bikes on cta trains - The Chainlink2024-03-28T09:59:29Zhttps://thechainlink.org/forum/topics/bikes-on-cta-trains?x=1&id=2211490%3ATopic%3A957616&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThis is very true, IME. I onc…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-07:2211490:Comment:9582922015-12-07T16:35:20.386ZFran Kondorfhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/FranKondorf
<p>This is very true, IME. I once rode a crowded red line train next to a guy that held his bike in a wheelie while sitting down. The only extra space he used was directly in front of us as it was in a small, 2-seater area and the bike wheel rested on a divider. I was impressed.</p>
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<p>This is very true, IME. I once rode a crowded red line train next to a guy that held his bike in a wheelie while sitting down. The only extra space he used was directly in front of us as it was in a small, 2-seater area and the bike wheel rested on a divider. I was impressed.</p>
<p></p> Sometimes that's the best you…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-07:2211490:Comment:9582902015-12-07T15:31:11.691ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>Sometimes that's the best you can do. The number of seat spaces covered by the bike varies, depending on the length and configuration of your bike, the configuration of seats on the train, and what space you're able to get.</p>
<p>Sometimes that's the best you can do. The number of seat spaces covered by the bike varies, depending on the length and configuration of your bike, the configuration of seats on the train, and what space you're able to get.</p> I'm curious what other choice…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-06:2211490:Comment:9579722015-12-06T02:14:02.953ZJosh L.https://thechainlink.org/profile/jolondon30
<p>I'm curious what other choices there are here. I took the the redline home earlier this week and got on when it was empty in Chinatown. I knew it would get crowded as after 9 the trains really fill up.</p>
<p>I sat down at one end pulled the bike close to me, and did cover three seats. </p>
<p>I didn't see any alternative. Standing with my bike would have taken up more space and made it really hard for people to get in and out. </p>
<p>The space is too tight for me to hold my bike in the…</p>
<p>I'm curious what other choices there are here. I took the the redline home earlier this week and got on when it was empty in Chinatown. I knew it would get crowded as after 9 the trains really fill up.</p>
<p>I sat down at one end pulled the bike close to me, and did cover three seats. </p>
<p>I didn't see any alternative. Standing with my bike would have taken up more space and made it really hard for people to get in and out. </p>
<p>The space is too tight for me to hold my bike in the middle of the aisle. I think people would not have felt comfortable sitting that close to it.</p>
<p></p> +1tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-04:2211490:Comment:9581262015-12-04T00:18:46.164ZDean Bekkenhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/DeanBekken
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+1 Escalators at 95th are wide e…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-03:2211490:Comment:9577412015-12-03T15:38:06.348ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>Escalators at 95th are wide enough for 1 person to pass another. No way the station could handle that volume of people without the wider ones. I've taken my bike up them many times.</p>
<p>Escalators at 95th are wide enough for 1 person to pass another. No way the station could handle that volume of people without the wider ones. I've taken my bike up them many times.</p> If I remember correctly, I fe…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-03:2211490:Comment:9577852015-12-03T14:22:23.303ZJeremyhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/JeremySokolec
<p>If I remember correctly, I felt the escalator was too narrow. It may have been one of those one-body-width escalators.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, I felt the escalator was too narrow. It may have been one of those one-body-width escalators.</p> Lots of other folks would mak…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-02:2211490:Comment:9576672015-12-02T20:37:09.177ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>Lots of other folks would make use of them.</p>
<p>Lots of other folks would make use of them.</p> Wasn't the escalator working?tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-02:2211490:Comment:9577302015-12-02T19:10:43.135ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>Wasn't the escalator working?</p>
<p>Wasn't the escalator working?</p> Taking the Red Line to 95th f…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-02:2211490:Comment:9577282015-12-02T17:29:16.977ZJeremyhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/JeremySokolec
<p>Taking the Red Line to 95th for a Sunday morning Slow Roll ride, I got on at Fullerton. That worked out well because after that stop, the doors only opened on the left through downtown. I was able to stand in front of doors on the right side and was out of the way of people getting on and off. After downtown, the train was less crowded and I was able to bungee my bike in the aisle to the vertical posts and not obstruct other passengers.</p>
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<p>Of course, when I got to 95th Street,…</p>
<p>Taking the Red Line to 95th for a Sunday morning Slow Roll ride, I got on at Fullerton. That worked out well because after that stop, the doors only opened on the left through downtown. I was able to stand in front of doors on the right side and was out of the way of people getting on and off. After downtown, the train was less crowded and I was able to bungee my bike in the aisle to the vertical posts and not obstruct other passengers.</p>
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<p>Of course, when I got to 95th Street, the elevator was broken and I had to carry my bike up the stairs.</p>
<p></p> I take the CTA trains frequen…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-12-02:2211490:Comment:9576562015-12-02T13:24:53.880ZBob Kastigarhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/BobKastigar
<p>I take the CTA trains frequently, but not regularly, with my bicycle. I may take up two seats, but rarely three seats. I may have to slide the bike to let someone into or out of a seat, or let someone into or out of the door.</p>
<p>On the older Brown Line cars, there are two seats by each door facing the aisle. Of these four, one of them is only one seat, the others are two seats. If you can get on at the end of the line and try to get on the first or last car and snatch one of these…</p>
<p>I take the CTA trains frequently, but not regularly, with my bicycle. I may take up two seats, but rarely three seats. I may have to slide the bike to let someone into or out of a seat, or let someone into or out of the door.</p>
<p>On the older Brown Line cars, there are two seats by each door facing the aisle. Of these four, one of them is only one seat, the others are two seats. If you can get on at the end of the line and try to get on the first or last car and snatch one of these seats your the best off.</p>
<p>Last summer I took the Red Line, with the newer cars, to the south side to ride with the Slow Roll group on the south side. I did ride up to Howard, so I could get on at the start. I thought the fewer seats with more standing room would be a problem. It turned out better than I thought.</p>
<p>In the seat facing the door I could BACK the bike into the seat at the corner, and turn the front as far as possible, I could bungee the bike in this position and not have to hold it. If the train really got crowded I could sit in the seat where my bike was attached with my feet spread across the rear tire.</p>
<p>Again, this only works when you get on at the end terminal. On the Brown Line, there is only one end (Kimball) and I've found leaving downtown in the evening it's best to get on at Washington and Wells, and leaving in the morning to get one at Clark and Lake.</p>
<p>I've also taken Metra, and in that case your blocking three or four seats to bungee your bike where they want you to tie it down.</p>
<p>I take a dim view of those hanging bike racks. They eliminate any seating possibility when there are no bikes on the train, and it's rare to see a lot of bikes on the train in Chicago. Also, they usually require lifting the bike to hang it, and this can be an issue for senior citizens that ride heavy bikes. So the bike racks like Portland or Minneapolis aren't very attractive to me and I wouldn't want to see them installed on the CTA trains.</p>