Intermodal Bicycling [transit] [buses] [planes] [trains] [ferries] [folders]

Travel with Bicycles (Air/Rail/Other)

A major resource with information on access to specific airports and railways throughout the world.

Bikes and Transit [top]

• MassBike's Survey of Bikes on Major US Transit Systems

• Northeast Corridor Transit and Bikes
  Bicycle policies for public and private bus and rail from Baltimore to Boston

• Bikes & Skis on Transit in NH, VT, ME & MA
  Kenyon Karl supplements bikemap.com for much of New England.

• Bicycles and Transit: A Partnership that Works
  A pamphlet published by the US Department of Transportation in Adobe PDF format.

• MBTA (Boston) bike rules
  (Bikes on the T History)
  (Bikes and Transit Committee)
  (September 2000 MBTA Bike Rack Pamphlet)
  (Bikes on the Expansion in 2004)

• Massachusetts Transit Schedules
  Kenyon Karl is maintaining schedules for all forms of public transportation in Massachusetts.

• bikes-n-transit Mailing List [archive]
  Internet mailing list discussing how various transit systems deal with bicycles

• The New Electric Railway Journal
  Subscription info and back issues of their e-mail newsletter, "CITYRAIL", with updates on rail transit systems all over the US, are available on-line.

• MARTA (Atlanta)
  Bikes allowed on all trains all of the time.

• New Jersey Transit Bicycle accomodations

Bikes on Buses in Massachusetts [top]

• Boston: MBTA Bike Racks on Crosstown Bus Routes
• Amherst/Northampton: Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has Bike Racks on all of its bus routes in Hampshire County from mid-April through mid-November.
• Pittsfield/North Adams: Berkshire Regional Transit Authority has Bike Racks On all of its buses during "non-winter" months.
• Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Company,
  Carries bikes on their buses "at owners risk at the prevailing tariff conditions."

Bikes on Ferries in New England [top]

New England Ferries which carry bicycles

Bikes and Airplanes [top]

• Logan Airport (Boston)
• Airline policies on carrying bikes At least four days before departure, call the airline you will be using, (and any connecting airlines) for precise policies. Be sure to get a name, phone number, or regulation code so you have some artillery if you get a hassle at the airport. Something in writing is always best. Airline policies are always changing. It used to be universally true that bikes could fly free internationally as your second piece of luggage, but many airlines now charge for international flights. If you have a flight within the US before or after the intenational flight, it's best if you can get all of it on one ticket because then - at least in theory - the international rules should apply to the entire ticket. (from Charles Hansen)

  Sending bikes unboxed is often the least risky way to transport them, though boxed bicycles may present less hassle at check-in time.

• Travel With Bicycles
  How to fly with a bike, including airport bicycle access worldwide

Bikes on Amtrak Trains [top]

• Amtrak's Twilight Shoreliner trains have baggage service and carry bikes between Boston, New York, Washington, Richmond, and Newport News. If you use their box it's $7 and there's a $5 handling charge, plus you have to have a ticket for yourself. The southbound train #67 leaves South Station at 8 PM and arrives in DC at 6:20 AM. The northbound train #66 leaves DC at 8:20 PM and arrives at South Station at 6:55 AM.
• The Downeaster carries bikes on its 4-time-a-day service between Boston and Portland, Maine Bikes may be loaded and unloaded only at the ends and in Wells, Maine. There is limited space per train, and a reservation charge of $5.
• Other trains in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, and New York also carry unboxed bikes.
• Folding bikes are allowed on all Amtrak trains if folded and not put into overhead luggage racks.
• Tandem bikes may be shipped for a fee through Amtrak Package Express (phone 800/377-6914). Also, standard bikes may be shipped this way if they are not shipped as checked baggage. Both tandem and standard bikes must be boxed to be shipped by Amtrak Package Express -- boxes may be purchased at Amtrak stations served by Amtrak Package Express.

  Bike Parking Facilities and Laws [top]

  Because sometimes you can't take your bike with you.

  Folding Bicycles [top]

  • Folding Bicycle Links
  • 2008 Folding Bicycle Review
  • The Folding Society, a UK organization propmoting the use of folders
  • A to B magazine, with reviews of folders
  • Manufacturers:
    • Bike Friday and Bike Tuesday tandem: Road-worthy take-apart bikes
    • Birdy: Suitcase-sized, quick-folding, full suspension from Germany
    • Brompton: Lightweight from England
    • DaHon: Folding bikes from suitcase-sized with 16-inch wheels to 26-inch wheeled MTB
    • Downtube Folding Bike: Inexpensive 8-speed and 9-speed small-wheel folders
    • Montague: Mountain bikes which fold in half and (no longer) tandems which fold in thirds
    • Moulton: The gold standard in take-apart bikes
    • Peregrine Bike Works: Folding bikes with 20-inch wheels and good components
    • Raleigh 20: The classic folding bicycle
    • S and S Couplings: Convert almost any bike into a folder
    • Strida: A belt-drive folder from England

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  Last updated January 6, 2008 by Doug Mink

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