Has Anyone Rinko'd Their Riv? - Follow Up on Yesterday's Rivendell Email

[Steven Seelig]

This is where Bicycle Quarterly and Rivendell come together. 

I'm sure many of you are Bicycle Quarterly readers, like me.  I love reading especially when their travels involve a Rinko'd bike when they take the Japanese bullet train to some far off part of the country and snap the bike together once they get off the train - viola.  But those bikes seem built specifically for that use, and there is little chance my wife is going to let me head to Japan and purchase a custom built one for my use.  But I am intrigued since I live in DC and Amtrak to other cities actually is doable.

BTW: I already have a non-Riv S&S coupled Spectrum bike that I take on plane rides, but that is pain to pack and unpack and then what to do with the suitcase on a short trip.

So yesterday's email got me thinking: Why can't I Rinko my Ram and take it to NYC next time I travel?  So rather than do actually research, I thought I'd ask if folks here have done that, what parts do they use, what are the challenges, and exactly how cool is it to have a Rinko'able bike?

Thanks for any responses.

Steve Seelig

[Steve Palincsar]

Some questions.  Do you have fenders?  If so, they need to be dealt with.  The "ideal" solution for Honjo type rear fender is to split it up at the brake bridge with a connector tab.  If you don't have one move on.

What kind of shifters?  If you have downtube shifters you're already there.  Bar ends or brifters, you need to find a way to separate the shift cables so that you can remove bar and stem.  If you are using downtube shifter boss cable stops the IRD QR stop will help, and you'll need cable splitters on the shifter cables.

Cartridge headset?  Good.  Learn how to undo it and put it back together and readjust it.

I think Rivs already have split cable stops..

Review the "how to rinko" documents to see what you need to do. 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/896043f5-eaba-4e6d-a6e3-f9cde87db203%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

-- 
Steve Palincsar
Alexandria, Virginia
USA

[Bill Lindsay]

I think of a Rinko project as a mechanics workstand adventure. Train travel with your bike is a cycling adventure. I’d recommend pursuing the one you care about more, but I would bet a dollar that you don’t need to rinko your ram in order to have a train adventure to NYC.

I’m in a similar boat. My son is about to leave for UCSanta Barbara in the Fall. I’m planning to annually tour down the coast and Amtrak back home. I will make sure that my bike is compatible with the services Amtrak offers. I do have the rinko concept worked out for my Hillborne if it is required.

Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito Ca

[Tom Wyland]

I've always associated Amtrak with boxed bikes.  Meaning packing your bike in a full-sized bike box so they can stow it a luggage car. Not many of the Amtrak lines have special bike cars where you can bring it on yourself.  Folding bikes (even those with 20 inch wheels) should be allowed for most Amtrak trains, though. They'll be treated as carry-on luggage, essentially.

[Lynne Fitz]

Bikes on Amtrak: https://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard

Several years back, I explored getting with my bike from the DC area to mid-NJ. I looked at the trains, and there WERE trains, but none of them had luggage service or took bikes. Maybe things have changed. Anyway, I decided to ride, and go the scenic route, out to the coast (yes, I know it is called “shore” in the east), cross at the Cape May ferry, and ride up the shore.

I have seen rinko bikes (Hahn Rossman and Jan Heine have both converted theirs). You can buy the parts from Compass (or Rene Herse; can’t keep up with the name changes).

[Lynne Fitz]

Whoops, sorry. Rene Herse doesn’t have a rinko headset, but VO does.

I explored the possibilities for awhile - I have 2 S&S bikes - a Riv Bleriot and a custom Sweetpea, and liked the rinko concept for making dissassembly/packing easier AND being able to take my Honjo fenders along. I eventually gave it up. I’ve had a set of Planet Cascadia fenders for travel, and they’ve done really well.

You can ask me about bolts for removable cranksets, though.

[Steve Palincsar]

Mostly Amtrak is ro-ro or big boxes, remove your pedals and turn bars. 
So Rinko pedals sure wouldn't hurt.

[Eric Norris]

Bill:

If you take the Coast Starlight home, they have limited space on board for bikes, with no need to disassemble anything. Reserve ahead of time—a bike space costs $20.

If they run out of bike spaces (basically, hooks that the bikes hang from in the baggage car), you’ll need to put the bike in a box. Amtrak will sell you one; you’ll need to remove the pedals and rotate the bars, but other than that your bike should just roll in (the boxes are huge). You can also supply your own box. There’s a charge for putting your bike on board in a box, as I recall.

P.S. I’ll be doing my annual ride down the coast in a month. My friend and I are riding to SLO and taking the train back from there. The Coast Starlight is a wonderful train—best part of the route is north of Santa Barbara, which we will unfortunately miss.

--Eric Norris
campyo...@me.com

@CampyOnlyguy (Twitter/Instagram)

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to rbw-owne...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3314195e-773d-7d15-6b15-9e0fa2326585%40his.com.

