Travelling with a bike (how to get answers)

[MikeG]

I'm trying to go on Amtrak Missouri River Runner Friday the 30th from Kansas City to Sedalia MO. The 4pm train has no open spots in the bike carrier. Looking at Amtraks web site for bikes, I have a few ways to do this:

Carry on Bike Service: Standard full-size bicycles may be carried on and stored onboard in bicycle racks on these select certain trains. Specially Designated Spaces Only. Bicycles must be stored in the designated racks within the body of the car. On trains with unreserved carry-on bicycle service, racks are available at a first-come, first-serve basis. When the racks are full, bikes will no longer be accepted onboard.

Trainside Checked Bike Service: Standard full-size bicycles may be transported in bicycle racks located in the baggage car. Passengers are not allowed in baggage cars, so Amtrak personnel will store and secure your bike in the bike racks. Before handing your bicycle to an Amtrak crew member, please remove any large seat/saddlebags, handlebar bags or panniers. These items must be consolidated and either checked or carried with you onto the train. This service is only available at select stations. Advance reservations are required.

Boxed Bike in Checked Baggage: Bicycles may be checked on Amtrak between all cities where checked baggage is offered. Not all trains or locations are equipped to handle checked baggage. Find your station(s) to see if this service is available.

The Missouri River Runner does not have checked baggage service, which leads me to wonder what happens to oversize bage? Am I able to carry it on and store in the area for oversize bags?

FWIW, I called amtrak. They were less than helpful. They said no, but were unable to explain what the policy is for oversize bags on trains that do not have checked baggage. It's not clear if I am allowed to have oversize bags (boxed bike) at all on the train of if they just don't offer the service for checking bags.

 

[velotrain]

Good luck. The case for folding bikes. One option might be shipping the bike separately - is there a bus?

If you haven't done it, the Katy Trail is a great ride. I veered off on the western end to take a more direct route to K.C.

 

[MikeG]

The Katy trail is what I am riding. Really looking forward to it. I tried to find a bus, no luck. I might just have to drive it. It's just frustrating because they don't seem to explain what happens with oversize baggage when there is no checked option - am I just not allowed to bring it at all?

 

[velotrain]

If you're familiar with the car layout, there are large racks at the end of some cars, but I don't think they would hold a bike and I can understand Amtrak not wanting one there. They have the issue of not wanting to get grease/oil on other passenger's luggage. I wouldn't push the issue as you'd just be wasting time.

Have you looked at doing it in the other direction - there may be a space for the bike that way? Do you have a space on the return - from?

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

==>> OR, just start riding from KC if you can lay out a route - try checking RWGPS as I'm sure others have done it recently! I didn't do the stretch of the trail away from the river, but I was very pleased with what I rode - I'd say the most interesting rail trail I've ever been on. Ground stone and flat, but quite pleasant scenery. Make sure your tires are up for it.

Looking at a map, I see that Sedalia is relatively close to KC, so might be a one day ride? Or do drive, if you just want to ride on the trail, but that leaves the issue of the return, unless you're riding both ways. If you go city to city, then you could return by bus if you can't get the bike on the train, but you'll likely need to buy a box - at the bus station? or a bike shop.

If you want a longer ride, my memory is riding from Booneville to Carrollton via Marshall, home of Jim the Wonder Dog - I remember having lunch at a drug store on the courthouse square - this was in the 90's and I was surprised that luncheonette counters still existed even back then. The next day on to KC through Wellington. There was traffic the last ~20 miles, but being an urban rider I was used to it.

In Jeff City do check out the amazing Thomas Hart Benton mural in the capitol building - I got there just before the last tour of the day and they let me bring my loaded bike right into the building - but then those were different times. In the morning I bought some post cards and the cashier sincerely said "have a nice day" as I was leaving. I told her, "I'm from Boston, and you folks say that like you really mean it".

I "might" be able to find my tour report if interested, while realizing that much will have changed.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm not personally interested in long distance bicycle travel but it's a shame national Amtrak can't follow California Amtrak's lead in this regard. It seems like there was a genuine push forward that eventually fizzled out midway through the implementation.

