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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihuxx!gunser
From: gunser@ihuxx.UUCP (John M. Gunser)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: AMTRAK and bikes
Message-ID: <942@ihuxx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Sep-85 12:30:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxx.942
Posted: Thu Sep 26 12:30:22 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 05:39:06 EDT
References: <12153@Glacier.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 32

> I'm taking off on a train journey soon, and AMTRAK says that for $5.00
> they'll sell me a box, and ship it as baggage.  Anyone have any
> experience with this?  They break things?  Am I better off getting
> my own bike carrier/bag?
> 
>   -Barry Hayes

I cycled to Florida earlier this summer and returned via AMTRAK. The
box that you get for the $5 is pretty good sized, and the bike will 
fit with both wheels in place. You do however have to remove the handle
bars and the pedals. The box is made pretty sturdy but for some reason
there is only one set of hand holes cut in the box. This makes for a real
difficult time carrying the box after the bike is packed. In fact what
happens is you can pick up the front by the cut out hand holes and drag
the back end of the box. So what happened to me was that from dragging the
back end of the box the rear tire wore through the cardboard. This in 
turn caused the tire to turn which caused the front chainring to turn
which caught on the tent which was in the bottom of the box. Luckily
the chainring only cut through the stuff sack and not the tent itself.
But that was probabaly done by me as I drug it out of the basement
at Union Station. The bike was too large to be checked with regular 
luggage on the main floor. All considered though the trip was great and
I would just suggest that you cut a second set of handles in the box and 
don't try to put too much weight (tent, sleeping bag, ande panniers like
I did) in the box even though there is room for it. My bike made it 
without a scratch and it even changed trains in Washington DC. Enjoy
the train ride. Good luck if its an overnight trip. Sleeping on the 
train is next to impossible.

				John Gunser
				ihnp4!ihuxx!gunser
				


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