Bus rack users, pls share your tips!
 

Recent change of work location has me thinking of options. One of which is to use the Bus to ferry myself and bicycle part way.
Need some veterans to share their experience and tips.

So how can a metal arm holding the front tire keep the entire bike from toppling over? I wish there is a trial rack that I can practice on.
Also I think it would be difficult to get the bike off if it is placed at the inner rack right?

The ones in my town don't work well with bikes that use fenders on the front wheel, or 29er mountain bikes with large tires. I used it once, and decided it wasn't worth the heartburn.

These are very easy to use, once you get a little practice- even for me- a very small person. With a little practice, you can mount and dismount a bike from the rack in 10 seconds or so. When the bus pulls up to the stop, I hold the bike up in one hand and keep the other free to lift up the latch that frees the rack to be lowered. I pull the rack down with that hand, then lift the bike up and secure it. Same thing in reverse when unloading the bike. The inner racks require more of a reach, but even I manage with my short arms.

Bikes with fenders work fine. You can either put the rack arm over the top of the fender or under it, depending on how much clearance there is between the tire and the fender. I don't own a 29er, though, so I don't know if one of those can be used on a bus rack.

Most people remove panniers from their bike before putting it on the rack, and some transit agencies may require this. I carry my gear in a backpack, as it makes the bike easier to lift and makes it easier for other bikes to be mounted on the rack next to mine. It also helps the near-field view of the bus driver if panniers aren't in the way.

For extra security, I use an extra bungee cord to secure my bike on the rack. I run it from the chainstay crossmember just below the seat down to one of the rack tubes by the wheel tray. It isn't really needed, but it's an extra bit of peace of mind. None of the drivers have ever objected.

No, you just drop the arm and roll the bike off the end. It's a little awkward, but if your town uses the racks like DC Metro does there's a fair amount of room between the bikes.

I take everything off that could bounce loose, or be snatched, like GPS, water bottles, etc. Never an issue leaving the lights on the bike

I've never had an issue, and that includes connector busses to the park and ride that careen down the beltway at 70mph.

One tip: DON"T leave it on the bus. I've only used the racks twice, and for some reason we had to swap busses mid route. Almost left my bike on the other bus. That would have been really awful.

Agree 100% with what the other posters have said. The only caveat I would add is to make sure that the spring loaded arm that extends and holds the front wheel of the bike is secure. With all the abuse these racks take, sometimes the spring breaks or there is a lot of play in the rack. I've only had one instance where my bike was damaged by the rack and that was when I used a rack with an arm that had a lot of play. The driver had to stop suddenly to avoid a car that had cut her off and the bike kind of pitched forward in the rack, causing the rim to bend. It may have happened if the rack was perfect anyway, but the fact that the bike almost flew off and was leaning outward at a 45 deg. angle certainly didn't help.

Like everyone else, I remove panniers, water bottles, cyclocomputer, etc. from the bike before I load it onto the rack. Once on, (and if the rack is in good shape), they are very secure.

If you have a choice, put yours in the outer rack. It feels rude, because this makes it more difficult for the next cyclist to get to the inner rack ... but the driver will love you for it. As one told me one night, they aren't used to driving with the rack down, and having a bike on the end helps them know how close they should stop behind other vehicles.

Thanks for clearing that up, I've been meaning to ask about that.

OP- See if your transit service has a FAQ about the whole bike/bus thing, mine does (look for the "rack-n-roll" section if it doesn't load directly to that section). Just make sure that your tires seat properly and the bike will be fine.

One good thing about using the bus is that it can get you past some sketchy/dangerous parts of town. Downside is that there may come a time when the rack is full and so is the bus. If it's full, expect to be bumped to the next one, and if that is full as well... you might be stuck or wishing that you just went for a longer ride home. Depending on passenger volume, you might want to think about getting a folder for the multi-modal.

Here in Cleveland the buses have a front rack that has 2 rails. The bike's tires sit in the rails and a arm with a hook on the end is pulled up and over one tire.

My bike is a bit too long for the rack so the entire bike doesn't seat in the rail. I put the back tire in first so it completely in and the front tire sticks out a bit. I put the hook over the front tire.

Just a note - the bike racks have become pretty popular and some people are using them for...well let's just say less than real commuting. I've seen people ride their bike down the street - put it on the bus rack - take the bus downtown - and then ride the bike one block to the office. Basically, they are using their bike to save walking 2 blocks. While I don't care if they do this - it only takes 2 people doing this per bus to make it impossible for anyone else to use the racks.

That's actually the rule here- if your bike is the first one on, then you have to use the outer position.

I ride with wide 700c tires, fenders, and a front platform rack on my touring bike, and have never had any trouble getting it to lock securely.

The one piece of advice I have, remember than some buses have 3 spots.

I was waiting at a bus stop, and there just happened to be another cyclist there. Luckily, the rack was empty, so we both were able to get on. The bus was fairly crowded, so I sat towards the back, where I couldn't see my bike. A few stops later, I saw someone's head as they loaded their bike onto the rack. I never panicked quite so much, I was convinced that someone had made off with my bike.

Quite a few transit systems do have a demonstration rack set up somewhere so you can try out the loading/unloading procedure with your bike. Call yours up and check if you still have concerns about it. But as long as your bike is a pretty normal type there shouldn't be any problem. The trough for the tires holds the bike pretty securely and keeps the front wheel from pivoting so the arm over the tire/fender does hold it in the rack very well.

I'd estimate that my bikes have traveled more than 45,000 miles on the front of bus bike racks over the past 3 years, most at highway speeds. in that time i've had ZERO negative experiences. no bent rims, no fenders f'd, no lights falling off, no bike falling off, nothing.

