneil1

For an Amtrak bike box will I need to remove my Jandd Extreme Front Rack , or
will just removing pedals and turning handlebars suffice ?

sstorkel

When I took Amtrak from LA to SF, I found that I had to remove my bars from the stem. 110mm stem with bars attached hit the side of the box when I tried turning it. Ended up with the bars dangling by the cables and the stem pointed straight ahead.

mulveyr 

Depends on whether the rack is significantly wider than the bike frame.

I've taken my bike on the train using the Amtrak box a couple of times. The boxes are absolutely huge. That being said, if you have easy access to a station, you might want to get a box first and check out what you'll need to do to get it in, first.

Doug64

Just remove your pedals and deal with the bars. The racks stay on. At least on my 58cm LHT. You might get away with loosening the bar clamp bolts and the steerer tube clamp bolts, if you have a threadless headset. A lot depends on where your bars hit your cross tube whether you have to remove the bars.

Way more than you asked, but thought you might like some ideas about handling the rest of your gear.

The empty panniers stay on the bike when boxed. Helmet also goes in box.


All the contents from my panniers go into the light weight yellow duffel bag. We often start our tours from our house by riding the 35 miles to the Amtrak station. In that case the duffel bags are carried near the top our panniers.


When boarding, exiting or catching another connection all you have to worry about is the rackpack, duffel and bar bag. Well, also the bikes. This beats trying to haul around 4 panniers, rackpack, and barbag. The duffel bag, about 5 OZ., goes in the bottom of a pannier for the return trip. While the light weight ripstop nylon looks fragile, I have checked them several times while traveling by air, with no tears. Carry a couple of ziplock bags to put your pedals in and put them in one of your panniers for the trip.

Two duffel bags, 2 rack packs, and 2 bar bags. The panniers and helmets are in the boxes.

jmcneil1

Doug, thanks for the extensive information , appreciate the details.

adventurepdx

Nope, don't need to remove that particular rack. I have it on the front of my LHT and it's never been an issue with Amtrak bike boxes (and I've used a lot of those!) Handlebars might be an issue, especially if they're particularly wide or flared. If they're too wide/flared, you may have to remove them. Though those Amtrak boxes have a bit of "give" since they're so big!

Bike Hermit

When I took the Amtrack from Bakersfield to Merced, CA I really didn't feel like getting a box. When the train pulled in I asked the porter where he wanted the bike and he just pointed at the luggage area. I rolled it in and strapped it to the wall. I took nothing off the bike. I don't know if that works everywhere, especially if the train is crowded. Anybody else done that?

wahoonc

Not on Amtrak in the SE...they want it boxed. FWIW on several of my bikes, I have had to completely remove the handlebars to get them low enough to fit in the box, and in one case the box almost wasn't long enough. I ride XL frames which is probably part of the problem. My children and I routinely ship bikes up and down the east coast between Boston and Fayetteville, NC using Amtrak. It is the easiest and the cheapest way. My daughter shipped her bike as well as most of her household goods from Seattle to Boson using Amtrak. IIRC the total cost for everything was ~$300. Bike was $67 including plenty of insurance.

Aaron

indyfabz

Only a limited number of trains have what's often called "roll on" service. On the vast majority of Amtrak trains, the bike must be boxed.

adventurepdx

These are the trains that have roll-on service:
Pacific Northwest- Cascades
California- Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin, Pacific Surfliner (Surfliner has a couple trains w/o roll on, must box)
Midwest- Downstate Illinois Service, Missouri River Runner
New England- Downeaster
Southeast- Piedmont

The price for roll-on can vary from free (California) to $5 (Cascades) to $10 (Midwest). Some are okay with just showing up, but with others like the Cascades you should reserve it in advance as well.

Here's Amtrak's website on bikes: https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...=1241267371730

Medic Zero

The only racks I can imagine anyone having to remove would be wide Porteur style racks. Even with a 22 inch framed bike with long chainstays I didn't have to remove either of my racks. Unlike the bike boxes that I remember being delivered to LBS, the Amtrak box doesn't require you removing the front wheel. I had actually begged one of those plastic drop-out protectors from my LBS before I used Amtrak but didn't end up needing it because I was pleasantly surprised to find I didn't have to remove the front wheel.

The handlebars on the other hand - I did end up leaving them dangling by their cables/draped over the top tube because it didn't seem to fit in the box just turning them sideways, but I have a high stem, riser bars, and bar ends. I would've liked to have seen the expression on my face when the guy took my bike box from me and casually up-ended it onto it's rear and started dragging it away though! I probably audibly gulped and my eyes where probably huge too! I wasn't expecting that, I might have secured the handlebars to the TT and padded the frame from my stem/handlebars with a cloth if I had realized the box was going to be treated that way!

What I'm wondering is: if I go to folding pedals will they be slim enough folded that I won't have to remove them - given the fact I also have pedal extenders on.

I don't have this brand, but the pic here illustrates the extra width this adds:
https://www.bikescor.com/product/knee.htm

badger_biker 

I had a Jandd on my Specialized Expedition and the only issue I had was the overall length of the bike with fenders was tight and bulged the end of the box out a bit. I have SKS chromoplastic fenders and they took the crunch OK. Metal may not have worked. The Expedition is probably one of the longer bikes ever produced so it may not be a common issue.

jmcneil1

thanks to all for the insight , very much appreciated. looking forward to getting my bike boxed and start the journey !

jmcneil1

Aaron,

Have you ever taken a bike to an amtrak station , used an amtrak bike box and ship a bike , while you take an an alternative method home.
I would like to just ship my bike from New Orleans at the completion of my ride and I fly back to Boston.

thanks

mulveyr 

You can do that if you use the Amtrack Express shipping option. However, you then pay normal shipping rates, not the $10 rate you'd get by shipping the bike in association with your ticket.

wahoonc

Yes, I ship whole bikes and not ride the train. Amtrak takes 16 hours from FAY to BOS I can drive 1.5 hours, fly for 1.5 hours and be in Boston for ~ the same amount of money. The last bike I sent up the east coast on Amtrak cost around ~$55 from FAY to NJ. My daughter sent the same bike from SEA to BOS for ~$67 this past fall.

Aaron

jmcneil1

Aaron , thanks for the info. This is a big help in planning.

Bezalel

I have JandD Extreme racks on the front and rear and didn't have to take either of them off. I had to remove just my pedals and handlebar. (Amtrak claims that the handlebars just need to be turned sideways but this only works with straight bars and short stems)

gpsblake

I use metal panniers on my touring bike.

Here's an example: https://www.amazon.com/Wald-535-Bicyc...1617451&sr=8-3

Will that be too big to fit in a Amtrak Bicycle box or could get it in the box if it dissembled

wahoonc

I don't think the baskets are going to fit in the box, no way, no how. Amtrak bike boxes are 69" long, 41" tall and 8.5" wide.

Aaron

Gravity Aided

I'll have to try the MidWest roll on service sometime . Nowthat they have upgraded the tracks , the train's getting to be a really popular mode of transportation here . Always was , but now more so

indyfabz

See this thread re: shrinking of Amtrak bike boxes:


https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ak-Box-Shrinks

IndianaShawn

You would think by now that Amtrak would have a better method of transporting our bicycles than to require us to disassemble them. It would be nice to be able to buy a "seat" for your bicycle as you can in Denmark.

https://thecityfix.com/blog/in-denmar...n-some-trains/

wahoonc

It would be nice, but unfortunately the way Amtrak is funded doesn't lead to much innovation. They are just struggling to survive...

Aaron