Depends on bike size, the first time I put my bike in an Amtrak box, I had to lower my stem by shifting spacers to above the stem from below, then one of my bar end shifters was still a problem so I had to pull out the cable and loosen the shifter so that I could twist it around in the handlebar. It might have been simpler to just put the parts in my pocket and leave the shift lever hanging from the cable, but I did not think of that.



The second time I instead removed the handlebars and strapped them onto the bike. Wired computer made it more complicated than I would have desired. Photo is after I pulled the bike out of the box.



My point is that if you have a larger bike frame size, you might want to plan on additional time at the station to get your bike into the box.

I always take my pedals off the bike a day before while still at home, just in case they are on unduly tight. That is a surprise I do not want to have just before I get on the train with the clock ticking.

But, overall I think that the Amtrak bike box is the greatest way to transport a bike, even when I have a larger size frame.