Amtrak bike closets -- wheel size
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Eric Nichols
May 14, 2025, 10:46:34 AMMay 14
to New England Randonneurs
Having traveled several times with a bike on Amtrak, I would like to offer a helpful hint. This applies to the Downeaster and the Northeast Regional trains, which share the same carry-on bike hangers. It may also apply more broadly to other Amtrak lines.
The bike hangers are designed to hang a bike by the rear wheel. Amtrak says the bike rack hooks will accommodate tires up to 2" wide. While that's true, it is only part of the story. The hook is shown here:
The other key dimension is the depth of the tire+rim, since the hook needs to pass over both of these in order to hang the bike. The system is not designed for deep-section rims. To fit through the hook opening, the tire+rim need to be less than 75 mm or 3 inches. Here is an example:
This tire/rim combination just barely squeezes through the hook opening. if your bike has a taller tire+rim height, it will not fit on the hook! I have heard stories of bikes being refused because they could not be hung properly. On the other hand, I was once allowed to park my bike in the wheelchair area next to the bike closet. So it may depend on the situation and your conductor.
My bike is extra-tall so, when hung, the saddle sticks out into the aisle. To give passengers more room to walk by, I pull the saddle and seatpost out.
In my experience, fenders and aero bars do not cause any problems with the bike hangers.
I like traveling by train with a bike. Amtrak is slowly becoming more accommodating towards bikes, which we should all cheer.
Eric N
Jake Kassen
May 14, 2025, 11:09:06 AMMay 14
to New England Randonneurs
Thanks Eric. I'm sure that will help some people.
Emily and I took the train from Boston to Philadelphia for the Philly Bike Expo in March. It worked in both directions and ultimately I'm happy this is an option and we didn't need to drive.
But on both trips we had conductors who gave us an "I-don't-like-bikes" attitude and generally made the process more aggravating then it needed to be. On the return trip, we hung our bikes without issue in the space they indicated only to be told a few stops later we'd need to move the bikes to another car. Not the worst thing to happen but annoying to go through the process of walking a bike, wheel, and bags separately the length of a few trains when it would have been fine staying in the original location.
The MBTA has hitch type bike racks in some trains that hold 2-3 bikes without issue. I don't see why Amtrak can't install the same thing in the large area across from the wheelchair seating area. (Or in the wheelchair area with the stipulation bikes need to be moved should someone need the space for the primary purpose.) In contrast to Amtrak, the T is indifferent to bikes.
Jake
PS. For anyone riding the Fleche, we can take bikes from Old Saybrook, CT to Medford, MA on Sunday in our van if that would be helpful. Unfortunately, we don't have a seat for a 3rd person.
Emily and I took the train from Boston to Philadelphia for the Philly Bike Expo in March. It worked in both directions and ultimately I'm happy this is an option and we didn't need to drive.
But on both trips we had conductors who gave us an "I-don't-like-bikes" attitude and generally made the process more aggravating then it needed to be. On the return trip, we hung our bikes without issue in the space they indicated only to be told a few stops later we'd need to move the bikes to another car. Not the worst thing to happen but annoying to go through the process of walking a bike, wheel, and bags separately the length of a few trains when it would have been fine staying in the original location.
The MBTA has hitch type bike racks in some trains that hold 2-3 bikes without issue. I don't see why Amtrak can't install the same thing in the large area across from the wheelchair seating area. (Or in the wheelchair area with the stipulation bikes need to be moved should someone need the space for the primary purpose.) In contrast to Amtrak, the T is indifferent to bikes.
Jake
PS. For anyone riding the Fleche, we can take bikes from Old Saybrook, CT to Medford, MA on Sunday in our van if that would be helpful. Unfortunately, we don't have a seat for a 3rd person.
Jesse Morrow
May 14, 2025, 11:32:29 AMMay 14
to li...@jkassen.org, New England Randonneurs
I would like to echo Jake. I have taken my bike to NYC twice and was ultimately happy both times. But, yes there were some annoyances. The first conductor I got was great and helpful - the other three gave said "I don't like bikes" vibe.
As a taller rider, my bike sticks out and the conductor all four times forced me to remove the front wheel and put the seat post all the way down. (Not a big issue, but I forgot to really tighten the seat post after the first time and mid duathlon had to pull over on the West Side Highway to raise and tighten my seat.) The old baggage car set up with a roll on rack on the Downeaster was way better, but my bike was the only "baggage" the two times I used it, so I understand why they stopped using that equipment.
The first time it was a monsoon in NYC and I took the bike on the subway at noontime - that I do NOT recommend.
As a taller rider, my bike sticks out and the conductor all four times forced me to remove the front wheel and put the seat post all the way down. (Not a big issue, but I forgot to really tighten the seat post after the first time and mid duathlon had to pull over on the West Side Highway to raise and tighten my seat.) The old baggage car set up with a roll on rack on the Downeaster was way better, but my bike was the only "baggage" the two times I used it, so I understand why they stopped using that equipment.
The first time it was a monsoon in NYC and I took the bike on the subway at noontime - that I do NOT recommend.
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Andy G
May 14, 2025, 12:47:42 PMMay 14
to ericni...@gmail.com, New England Randonneurs
Amtrak had announced a few years ago that new upgraded cars were coming "soon" to the Downeaster. I reached out about what the bike accommodations would be (since there were no images showing any) and got a non-answer. It seems like they didn't have the funding anyway, so that was on hold for a while.
I get salty how difficult they make it when the couple of times I rode Amtrak there was plenty of space for a bike without needing the be hanging. Riding trains in SF was maybe the best experience where they have a whole car full of roll on bike service with seats above.
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Sarah B.
May 18, 2025, 9:08:21 AMMay 18
to New England Randonneurs
Also note that there are no bike hangers in business/first class on the Downeaster and they will get weirdly pissy about someone not knowing this and thus having to hang their bike in coach and sit in business.
Charles Coldwell
May 18, 2025, 3:52:07 PMMay 18
to New England Randonneurs
I took a business trip to Manassas, Virginia on Amtrak a year ago and brought my Brompton. Nobody even realized it was a bike; fit right into the overhead luggage area.
I wouldn't want to ride a fleche on the Brompton, although there was that guy who did PBP on a scooter in 2003 ....
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Charles M. Coldwell, W1CMC
Belmont, Massachusetts, New England
"Turn on, log in, tune out"
Belmont, Massachusetts, New England
"Turn on, log in, tune out"
John McClellan
May 18, 2025, 4:04:06 PMMay 18
to Charles Coldwell, New England Randonneurs
Maybe not on a Brompton, but absolutely on an Alex Moulton!
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Ted Shwartz
Jun 4, 2025, 6:43:38 PMJun 4
to john-mc...@att.net, Charles Coldwell, New England Randonneurs
Bring a strap, so your frame doesn’t swing all over the place, especially if you have fenders
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