Bike Tour CO to NY

[briancray]

I'm doing another bike tour from Colorado to New York in the next few weeks. I already have all my gear since I did this six months ago to get here, but I need to get there in 30 days and was wondering if anyone had any luck touring and either hitch hiking or hopping freight trains.

I'm making my own route from Colorado to Iowa and then connecting with the Northern Tier Bicycle Route. I have no objection to other means of transportation, but I'd like to bring all this with me since it's the only stuff I own. However, if someone recommends just taking a backpack I could do that too.

It looks like Union Pacific goes through Nebraska and Iowa, which is where I'll be headed. I've never hopped a train, but I am fairly intelligent. If anyone could help me out in regards to a spot I could stake out to hop on somewhere in early Nebraska this will greatly reduce my trip. I've already looked through the rail forums and I can only find a general area of where the trains go through. Any help on how to pinpoint an exact location would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[wildwerden]

if yr short on time and can hustle up some bucks, a bus should take you and yr bike and gear. check out megabus if you don't already know of it.

 

[Tude]

You'll be heading through where I live in NY. Have done a portion of that bike route when I rounded Lake Ontario a few years ago. Nice route.

 

[Matt Derrick]

if yr short on time and can hustle up some bucks, a bus should take you and yr bike and gear. check out megabus if you don't already know of it.

megabus doesn't allow bicycles. which is kinda bullshit if you ask me.

 

[wildwerden]

megabus doesn't allow bicycles. which is kinda bullshit if you ask me.

that is bullshit but good to know!

 

[Tude]

I'm sure they would allow them if they were in a bike carrier (but I really don't know, never tried a Megabus trip with bike carrier/box - not sure if there are limitations on luggage size) -- or to one of those packaging shops for a box big enough or for cheap I've gone to a bike shop and got a box that a bike came in --- take off the wheels and the pedals and it should fit. I traveled greyhound/train with one. Regular bike carrier was awesome (I rent it from one of my bike clubs) and it was on wheels, regular box was rather awkward I must admit, but got it there.

 

[Matt Derrick]

I'm sure they would allow them if they were in a bike carrier (but I really don't know, never tried a Megabus trip with bike carrier/box - not sure if there are limitations on luggage size) -- or to one of those packaging shops for a box big enough or for cheap I've gone to a bike shop and got a box that a bike came in --- take off the wheels and the pedals and it should fit. I traveled greyhound/train with one. Regular bike carrier was awesome (I rent it from one of my bike clubs) and it was on wheels, regular box was rather awkward I must admit, but got it there.

Boxed or not, Megabus doesn't allow bikes. It's on their website.

 

[Tude]

ahh, sucks

 

[briancray]

ahh, sucks

What about Greyhound? And yeah I looked up megabus and noticed they don't allow bicycles.

 

[Kim Chee]

What about Greyhound? And yeah I looked up megabus and noticed they don't allow bicycles.

Greyhound will take a bike which has been placed in a "bike box" for a fee last I heard. Their rules are probably posted Online.


Btw: even though Megabus does not permit bikes, there are many stories of people getting away with it by disassembling and fitting it into a box that looks like regular luggage. What I didn't see were all the stories of people who tried and failed.

 

[briancray]

Greyhound will take a bike which has been placed in a "bike box" for a fee last I heard. Their rules are probably posted Online.


Btw: even though Megabus does not permit bikes, there are many stories of people getting away with it by disassembling and fitting it into a box that looks like regular luggage. What I didn't see were all the stories of people who tried and failed.

I see. Thanks for the information. I may just ride it out and whenever I get there I get there.

 

[Deleted member 2626]

With trains too you could wait days to hop out. Depends on you and what you ride, weather etc if you can afford the days being that you have to be somewhere

 

[Deleted member 2626]

Or Amtrak too. Bike part way.

 

[briancray]

True, it all depends on elevation really. I did about 50 to 60 miles a day when I came out to Colorado, but with wind and elevation increasing through the mountains it sucked at points. Trains cover a lot of distance so waiting a day or two would not be a big deal. I can look into Amtrak as well, thanks. I may not even end up doing this if this job doesn't follow through. Waiting for a call back. If not guess I'll head west, check out Cali or something.

 

[briancray]

I'm going to end up leaving my bike here and hitch hiking to Buffalo since I won't have enough time before my next job starts. If anyone is in the area and interested in meeting up let me know.