[Ed Carolipio]

I started looking up this exact thing after reading the newsletter yesterday whilst side eying my 47cm MIT Homer. Not specifically for train travel in the US, but as an option to pack down a full size bike.

Best (brief) resource I found on the web: https://wiki.aalto.fi/download/attachments/110562254/rinko.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1486045861527&api=v2. The most useful of Jan's post for me was this one, and the Rene Herse rinko parts are here.

For my case, I'd get a VO Rinko headset, chain hanger (which Riv sells) or a chain keeper (like this one), and Ritchey breakaway cable connectors. (MKS sells a line of Ezy Pedals for tool less install and removal, and Russ Roca of Path Less Pedaled mentioned an existing MKS pedal can be converted into one.) I'm skipping the fenders but Jan has visuals and general guidelines for the mod.

--Ed C.

[christian poppell]

Hey all,

I went looking for the VO Rinko headset recently and it has been discontinued:

Hi Christian

Yes we have discontinued the Rinko headsets and won't be getting more in.

Sincerely yours

Scott Gater

Its a bummer but the Grand Bois seems to still be available.

Christian

Berkeley, CA

[Takashi]

Here's my rinko'ed Hunqapillar.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77318553@N08/10327422873/

Shifters are on downtube, making it easier to rinko.
Cantilever brakes, which is easier than sidepulls, though I think you can manage it with sidepulls.
Rear fender is not splitted; I just take the whole thing off.

Takashi

[tc]

Can you say Brompton?!

Tom

[Bob B]

Hey Steve,

Bill is right -- there's no need to Rinko to get to NYC via Amtrak.

I did the opposite trip, from here in NYC down to DC a few years ago, the rode to Pittsburg via C&O/GAP. I called and there are particular trains (usually a few per day) that have a storage car for bikes. Fully assembled, I even had some bags on it, it was no problem.

That said, to Rinko your bike would be great for other trips and uses

Bob B

Brooklyn, NY

[Sean Kline]

I, too, have been wondering about Rinkoing my Sam. If you’re flying, don’t you still need a hardshell to protect a Rinkoed bike?

Bill: re: Santa Barbara train adventure, now you just reserve a bike space when purchasing your train ticket and hand your bike to a baggage handler before boarding the Coast Starlight in Santa Barbara. No box needed, but also no roll on service (like the Capitol Corridor). I’m biking Ventura-Ojai-Santa Barbara next weekend before training back to Emeryville.

Sean

[Bob K.]

I take the Vermonter train from Brattleboro to Baltimore every summer after my annual VT bikepacking jaunt. I always use the roll-on service. First year I even squeezed my Troll’s 26x3” tires (barely) with minimal deflation in the hook. Sidenote: Packed the frame bag with about 24 beers that are available in VT and nowhere else. When I got off the train, the ride home was a bit harder than it would’ve been without the beers, but I was pretty satisfied a couple hours later.

I digress, but in sum: I highly recommend Amtrak’s roll-on service.

Bob K. in Baltimore

[Ana Candela]

Hi Steve,

I did a home practice a while ago but have not applied it yet out there in the field. Check out my IG post: https://instagram.com/p/BfcuunNDPHe/. This is not quite Rinko because I had my bike fully disassembled while servicing. Also check hashtags #rinkobike and #rinkobag for others' posts. I’m doing another test later today or tomorrow while servicing my bike and will surely posts more pics.

About Amtrak: I’ve had good experiences, but also very bad ones. Twice I’ve come to find my bike dropped on the floor —with the corresponding scruffs >:-( Thankfully no dings though.
A few things to consider: there are limited spots; check if there’s a surcharge in your area; here in the NW it’s $5 each way, hey, but you can check two 50-lb suitcases for free! You must unload all your bags and panniers from it: once they made me unnattach my EMPTY saddlesack! Another time I came to find out a passenger sleeping in the luggage compartment! And lastly, this is a personal preference, I don’t like the idea of my bike hanging from a hook with all the weight on a small spot of the rim. Sorry to sound so bitter about it, YMMV.

I love traveling by train, but next week I’m headed to Portland and chose the bus instead: while less comfortable than the train, it’s cheaper, more frequent departures, no bike surcharge, and my bike slides sideways in the baggage compartment below.

Have fun with rinkoing your bike! The link posted by Ed above is a great resource, and there’s a more recent article on it in BQ #67 p. 24 for extra Rinko indulgence ;)

-Ana

[Steve Palincsar]

On 5/25/19 1:57 PM, Ana Candela wrote:
> Hi Steve,

>
> I love traveling by train, but next week I’m headed to Portland and chose the bus instead: while less comfortable than the train, it’s cheaper, more frequent departures, no bike surcharge, and my bike slides sideways in the baggage compartment below.
>

How do you pack your bike for bus travel?

