Bike Tour to San Diego

[Mr. Miller]

Looks like we'll have to box our bikes. You can usually get bike boxes at bike shops for free so we can do that in Carlsbad and then check our bikes--they can send them up to San Jose from Oceanside. Its $5 to check your bike. I am looking at train to Santa Barbara and then bus to San Jose and bus back. Adding the bike its $65 total.

[steveb]

I just rode the Coast Starlight a couple weeks ago with a bike. You have to box it, but they have the boxes at the station. The boxes are supposed to be $15 but they usually have extra used ones that they will give you for free because people leave them at the station when they're done and Amtrak employees are nice and keep them. There's also like a $10 fee to check it.

To box it, you just have to remove the pedals and the handlebars, you don't even take the wheels off. The boxes are bigger than bike shipping boxes. You can literally ride up to the station, buy the box, and disassemble your bike in the lobby in like 5 minutes. Lots of people do bike+train tours and the Amtrak people are super good about handling bikes. You do need to have your own tools of course.

The only thing that sucks is that there's only one Coast Starlight per day and it's super duper slow.

[fproulx]

Good tips.

I had a kind of shitty experience with this at the San Jose station, in that I went in and told them I needed a bike box and they had no idea what I was talking about, so I left my bike at home. But I think that was a not-the-norm experience.

[Mr. Miller]

So I just talked to an Amtrak Rep and she informed me that the Coast Starlight does in fact have space for bikes on board--meaning we would not have to box up our bikes. I inquired about all the reports saying otherwise and she thought it strange. Assured me that it accommodates bikes.

So I will open it to whoever is coming along we could either do:
 
1. Pacific Surfliner Train from Oceanside to LA -- Coast Starlight Train from LA to San Jose --17 bus from San Jose to Santa Cruz. This route leaves at 7 am out of Oceanside (early) but we can roll our bikes on board no hassle. Cost $74

OR

2. Pacific Surfliner Train from Oceanside to Santa Barbara -- Bus from Santa Barbara to San Jose -- 17 bus to SC.
This route leaves at 10:15 am out of Oceanside but we have to box our bikes. Cost $60

Getting there from my grandmas its about a 3 mile ride to the train station so it'll take us 20 or 30 min to get there.

Travel time is a couple hours more for train option and a little more expensive. Both are all day travel. Either works for me though--if you are going the whole way let me know what you want to do so I can make my reservation soon.

Also, we've got all five campsites reserved and good to go. Money.

[Gabriel]

On question, how many bikes fit on the 17 bus? 

I don't have any experience with taking bike on trains or buses or with riding the trains in California.  I think that the train option sounds like it might be nicer so I'd tend to think option 1 sounds better, but I haven't ridden the train so I don't know for sure.  So I'm happy with whatever everyone else agrees on.

[fproulx]

the bus is pretty, too.

17 buses accept 2 or 3 bikes, but you can sometimes put them in the cargo hold as well.

[Mr. Miller]

As it stands right now it looks like Gabriel Brendan and myself will be leaving Monday Sept 13 from here and heading down the coast. Anybody else thinking about coming, Meg are you still thinking about this?

[Brendan Lehman]

I realized today that despite having $200 54 liter panniers, I don't have a real rack for any of my bikes.  Does anyone have something simple I can borrow?  If not, I'll use a seat post rack that I have and pack EXTRA light.

[fproulx]

Yeah, I have a rack you can use. I'll bring it tomorrow.

[RWB]

That rack is the same one a certain tall friend of yours used to hurl his body to Santa Cruz from THE NORTH.

[sallenrogem]

really wish i could go with you guys, but it seems it's not so possible right now. have an amazing time!!!!

[Gabriel]

As it stands right now it looks like Gabriel Brendan and myself will be leaving Monday Sept 13 from here and heading down the coast. Anybody else thinking about coming, Meg are you still thinking about this?

Matt, or anyone else who might know, what time are we planning to leave on Monday and where are we leaving from?