: TriMet

Traveling with your bike

August 28, 2017
Advertisements

Traveling to Oregon and bringing your bike? We’re ready for you.

Here are some details to help make getting here and getting around a lot easier.


Arriving by train

Amtrak has three trains that serve Oregon: Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight run north-south through several Oregon cities, and Empire Builder travels east-west between Chicago and Portland.

The following cities have Amtrak stations: Portland, Oregon City, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Chemult, and Klamath Falls.

Amtrak is constantly making improvements to its bike service, so be sure to check its Bring Your Bike Onboard page for the most current, most detailed information.

Options for bike travel on Amtrak are:

Carry your bike onboard

• Carry-on bicycle service (Amtrak Cascades route only) allows you to bring your full-size bike onboard with you for a $5 fee and store it in a bike rack on a main train car. Racks accommodate tires up to 2 inches wide. Reservations are recommended.

Folding bikes always count as a piece of carry-on luggage and can be brought onboard and stowed.

Check your bike as baggage

Coast Starlight offers trainside-checked bike service. An employee will load your bike onto a bike rack in a separate baggage car, no box needed. Racks accommodate tires up to 2″ wide.

All trains will ship boxed bikes. Stations with baggage service sell bike boxes for $15, or you can bring your own box.

• The only route that still requires you to box your bicycle is the Portland-to-Spokane leg of Empire Builder. Boxing is always an option if you prefer it, or if rack space is full.

Please note: To travel by train with your bike as baggage (trainside-checked or boxed), make sure your departing station and your destination are both baggage stop stations. Oregon City and Chemult do not offer baggage service or sell bike boxes. Bike boxes and baggage service are available in Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, and Klamath Falls. 


Arriving by plane

Portland International Airport facilitates bicycle travel, parking and transportation to downtown Portland via the MAX, Portland’s light rail system. There’s also a multi-use path that connects cyclists to a regional trail system for those who prefer to arrive or depart the airport by bike.

PDX offers secure bike storage and a bike assembly station complete with attached tools, located on the lower terminal roadway near the MAX station. For complete and up-to-date information, check the Port of Portland PDX Bicycle Resources page.

The MAX Red Line departs from PDX right near the baggage claim area. The Red Line offers frequent service and designated bike spaces, providing quick and easy access to the entire TriMet Public Transit System and surrounding areas. Learn more about bikes and TriMet

For information about other airports in Oregon and traveling with your bike, visit the Oregon Department of Transportation.


Bike concierge services

If you’re putting together a trip to Oregon that involves you and your bike, it doesn’t get much more convenient than having a bike concierge help you plan the details.

Check out these handy resources for planning the biking trip of a lifetime:

Ask Oregon – Our Ask Oregon program connects visitors to travel ambassadors all over Oregon who are experts in specific activities. These ambassadors tap into their own experiences and knowledge to offer personalized advice for your trip — and that includes an ambassador dedicated to cycling adventures.

The Bike Concierge – Based out of Oregon City, the Bike Concierge provides bike ship-and-ride, bike rentals, an Emergency Ride Home service, shuttle service, and complete tour support for self-guided rides, along with their own road tours, mountain bike excursions and touring classes.


Shipping your bike

Shipping a bike from your local shop to a bike shop here in Oregon can save you time and effort when planning a trip. Ask the receiving shop to tune up your bike when it arrives, and you’ll be all set to go when you get to your destination. There are bike shops (link) all across Oregon that would be glad to help.

Another option is to ship your bike directly to your hotel using FedEx, UPS or a bike shipping service such as BikeFlights, ShipBikes, or Roadie. (Be sure to check with your hotel first.) Use coupon code “RideOregon” to save 10% on BikeFlights shipping services to any Oregon event.

And a new resource as of 2016: Velofix Portland is a mobile full-service bike shop. Velofix can receive your shipped bike, assemble it and deliver it to your hotel or lodging in the Portland area. After you’re done riding, they pick up your bike, pack it and send it home for you via BikeFlights or your favorite shipper.

Check out Adventure Cycling’s Guide to Shipping Bike Cases for a thorough and helpful bike-shipping primer.


Shuttle companies

If you need a little here-to-there help to make your ride happen, we have resources for you. The organizations listed below can help you get to where you need to be (or back). You can also visit the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Trip Check site for more resources, and if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, keep in mind that both U-Haul and Ryder trucks can be rented for one-way trips.


Oregon public transit systems

Oregon has numerous public transit systems that can come in handy for getting to or from a ride, including Portland’s extensive TriMet system of buses, light rail trains, commuter trains and streetcars.

Or, visit the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Trip Check site to find more public transportation options across Oregon. Be sure to select the “Bicycle Transport” checkbox when performing your search if you’ll be bringing your bike along.

About The
Author