West Falls Church Metro pass-through from commuter bus: What recumbents are legit?

[WillStewart]

I’m planning a commute from my house outside Leesburg to Ballston. My overall objective is a carfree commute, though I will have to work up to it in phases (I used to bike commute 20 miles round trip in my 30s, now approaching 55). The distance from my house to the Leesburg Park and Ride is approx. 10 miles. The distance from WFC to my Ballston office is approx 5 miles.

I plan to bike to the Leesburg Park and Ride, load the bike on the bus (I now have the required badge), disembark at West Falls Church Metro, and then access the W&OD and Custis trails to reach Ballston.

I am looking primarily at recumbents (bike and trike) due to aging back, wrists, and aerodynamic reasons (less energy required for a 55 year old to travel 28 miles per day). I wouldn’t be able to stay in aerotuck on a road bike very long.

Part of that commute means taking the bike off the bus and moving it through the West Falls Church metro facility.

The policy seems a little vague on recumbents;

The Bike ‘N Ride Program covers non-collapsible, conventional operational bicycles, as well as tandems, electric powered, and folding bicycles, which can be no longer than 80 inches, no higher than 48 inches, and no wider than 22 inches. A folding bicycle has a frame that folds and two wheels that come together.

This policy does not cover motorcycles, mopeds, tricycles, motor-powered bicycles (including but not limited to gasoline-powered bicycles) or any other bicycle that exceeds the size restrictions stated above, and such bicycles are prohibited within the Metrorail and/or Metrobus system.

http://www.wmata.com/getting_around/bike_ride/guidelines.cfm

Does this mean I couldn’t take a trike off a Loudoun bus and move it through the facility to the street? I wouldn’t be accessing the platform or train at all. Ideally, I would just walk it by picking up the rear wheel, take it on the elevator, and walk out of the station via the mezzanine. If this would be a problem, would this also apply to a folding trike?

The following seems to be one way to classify just about any folder as luggage;

Folding bicycles and non-collapsible bicycles of all types that are folded or disassembled and enclosed in carrying bags, cases or boxes are deemed “luggage” items and are permitted inside railcars at all times. The carrying bags or cases must be made of a sturdy material such as canvas, nylon or leather-type materials.

Other options include;

Taking the Loudoun Commuter bus to Rosslyn, though the evening pickup point is at 1800 Lynn St, which is in the middle of the whirring maw of dangerous traffic patterns, especially at dusk or after dark. I suppose I could walk my bike/trike from the park down Ft Myers and 19th street, though I’m not sure how easy it would be to walk a trike that far.

• Taking a Loudoun-Tysons commuter bus instead, and take a route like this one to the W&OD trail, which would add another 5 miles or so to my commute, making a completely carfree commute less likely.

Am I being overly cautious with my planning? I would hate to buy a trike and then be barred from taking it through WFC station.

Is there a WMATA bike coordinator that could answer my questions?

Thoughts and/or suggestions?

Topic

[WillStewart]

Kinda makes your cough insignificant to me and I’m sorry that I don’t care more.

My hacking cough is significant to me, however, and your dismissive tone is again condescending. If you feel you are superior to me, that’s your privilege, though bragging about yourself will not accomplish anything constructive. You obviously are happy with your commute – I want to put together a commute that I will also be happy with. Too many have jumped in to bike commuting without forethought and dropped it when it didn’t seem to work out. Having bike commuted in the past, I realize that planning is an important step towards a successful commute, especially when a large number of constraints present themselves. If spending 2 hours each way works for you, I have no problem with that, your priorities are your own. It won’t work for me (given that I have a bus commute leg in addition) if I want to spend sufficient time with my family and take care of other matters.

In case you haven’t read the thread on Folders on Metro, a Metro representative responded with the current policy, which you simply say I should ignore, though there is no risk to you. If I were to base a $1500 – $2500 cycle investment on your advice, I might find myself high and dry if the policy were enforced.

Again, if you don’t have something constructive to say, please politely consider foregoing a response.

[CCrew]

Actually, the latter part was designed and written so that it was condescending and prefaced as such. Obviously that was missed.

“”Will, I don’t think it’s been changed, but I’ve never seen it enforced. Most folders when broken down it’s difficult to tell what they are, and you’re looking at a Metro operators judgement call to determine if it’s a bike (which that guideline applies) or say an assisted mobility device (which it doesn’t). You’re also assuming that the average Metro employee is actually going to be motivated to care, much less check. Sad but true.””

And that was my response to the canvas bags. You must have missed that also. So I obviously read that thread, as that response was there. Thanks for the clarification. Have a nice day.

[triker]

Interesting thread….

