DRietz

It's clearly outlined that you are not allowed to take your bike on BART from SF to the east bay after 4:09pm. This is incredibly inconvenient for me because I was planning on leaving SF at 4:30 with my bike.

Have you ever personally or have you ever seen someone breaking the BART bike blackout hours? Is it fairly common? Have you ever seen anyone stopped because of it?

bikingshearer 

Please don't. As a fellow cyclist and BART user, the trains are too crowded then, and who wants to give more ammo to the bike haters?

Instead, go catch the CalTrans 4:40 pm bike shuttle at Main and Folsom. It takes you and your bike to the MacArthur BART station, and it only costs a buck.

DRietz

Oh, I wasn't planning on it, believe me. I just wanted to hear from others about their experiences with this rule.

powpow

Some people get away with it. Some are told not to get on. I wouldn't take the chance.

obiwan kenobi

I've heard the train operators kick the cyclist off the train, holding departure up until they got off. Outbound at those hours is like a sardine can, standing room only.

Beaker

Me too, you'll frequently hear the operator calling out someone who brings a bike onboard and sit at the station with the doors open until they get off.

To be honest I've only done the bike to work thing once across the bay and it was pretty awful. I just about got on the right side of e cutoff time, but when you're sat there with a full size bike blocking the car as the sardines pour in close to Embaradero, it's just not fun.

cccorlew

Just take two bikes, bolt them together with a bar or two, and call it a baby stroller. There's apparently no BART time limit or size limit on those giant SUV-sized four-wheel monsters.

BTW, folding bikes are OK at any time.

DRietz

Yeah, I don't really understand the rule, but whatever.

I now understand your guys' advice. There was a cyclist on the train this morning during commute. We were delayed ten minutes until he got off.

Mueslix

If you don't want to take the bike shuttle, you can also take any number of AC Transit buses across the bay. Assuming other people haven't taken up space in the bike racks.

obiwan kenobi

True and I've seen air port commuters with tons of over size luggage taking up much more room than a cyclist.

morganw

How foldable, though? Brompton & Tikit 16" really teeny only or are bikes like the 20" Pocket Companion OK?

What about this thing? It's carryable, but 96x50x70cm (38x20x28").

I wouldn't try to bring it on at sardine-level crowding (which the OP was talking about), but I'm considering one for South Bay busses, and for SF busses & trams when I visit the city.

I starting to think I'm better off nursing my old recumbent along until I can buy a Streetmachine and buying a Tikit for multi-mode-ing.

Gee3

I think the most common folding bike I see on BART are Dahon's.

ROJA

I don't think BART is specific- any folding bike should be OK. I have a Xootr Swift, which folds quickly (but doesn't get very small) and I've never had a problem. In fact, one of the train drivers once delayed the train for a couple of minutes after I got off because he was really interested in my bike!