Storing a Bike at a Metra Station

Hello, new here, I did do a couple searches didn't find what I was looking for, but noticed that there's quite a bit of bike theft around these parts.

I recently changed shifts(2nd shift to 1st shift) at work and I now work hours that would allow me to ride the train to work. The only issue being I have 7 miles to get to the station from my house, and 2.5 miles from the destination station to my office.

My first thought was I would just bring my bike on the train, but I work early in the morning, 5-6am start time so metra wont let me.

So my question is, has anyone permanently parked a bike at a metra station?

I was thinking Id drive the 7 miles and bike the 2.5. Get a cheap/free bike and lock every part of it down that I can. I would just leave the bike there at the station all the time, possibly even over weekends, unless I felt like riding the 30 or so miles home/back to my car.

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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on May 8, 2013 at 3:27am

Top of the line would be Brompton.  Tern looks very nice, though I've never seen any in person. 

I've been quite happy with my Dahon Mu XL Sport which I've had since 2009.  I own a couple bikes, but I consistently grab the Dahon first.  A folder is the only bike I'd want to ride Metra or CTA with.  When I grocery shop with the folder, it rides in the shopping cart around the store.  I carry it into work sites, bars and restaurants with no problem.

There's a Chainlink folders group you could ask at, to get more ideas.

Ryan Anderson said:

Any suggestions on a folder?

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 8, 2013 at 3:34am

I've had a Dahon for years and been fairly happy with it, except that the folding is a bit fussy.  From what I'm seeing and hearing, their quality and customer service isn't what it used to be.  This has affected availability of parts. :(  I've had a few repairs in recent years where the shop had to substitute another manufacturer's part, which sometimes involved swapping more than one part so that all would work properly together.

At the budget end of the folder spectrum, I'm hearing favorable things from lots of folks about Tern bikes.  If you can spend a bit more, Bromptons are super quick and easy to fold.  One of their cool features is the availability of a rear rack with "easy wheels" - little wheels that let you stand the folded bike on end and roll it down a train platform or into a building without having to carry it.  In between is Bike Friday's Tikit.  I know several folks who have them and love them.  They are super quick to fold. I've heard some folks express some skepticism about Bike Friday's quality after a recall last year, but the company issued the recall quickly after hearing about a few stem failures, replaced them promptly and got the bikes back to their owners.  Note that most Bike Friday models are touring bikes - not quick to fold.

The number of manufacturers and models in the folding bike game keeps increasing.  Bike quality, ease of folding and weight vary.  Also, most folders are engineered for a maximum load (you and your gear) somewhere in the 200-225 lb range.  I know that Bike Friday will do custom builds for heavier riders.  Brompton might also, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

When you go to check out folders, be aware that commuter models are designed to fold fairly quickly and come in 3 common wheel sizes (which affect the folded size of the bike): 12", 16" and 20".  The smaller the wheel, the smaller the folded size and the more sensitive the bike is to pavement imperfections.  Try riding a few and see what you think.  It will handle a bit differently compared to a bike with larger wheels.

More shops are carrying folders, but I'll put in a plug for one of my favorite local shops (who have been carrying folders longer than anyone else in town), Rapid Transit.  They're great folks to work with and their service is good.  I've bought 2 bikes from them and been very pleased with their work.  Happy shopping!

Permalink Reply by Jeff Markus on May 8, 2013 at 6:06am
Actually the commute you describe (Start Elgin end Bensenville) would be relatively safe places to leave a beater tho beaters might regularly get 'harvested' for parts. If you wouldn't mind a couple extra miles the Itasca station is a half block from some city offices (public safety included I think...think police station) which MIGHT increase security.
Locating the lock up spot in view of security cameras (banks, liquor stores) might also aid in security but if the bike is noticed as not moving (not viewed during your usage but sitting all night / weekend) it might be removed. To combat the removal you might talk to local businesses or even scope out local bike shops where once they know yer ride would leave it alone...and don't lock up in the same spot every day...move it around so it looks 'used'.
Permalink Reply by Jeff Markus on May 8, 2013 at 6:07am
Actually the commute you describe (Start Elgin end Bensenville) would be relatively safe places to leave a beater tho beaters might regularly get 'harvested' for parts. If you wouldn't mind a couple extra miles the Itasca station is a half block from some city offices (public safety included I think...think police station) which MIGHT increase security.
Locating the lock up spot in view of security cameras (banks, liquor stores) might also aid in security but if the bike is noticed as not moving (not viewed during your usage but sitting all night / weekend) it might be removed. To combat the removal you might talk to local businesses or even scope out local bike shops where once they know yer ride would leave it alone...and don't lock up in the same spot every day...move it around so it looks 'used'.
Permalink Reply by Ryan Anderson on May 8, 2013 at 8:03am

Interesting, Itasca saves me a bit of money as well.