I’ve been doing some research on electric bikes, which are actually “electric assist” not electric mopeds. An “electric assist” bicycle seems to be specifically addressed as approved for use any place a standard pedal bike is, which would include the trails. Here’s a summary: http://ez-flyerbikes.com/page2.html

I own 3 trikes, down from 5, and two mountain bikes. I will be probably be adding a road bike this spring. The trikes are tadpole designs – two wheels in front one in back. One of them is the Greenspeed GT3 folder. It has been folded twice in two years. The Trice trike actually folds smaller than the Greenspeed and would probably be easier for the type of use you are describing. Also, I believe the Greenspeed requires a wrench to dsiconnect/fold where the Trice does not. You are correct that trikes, even folded, will not fit on the bike racks of the buses. So folding & using the storage bin might be the only option with a trike.

If you have not visited Bikes @ Vienna I suggest a visit. They specialize in folding bikes, 2 wheel recumbents and trikes. I have read recently where people are getting a folding bike, adding an e-assist option and being very happy with the combination. Tim is the new owner at BAV and I’m sure would be happy to speak with you about options. If you would like to test the folding size of the Greenspeed I’d be happy to demonstrate for you.

Two weekends back I visited an electric bike shop in MD and the last weekend of this month I will be visiting NYCewheels in NYC to see their e-assist solutions. These intrigue me because my wife is not a strong rider, doesn’t want to be a strong rider and needs some assistance. Adding e-assist for her might make her experience better.

[WillStewart]

Thanks, Triker, I’ll have to pay BAV a visit. I believe I may have run into you shortly before Christmas on the W&OD at Clarkes Gap when you were triking with your wife. If so, I’m the one who waved you two down shortly after you passed under the tunnel at Rt 9 and old Rt 7, asking about your folding trike experiences.

[invisiblehand]

Tim Fricker — new owner — is a great guy at Bikes at Vienna.

I commute with a recumbent; although I have no worries about carrying the bike nor getting it onto a bus rack. You originally eliminated trikes … which I have little experience so I can’t tell you much. There is a steeper learning curve with a SWB relative to a LWB recumbent, but like anything else you will get the hang of it with a bit of practice. For manueverability purposes, I prefer the SWB setup. Note that despite the label, a SWB recumbent is still pretty long. My experience is that this length can be problematic when spaces get tight.

FWIW, I think that it is a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise regiment particularly if you have some concerns. While getting an electric bike might make traveling faster and done with less exertion, note that the bike will be considerably heavier. So you might be trading off one risk for another. And, as you probably already figured out, electric assist is pretty expensive. Presummably repairing it is expensive too. Perhaps an alternative strategy could be to drive to a mid-point and bike the remainder to Ballston and vice-versa. I knew a few people in Albuquerque that did that regularly. You could use a human powered (only) vehicle and still make your trip in a reasonable time. As your fitness improves then the different options with the bus and longer riding distances would become more resonable.

There are a few alternative folding recumbents.

HP Velo Grasshopper
http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/ghp/index_e.html

ICE B1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMXVM52BwM

Tim had a B1 at the shop over the summer. I don’t care for the hamster bars. But there are alternatives.

I read about a Baron Optima folding low-racer. But I have never seen one in person.
http://www.recumbentblog.com/2010/04/29/optima-baron-folding-bike/

Anyway, you have a lot of options. Although if you have not ridden recumbents before there is a learning curve. My advice is to head to a good shop, your choices are Bikes at Vienna (Tim Fricker) or Mt Airy/College Park Bikes (Larry Black), and test ride for a long time. Really … spend several hours getting used to the bikes and perhaps make a few trips out of it. Nothing compares to real experience for a big purchase like this.

[WillStewart]

Update: I’m currently taking a short wheelbase recumbent bike through the WFC mezzanine (NOT going into the Metro system proper) and the Rans Rocket fits easily into the elevator adjoining the bus facility on the west side. I also fits easily onto the bus bike rack, so commuting is going smoothly now. In the morning I simply walk the bike carefully through the mezzanine area until I’m back out in the open, then ride off towards the W&OD via Grove St. Discussions aforehand with Metro station managers smoothed the way to this current daily routine.

[WillStewart]

Update: I’m currently taking a short wheelbase recumbent bike through the WFC mezzanine (NOT going into the Metro system proper) and the Rans Rocket fits easily into the elevator adjoining the bus facility on the west side. I also fits easily onto the bus bike rack, so commuting is going smoothly now. In the morning I simply walk the bike carefully through the mezzanine area until I’m back out in the open, then ride off towards the W&OD via Grove St. Discussions aforehand with Metro station managers smoothed the way to this current daily routine.

[Author]

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