Originally Posted by
alhedges
Probably the best solution for this is to try some higher quality folders. They will be much more convenient for weekend getaways. I've known people with S&S couplers, and they do work well. However, they aren't quick to put together or take apart; you typically have to remove the cranks, derailleurs, front brakes, fork, both tires, cables (although they make separable cables, so this isn't as bad as it sounds), etc. It takes around an hour, although you would likely get faster if you did it every week.
I was indeed having second thoughts about having to take appart the whole bike, even if it's a couple of times.
What are the rules for taking bike on trains; how small do they have to be? Also, I haven't been to France for 10 years, but I thought you could take full sized bikes on a lot of trains?
It's complicated, and unfortunately, the "
English version of our "Bike & train" pages" is 404, so you'll have to check travel forums for infos: The railroad company (SNCF) does a lot of greenwashing about being bike-friendly, but they actually offer less options than in Belgium/Holland/Germany. It really depends which train you want to take: Some (like the Thalys to... Holland) refuse full-size bikes, while some offer a few bike areas where you can hang/put a regular bike, for free or with an extra €10 reservation (but the reservation can't be made online -> go to an SNCF outlet to buy both tickets). So taking a folding or demountable 26" seems like a much more pratical solution.
I guess I'll order a folding bike instead. I did appreciate all the infos above, though :-)