tandems on Amtrak?

[deedolce]

Can we roll on a loaded tandem onto Amtrak, if we want to get from Davis to San Jose to ride down the coast for a few days?

Thanks!

Diana

[SadieKate]

Dee, single bikes are very easy but I'm not sure tandems can be accommodated in the same vertical racks (a bit too short). Amtrak says something about this on the Capitol Corridor line website. HOWEVER, sometimes the conductors are lenient about things if you are riding on non-peak hours. I've never seen a tandem on Amtrak except boxed as baggage but I have seen other bikes with fenders and stuff that wouldn't work in the rack but only at non-peak hours.

I would recommend that you join and post to the Davis Bike Club mailing list. There are a lot of people who use Amtrak as part of a commute or part of recreational rides. I bet some someone on that list will have direct experience.

http://dbclist.org/mailman/listinfo/dbc

[SadieKate]

Check Amtrak's site also. The other Amtrak routes may require you to box the bike for the return trip. Capitol Corridor has different rules and a LOT of bike racks because it is used by daily commuters, not just vacationers.

[deedolce]

Thanks, Sadiekate! I'm already on there, but I thought I'd ask here, and give our club a break with my questions.

[melissam]

Dee,

I'm not sure if you got an official word from Amtrak, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

I commute to work on Amtrak, and while I haven't seen a tandem on there, I have seen bikes bungied to rails on the lower car if the racks are full. It seems to me that if the conductors are flexible during commute hours, you're probably in good shape for the weekend.

But then again, I could be wrong...

Good luck, and have fun riding down the coast!

-- Melissa

PS I agree with SK that the bike racks are too short to accommodate a tandem.