[Ana Candela]

I don’t pack my bike for bus travel; I just slide it in. A few examples:
https://instagram.com/p/BY2c7DjjJ3q/
https://instagram.com/p/BomgspMBEZ4/
https://instagram.com/p/BonNCYThyeG/

More examples of trains, buses, cars: #multimodaltraveling

-Ana

[Deacon Patrick]

Wow, Ana! Fantastic. Tips for convincing them to let me do this should I ever need it?

With abandon,
Patrick

[Steven Seelig]

As OP, it is so cool what happens when you spend time away from the keyboard.  The goal here is to walk on with the bike, stuff it in the front part of the car on the top shelf, get off the train and ride away.  So no bike box.

I'm familiar with Amtrak east coast bike transit, and they are very fussy about which trains can load bikes.  It is basically the through trains like the Vermonter that have a bike car that is combined with the baggage car, so it you do it once a year like Bob K, and plan way in advance, it works. And those trains have odd hours and at most 4 bikes per train.  Most trains don't have em.  Hence the question.  I will say that if you want to take a train to Baltimore from DC, every MARC train now has bike hangers, probably much like on the West Coaster.  Baltimore is great, "prettiest place on earth", but I want more (pun sorta).  Check out Streets of Baltimore by Gram Parsons.  So sad.

Bromptons are great.  We rented them in London - got em out of a box at the train station.  But I am at bike limit with wife and all.  To digress, when I told her I was getting a tandem bike for me and junior, she fatefully asked me the wrong question: "where will you put it."  "the garage has plenty of room," I said, and "you only get one question and you neglected to ask if I really need another bike."  She probably won't make the same mistake twice.

Steve P, right you are about the fender issue.  I'd need to get rid of the plastic SKS and get metal ones.  I have the cable disconnects on my S&S bike and like those fine.  They never seem to get out of tune for shifting and brakes are less finicky and work.  

Sounds like the major investment would be the headset and the removable pedals - thanks for the resource recommendations on those that I am checking out now.  Great to have so much knowledge (and opinions) in one spot.

Steve Seelig

[Benz, Sunnyvale, CA]

On Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 8:58:43 AM UTC-7, Sean Kline wrote:

I, too, have been wondering about Rinkoing my Sam.  If you’re flying, don’t you still need a hardshell to protect a Rinkoed bike?

I'll be wary of applying what is essentially a Japanese technique to a foreign environment, without due consideration. I'm not saying it won't work, but I don't know if the US or European luggage handlers will know what a Rinko'ed bike is and treat it with appropriate care, especially if one uses the proper Rinko bag that are unlined. There must be some reason US and European accessory manufacturer seem to offer mostly rigid or structured bicycle carriers.

As for making bikes easier to pack, if one is insistent on brifters, one can save a little bit of time and effort using eTap. I realize this is the RBW Owners Bunch Google group, but getting rid of the cables that require spot-on adjustment (i.e., not brake cables) will make the process straightforward and quicker. The drawback is you'll be limited to 1 or 2 in the front, and 11 or 12 in the back, which may or may not be OK for your intended use.

[Deacon Patrick]

One lad's (my) experience with the Rinko MKS Urban pedals is that within a few months of fixed gear mountain riding I destroyed the attachment bearing so there a large amount of play in the pedal. Standard MKS Urban pedals have held up to a considerable amount of abuse and I am using them on my Gus Boots Willsen as adventure pedals (with MKS toe cage). At least for the riding and torque I love my pedals with, I would just remove my pedals if needed via the allen wrench. Quick, easy, painless. (Worth noting: MKS was great on replacing the pedals ... excellent customer service!).

With abandon,
Patrick

[Steven Seelig]

Patrick, you brute.  Perhaps the major users of the Rinko MKS are not, shall we say, as aggressive in their application.  Though the very idea that a pedal can come off without a pedal wrench is so enticing.  

Steve Seelig

[Ana Candela]

Hi Patrick,

That’s the way it’s done on buses, at least here in the NW, so no convincing to be done ;) I do try to be the first in line when the luggage doors open, so I can slide the bike in first, and then everyone can put their bags around it.

-Ana

[Deacon Patrick]

Lovely, Ana! Thank you. Should I ever need the bus with my bike, I pray the same is true!

With abandon,
Patrick

[Bob Ehrenbeck]

As others have mentioned, the Vermonter (DC to St. Albans, VT, via NYC) does allow bikes on board without the need to box them up -- they've modified the luggage nook of a regular coach on that train so that the bike's rear wheel is hung from a hook. Getting your bike on board through a coach doorway, then rounding a corner to get into the passenger compartment (while having panniers looped across my shoulders) is not as easy as simply rolling it (or handing it off) to a dedicated baggage car, but it works, and the online booking with bike was very straightforward (although they do charge an additional $20, I believe).

Here's a photo from when I took the Vermonter from New Jersey to Massachusetts for D2R2. I removed the front wheel as per instructions for the ride up, but on the return trip, the conductor let me just hang the bike intact, as there was enough room for the bike to hang.

https://flic.kr/p/WHg2Z6

Bob E.

Cranford, NJ