The bike is largely held on the rack by gravity. the wheels sit in a cradle that prevents the bike from sliding around. the support arm goes over the front wheel to prevent the bike from falling over. the support arm provides tension that keeps the bike from bouncing out of the rack. it's a brilliant design. putting the bike on the rack takes no more than 15 seconds on your first try. it's easy, and it's designed to be so.

the bike racks themselves are rated for 250 pounds of static weight. they're actually spec'd so that a maintenance worker can stand on them in a pinch. over the past few months i've been putting my loaded touring rig (30# bike + 30# gear) on the rack daily and have had no problems. the racks also accept tires from 20" to 29" (this includes 700C and 27").

fenders are the Achilles heel of bike racks. "OFFICIALLY" the bike rack manufacturers recommend against using fenders on your bike, but you can make it work easily. if you're in a pinch you can get away with putting the support arm over the fender without causing damage to the fender or risking your bike falling off the rack. my experience over time is that day-in and day-out support arm pressure on the front fender causes additional wear-and-tear to the fender, especially around the fork crown mount (no damage to the fork though, just fender). i've tried two different solutions that are both acceptable: if you have enough room, try sliding the support arm under the front fender. if not, you can simply hack-saw the front fender off ahead of the fork crown. it reduces the effectiveness of the fender minimally but it definitely makes the setup work much better on the bus rack.

my bike normally has panniers, lights, water bottles, and a pump on it. transit agencies recommend users remove all of these accessories from the bike when it's on the rack. i don't. in theory, if your water bottle (light, panniers, etc...) doesn't fall off when you ride it's not going to fall off on the bus rack. in practice nothing falls off.

finally, if you use canti or v-brakes, the end of the support arm (shaped like a hook) inevitably rests right on the brake boss, or just above it. the arm is designed with a plastic cap on the end to prevent the bare aluminum arm from scraping the s#!t out of your canti brake arm. that cap falls off the rack after the first 10 miles of service. all my front right canti brake arms have been scratched to hell. you have to pay to play though, right?

it's really amazing how well these racks hold up to abuse. i've seen racks that were hanging off the front of a bus which was obviously in a front-end collision at some point. rack still worked.

They had a demo rack at the Bike Columbus Festival Friday. I did it. I'm glad I did, because I really had no idea how it worked previously.

Also, someone said to be sure not to leave your bike on the bus. My neighbor is a manager at our local transit authority, COTA. He's told me they get lots and lots of bikes that are left on the bus and are never claimed. Some junk, some very nice.

I use the canti posts for my brakes on my rain bike this means that the caliper hole, which also hold the fender, is available. I put a big bolt through there, all the way through the fork. The spring loaded rack hook sits on the bolt. Does not touch the fender.

Well, come on...share the auction date/place!

My bike is fairly big - its a 62cm frame, and a little bit longer than the rack - and I've got fenders mounted. It seems to do fine when I rest the spring arm just in front of where the fender ends.

Opinion of several bus drivers I know says that most of those bikes were probably stolen so the rider could get to the bus easier/faster.

I've never forgotten my bike on the bus, though I've come close when distracted by the kids and girlfriend.... Have had 2 times where someone attempted to steal my bike off the rack. I always stay as close to the front as I can so I can keep an eye on her.

I had an opportunity to stop a bus driver who was on a break to give me a demo yesterday. It is easy indeed!
The racks that my local transit uses are the staggered type. Basically each rack is biased away from one another left and right sides. This will help with mounting and dismounting of the rear rack.
The driver also advised to use the rack that is positioned to the right of the bus as it is away from vehicles that would pass by on the left.
I gotta try it one day. I am wary of bike theft though. Maybe I should just ride my beater mtb for now.

Transport of NJ has some buses with racks, others have a luggage compartment by the door. Just open 'er up, put the bike in, and get aboard.

Nobody's ever tried to steal my bike this way, but when I've had it on the bus, I've always kept myself close to the front for the same reason...

The Houston bus racks have a spring-loaded arm that reaches out and over the front wheel. I position it right in front of where the fender ends, and my bike is fine.

I recommend telling the driver before you disembark that you need to get your bike. They don't always remember you, and I almost got smooshed in Ann Arbor by a driver who didn't realize I was going to take my bike off the rack. He lectured me :(

[QUOTE=benda18;11143503]
fenders are the Achilles heel of bike racks. "OFFICIALLY" the bike rack manufacturers recommend against using fenders on your bike, but you can make it work easily. if you're in a pinch you can get away with putting the support arm over the fender without causing damage to the fender or risking your bike falling off the rack. my experience over time is that day-in and day-out support arm pressure on the front fender causes additional wear-and-tear to the fender, especially around the fork crown mount (no damage to the fork though, just fender). i've tried two different solutions that are both acceptable: if you have enough room, try sliding the support arm under the front fender. if not, you can simply hack-saw the front fender off ahead of the fork crown. it reduces the effectiveness of the fender minimally but it definitely makes the setup work much better on the bus rack.

my bike normally has panniers, lights, water bottles, and a pump on it. transit agencies recommend users remove all of these accessories from the bike when it's on the rack. i don't. in theory, if your water bottle (light, panniers, etc...) doesn't fall off when you ride it's not going to fall off on the bus rack. in practice nothing falls off.
QUOTE]

I find that if I just position the arm ahead of the fender, everything is fine. That's just as well, because removing lights and fenders from my car would probably be quicker than removing them from my bike.

Paul

Funny you mention that. I'm not sure, but I think they donate them to Goodwill or something similar. The guy used to be a bike mechanic, and wanted to take them home, fix anything broken, and give them away to children at Christmas, but the COTA lawyers said no.