Train Commuters, what's parked at the rack?
 

I'm new to commuting, so I've been fascinated by what I see on the racks outside my station. I'm riding an old steel bike that's chipped and rusted with a new looking seat and mismatching wheels (different widths). But most of what I see are completely crapped out MTB's with shredded nylon 1970's bags hanging here and there by string...

There is also indoor parking further from the station, it could be that I'm simply parking where the crappy bike people park. Sounds about right.

What do you see parked at your train/bus station?

The train usually. Then it pulls away just as I step on the platform. d'oh!

Mostly xmart mountain bikes.

My commuter train has plenty of space for bikes, so I don't see too many locked up. People take them on the train. The ones that are locked up tend to be lower-end mountain bikes or older road bikes/tourers.

Train Station #1
Mostly cheap mtn bikes and hybrids varying in state of newness and repair/disrepair. A nice Breezer that is there pretty routinely spring through fall ridden by a middle age distinguished-looking gentleman. A nicer Klein mtn bike, but the owner doesn't usually park it at the rack. He instead uses light poles, chain link fences, etc. to lock it up. It would be much more secure if he used the regular rack locking devices, but whatever, it's his bike. A beach cruiser with a big basket on the front ridden by a older woman who chain smokes (though she usually locks it up elsewhere too).

Train Station #2 (a little rougher area)
Rusty 10-speeds and mtn bikes, especially those sitting there this time of year.

#1 70's vintage roadie with turned up bars and no bartape, occasionally a Surly fixed gear.

#2 One abandoned 26" NEXT on flat tires with the seat and seatpost gone.

I've only seen old junky MTB's. Nice bikes are parked in the bike lockers.

I noted one FG with a touring rack on my way out, but junky MTB seems to be the popular way to go. I'll lock up in the parking garage racks tomorrow and see what's there.

I sort of feel like a nosy neighbor checking out everyone else's bike.

Just about every fence and sign post around both train stations here have multiple no-bike-locking-or-else signs. I can appreciate the effort to reduce chaos, but I imagine things are going to get crowded as it warms.

There's a subway stop in my neighborhood that has maybe a dozen bike lockers. Still, I've seen some days where every parking meter pole, signpost, and tree has had a bike locked to it (the parking meters are doubles, so there's not really a way to slip the bike lock over & off).

It's easier to say what I didn't see: nice, race-style bikes, nice MTBs, and really nice hybrids. No folding bikes, either (wonder why.. ;)).

Yea, mostly beater mountain bikes. Most people around here take their bike on the train (like me). I know CalTrain and bike commuters have been trying to strike a deal for a long time, since a lot of bikers get bumped from trains since the bike car has reached capacity. Thankfully for me, I take the light rail and there is usually an open hook for my bike (though that occurs less frequently when the nice weather comes back).

mostly crappy walmart MTN bikes
1 in 10 with missing wheels.

1 in 20 has fenders, half of them being the dumb snap on kind that don't cover anything.

When I was mix-mode commuting, I saw dept store bikes, older mtn bikes and hybrids, 70s and 80s 10/12sp beaters, even some older 3spds. Not a lot of newer bikes. Mine, however, was one of them... until it got stolen one day, cable lock cut. Then I switched to my backup beater commuter with a lot more hefty of a lock... and started commuting by bike the whole way in.

I'd say the missing wheel ratio is more like 1 in 8 in New Haven. There seem to be Zero bike racks in Bridgeport at the train station. There is one fish shaped one near the connected Bus station, but that's 200 plus yards away.

Man, if I saw those "crappy" 70's and 80's road bikes on the rack, I'd start leaving notes.

I'm using a thick-er cable lock on my beater, maybe it'll be cut one day, maybe not, but I don't want to bother with a $50 worth of cable lock+U lock on a $40 bike... too much cost, hassle, weight.

My tune may change if it ever gats taken, but we'll see.

You're in the market for a Free Spirit?

lol I saw your bike!!!!

Beater Mountain Bikes are the vaast majority at most stations. The occational low end hybrid. Plus the 60's-80's 10 speeds. Especially Schwinn Varsities and Continentals. (They never die, and they were made right here in CHicago) If I'm there at the right times, I see a few nice Fixies and Singlespeeds in the hipper neighborhoods.

Yeah, we have that... plus one BMX bike, a 70's Schwinn Varsity, and a Bianchi commuter of some sort. Occasionally there'll be a nicer vintage steel bike. Most of the bikes on the racks are not optimized for commuting; I think the guys who really care get a locker if they can.