3 ms·

> Part of the issue is that, once you get to the other end, you don't have a private vehicle You can bring a bike onto many trains

Cthulhu_ 3y ago
Not universally; in the Netherlands, country of bicycles, it's not actually allowed to bring your bike with you during rush hour. Folding bikes at best. But even a folding bike is a bit of a ballache. The legal alternative: last-mile bike rental, there's a scheme from the railways where you can rent a bike for the day, it was about €6 for the day. Another alternative is to buy a cheap bike and just leave it at the train station overnight. That's allowed as long as the bike isn't abandoned for a month or so, after which it'll be removed.
- rahimnathwani 3y ago
  The last couple of years I lived in Beijing, there were many competing bike rental companies. IIRC the two most popular charged something like 1 RMB (about 0.15 USD) for up to 20 mins. It was great to be able to ride at both ends of a subway journey, at almost zero cost.
- starkparker 3y ago
  Also worth noting to an American audience that transit-related bike parking in the Netherlands operates at a large enough scale that it's difficult to fathom. Utrecht's Central Station bike garage alone has more bike parking spaces (13-20k) than the entirety of most American cities' transit systems.
SoftTalker 3y ago
Awkward in a city center like Chicago (which has good public transit for a US city), where the train platforms are either underground or elevated. So you'll be hauling your bicycle up and down flights of stairs.
baud147258 3y ago
it depends on how packed it is...
ClumsyPilot 3y ago
Ye, but a total ballache. Consider UK- allowed on some metro lines, banned on others. Allowed on some trains, banned on others, requires booking on yet other trains. Suppose you got a full sized bike on a train, it often needs to be held for the entire hourney because acceleration of the train will overpower the kickstan and make it roll of fall over I do this occasionally, but ita bothersome
- teaearlgraycold 3y ago
  Oh. Near me the train has specific cars for bikes with bike racks and bungee cords inside to secure everything.
JCharante 3y ago
Not during rush hour (in the US) which is when most people commute

Cthulhu_ 3y ago

Not universally; in the Netherlands, country of bicycles, it's not actually allowed to bring your bike with you during rush hour. Folding bikes at best. But even a folding bike is a bit of a ballache. The legal alternative: last-mile bike rental, there's a scheme from the railways where you can rent a bike for the day, it was about €6 for the day. Another alternative is to buy a cheap bike and just leave it at the train station overnight. That's allowed as long as the bike isn't abandoned for a month or so, after which it'll be removed.

rahimnathwani 3y ago
The last couple of years I lived in Beijing, there were many competing bike rental companies. IIRC the two most popular charged something like 1 RMB (about 0.15 USD) for up to 20 mins. It was great to be able to ride at both ends of a subway journey, at almost zero cost.
starkparker 3y ago
Also worth noting to an American audience that transit-related bike parking in the Netherlands operates at a large enough scale that it's difficult to fathom. Utrecht's Central Station bike garage alone has more bike parking spaces (13-20k) than the entirety of most American cities' transit systems.

SoftTalker 3y ago

Awkward in a city center like Chicago (which has good public transit for a US city), where the train platforms are either underground or elevated. So you'll be hauling your bicycle up and down flights of stairs.

baud147258 3y ago

it depends on how packed it is...

ClumsyPilot 3y ago

Ye, but a total ballache. Consider UK- allowed on some metro lines, banned on others. Allowed on some trains, banned on others, requires booking on yet other trains. Suppose you got a full sized bike on a train, it often needs to be held for the entire hourney because acceleration of the train will overpower the kickstan and make it roll of fall over I do this occasionally, but ita bothersome

teaearlgraycold 3y ago
Oh. Near me the train has specific cars for bikes with bike racks and bungee cords inside to secure everything.

JCharante 3y ago

Not during rush hour (in the US) which is when most people commute