 

[velotrain]

My guess is that California can consistently count on a certain number of Year-Round passengers with bicycles, while obviously other regions of the country can't. Possibly Florida, but who'd want to ride a bike there? I realize some do and there are clubs, but believe Florida is where (long ago) some old lady deliberately drove into a group of cyclists because they were blocking Her Road.

Being a former cyclist I do understand the frustration, but given the challenges on all fronts facing Amtrak can accept that they need to do what is rational for them. Back when I did most of my touring many trains had baggage cars and I would often personally watch my bike being loaded and unloaded. When I was touring in France I had read that it could take days for your bicycle to arrive - which doesn't work well with lodging reservations, so made a point of only riding trains where I could ensure that the bike would be on the same train as I was - a gracious French woman had to intervene when I was trying to get from Paris to Bordeaux.

I've had my cycling issues with Amtrak, such as the time in Burlington, VT when my girlfriend and I bought tickets back to her car in B-boro and were assured that bicycles were allowed on the train, but after we rode to Essex Junction the next morning were refused access. Apparently the baggage car had just been removed days earlier and all of Amtrak's agents weren't aware of it. One of the conductors pled our case, but the honcho was a hard-ass.

There used to be an excellent site called Traveling with a Bicycle, but don't know if it's still around as it was one guy's project.

 

[velotrain]

A few things.

I was just looking for K.C. - Sedalia options and found this on the Sedalia Katy Trail site - I trust you've been following conditions before your trip so are aware of this already.

FLOOD CLOSURES: Some sections of the Katy Trail east of Boonville are closed due to flooding. Check MO State Parks website, Trail Conditions Report from trail users, and Katy Trail Forum discussions for the latest details. FROM https://bikekatytrail.com/sedalia.aspx

On the same site they show a Rock Island trail from Windsor to Lee's Summit, SE of K.C., which they show as about 90 miles west of Sedalia. What's not clear from the small scale map is if any of the small towns roughly midway might have a place to stay overnight. If you haven't checked the Katy Trail Forum linked above, no doubt there is lots of info there related to both the flooding and your transportation issue.

This on biking K.C. to Sedalia - generally very negative: https://bikekatytrail.com/talk.aspx?tid=6942

Lastly, the B & L Shuttle in Sedalia at 660-221-4406

 

[PaulM]

Unless things have changed recently, the Missouri train situation is identical to Illinois. There are no bike racks. Bicycles are stored any old place there is room. It simplifies things if you can turn the handle bars sideways or even remove the pedals.

You need a bike ticket and they sell 4 per train; i.e., 2 per coach, assuming the consist is still 2 coaches plus BC/cafe car. Just to maintain inconsistency, the Illinois Zephyr is also limited to 4 bikes, even though there are 3, and sometimes 4, coaches.

The new western extension of the Katy trail run currently from Pleasant Hill, about 13 miles from the Lees Summit Amtrak station to Windsor, between Sedalia and Clinton.

 

[Saddleshoes]

I have made this trip a many times, although not in a couple of years.

There is no baggage car on these trains. You will take your bike with you onto a standard coach car. The conductor will tell you where to store your bike. It depends on the conductor and how full the train is for that run. I had stored it on the bottom of the luggage rack at the end of the car, at the seat reserved for wheelchair bound passengers, and one old crank made me store it in the overhear luggage rack. The best one was an Illinois run and the conductor was a fellow bike rider. He let me into a car all by myself and my bike traveled leaning against the wall at my feet.

 

[PaulM]

It wasn't an old crank, but one conductor on the Illinois Zephyr made us store our bikes in the overhead rack and remove the handlebars. When I pointed out to the conductor that the rules specifically prohibit folding bikes in the overhead rack, he replied that that only applies to folding bikes. Duh!

Fortunately, I had a set of tools to remove the handlebars. I pity the non-mechanically inclined, or the little old lady cyclist or anyone without a lot of upper body strength.

Dahon Mup8 and Biachi Strada resting comfortably in the overhead rack

 

[spinnaker]

If there are no spots for you are out of luck for the train. There is no luggage service period.