Thanks for all the help everyone. Hopefully I can get something together shortly, looking forward to riding on a daily basis again.

Permalink Reply by Keith on May 10, 2013 at 6:55am

Here's my two cents

When I used to do Milwaukee to Chicago commute on Amtrak, I left a bike outside of Union Station for 10 months .  I used it for the rest of my commute and riding around the city when needed. I locked with both a regular U-lock and Kryptonite New York Chain lock.  I would leave the New York Lock on the bike rack permanently.  My bike was older trek covered in black, red and blue electrical tape with yellow fenders.

I have never had any problems of theft or vandalism.  I had more problems with the changing elements i.e. rain and snow. 


My last piece of advice. Always always always keep your chain well lubed. You don't want chain issue making you late for work. Also consider lubing the key area on the your bike lock.  Over a period of water will makes its way in your lock. 

Permalink Reply by Tom Z on May 12, 2013 at 4:36pm

I was looking at the Tern brand.  Also REI has a folding bike, which is made by Tern called the FlyBy. It looks pretty nice, 7 speed internal gearing with a covered chain to keep grease and grime away. Also, I believe you still need a case if you bring a folding bike on the train during rush hour, Tern calls it a CarryOn Cover.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on May 13, 2013 at 2:11am

My .02 on folding bikes; and I have worked on A LOT of them...

Brompton is, hands down, the nicest of the lot.  Folds the smallest and easiest.  Rides quite well, better than most of the others.  Downside is it requires a bit of diligence when it comes to service; the short chain and little wheels mean the chain has to be replaced more often.  Buy a chain checker and keep it lubed and you'll be just fine. 

Tern is a great second choice, especially if budget is an issue.  Cumbersome to fold compared to the Brompton but better than some and about the same as the Dahon.  Rides will and the 26" wheel folder is the best riding folding bike I have been on but it is not very compact when folded.  They have also teamed up with Xtra-cycle to make a folding cargo bike which is pretty neat.  FYI, the 'covered' chain on the REI tern model is just a bit of plastic wire wrap around the chain making it hard to lubricate and trapping dirt.  Terrible idea and it still won't keep your pant leg clean.

Dahon sucks.  They are just a low rent Tern at this point which is weird if you think about it.  Have frequent issues with cracks on the frame and tend to not stand behind their product beyond the bare minimum.  I dislike them more for how difficult they are to deal with than the bikes themselves.  

Bike Friday I hate, I mean truly despise.  Terrible to repair, cumbersome to fold and use a ton of weird parts and design features that make the bike more complex do not make it work better.  Bike Friday also seems to have a recall like twice a year almost.  Oh, and FYI, they stand behind their product by sure but they do it in a manner that screws the LBS doing the repair.

Strida.  Ugly and weird to ride, skip it.

Permalink Reply by Paul on July 27, 2013 at 10:10am


Sorry, but this is an old wives' tale.  My wife and I (both 71) regularly tour on a Dahon MuP8 and a Speed P8.  We purchased them because they go anywhere on Amtrak.


Crazy David 84 Furlongs said:

The problem for him with the Foldy is that seven miles is quite a bit of distance on a foldy. 

Permalink Reply by Paul on July 27, 2013 at 10:32am


notoriousDUG said:

My .02 on folding bikes; and I have worked on A LOT of them

...

Dahon sucks.  They are just a low rent Tern at this point which is weird if you think about it.  Have frequent issues with cracks on the frame and tend to not stand behind their product beyond the bare minimum.  I dislike them more for how difficult they are to deal with than the bikes themselves.

---------

Mr. Sucks may have worked on A LOT of them, but I would ask him how many Dahons did he NOT work on, and of those how many had frames that didn't crack?  This is what statisticians call anecdotal evidence.  Sort of the opposite of Facebook where you count the likes but not the hates.

I'm not qualified to comment on dealing with Dahon because after 4 years and thousands of miles on two Dahons, I've never had to deal with them.  The only problem was a stripped crank arm caused by my own carelessness while touring; and I found a replacement at a small town bike shop.

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