Is Carrying a Bicycle a Good Idea ?

[roverhi]

I've got a Bike Friday Travel bicycles by Bike Friday, manufacturer of high performance folding bicycles and folding bike accessories. :. They are folding bikes made for serious bike riders. I've ridden mine more than 20 miles at one time and actually prefer riding it to my other three full size bikes. One is currently being ridden around the world or being ridden by a guy who has previously ridden around the world IIRC. Others have done a bunch of very long distance tours on theirs.

The bike folds into a suitcase so can be stored easily and sent as baggage via the airlines which is a big cost savings. The suitcase can be made into a trailer so you can take your bike on a plane trip, unfold it when you get there, attach the trailer suitcase and ride off down the road. No taxi, rental car, etc costs. These are not true folders as it takes about 15 minutes, with practice, to fit it into the suitcase. They will fold into a soft carrying case in short order. however. They do make a true folder for commuters but it's got smaller wheels and doesn't appear to have the carrying capacity though that's my subjective assessment without ever having seen one in person.

These bikes are steel but mine has held up well either on deck at anchor or stored in the forepeak under way. It's been on the boat for over three years. I bought their soft bag for transporting the bike in the dinghy to keep it from getting salt water on it in transport and to make moving it way easier. Mine is a New World Tourist and is fully capable of riding with a full set of loaded panniers, front and back. The bike has been invaluable to me as I used to commute to the boat from more than 2,000 miles away. Saved enough in rental car expenses to pay for the bike several times over. At the drop of a hat I'd ride all over Alameda and Estuary side of Oakland to get boat parts or just to go out to eat. After last summers solo TransPac, I pulled it out of the forepeak, set it up, and rode all over Hilo. Had to go about 5 miles to get a WiFi source at the nearest Starbucks or about the same distance to eat at Cafe Pesto, the best Creme Brulee in the Pacific.

The down side of these bikes is they are not cheap. Mine was over a $1,000 with racks etc. It's got 27 speed gearing with a 3 speed internal geared hub and a 9 speed derailleur. I've got front and rear panniers so can carry a lot of stuff. Provisioned the boat just using the bike. Haven't used the trailer/suitcase much at all but it did come in handy hauling a new head back to the boat. Estimate I could haul more than 100#s of bulky stuff on the trailer if I was careful. They come up regularly on Ebay but don't sell cheap. The NWT, like mine, seem to sell for a little less than a boat unit.

[zeehag]

yipes all this money f0r specialty bikes.. geeez ..mine is a plain old land use bludi bike, drowns and undrowns at my will... i am trying to figure out on a boat without any stern rail, where to place the bike rack....... formosa 41-- mebbe on the bimini when i get one-- could counter balance the fishing pole holder and engine mount on the other side....mebbe the .....

[Microship]

Given the space constraints on a boat, I think things should be multi-functional whenever possible. A folding bicycle could be integrated with the rudder control, yielding...

A Tiller DaHon

Steve

[Dockhead]

You guys amaze me -- where in the world do you find space to store bicycles on board?!

I could get a couple into my lazarette, but the laz is already full of dinghy oars, fenders, mooring lines, buckets, things for cleaning and washing, shore power lines, kedge anchor & warp, spare lines, water hose, boarding ladder, etc., etc., etc. Modern boats don't have enough deck storage! Especially center cockpit boats!

[savoir]

On the v berth between the sails and the ceiling.

[amytom]

Originally Posted by Microship

Given the space constraints on a boat, I think things should be multi-functional whenever possible. A folding bicycle could be integrated with the rudder control, yielding...

A Tiller DaHon

Steve

Groan...

[gettinthere]

Originally Posted by Microship

Given the space constraints on a boat, I think things should be multi-functional whenever possible. A folding bicycle could be integrated with the rudder control, yielding...

A Tiller DaHon

Steve

You can ride your bike around while pillaging & doing that other stuff they do. A nice set of panniers will hold your plunder quite nicely.

[doug86]

"Is Carrying a Bicycle a Good Idea?"


I prefer to ride mine

[Jackp]

This thread shows the need for marinas to have storage bins that can be shipped cheaply to your next destination; either that, or an unlimited supply of money with a boat twice the size that we have now.

we carry two folding bikes instead of thew old thrift store bikes that we replaced every other year- one West marine and a dahoo with a higher weight rating(I am 230lb)

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by Jackp

This thread shows the need for marinas to have storage bins that can be shipped cheaply to your next destination; either that, or an unlimited supply of money with a boat twice the size that we have now.

we carry two folding bikes instead of thew old thrift store bikes that we replaced every other year- one West marine and a dahoo with a higher weight rating(I am 230lb)

Marinas cauld have a few comunity bikes available...these bike can be donated by us and be used freely by boaters...we have such a systhem not only in Montreal but in many suburband towns and it works...many peoples discard perfectly good bikes every spring...surly marinas wouldent mind half a dozen bikes at the clients disposal if they dont have to pay for them...and we the users can very well do maintenance.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by jobi

Marinas cauld have a few comunity bikes available...these bike can be donated by us and be used freely by boaters...we have such a systhem not only in Montreal but in many suburband towns and it works...many peoples discard perfectly good bikes every spring...surly marinas wouldent mind half a dozen bikes at the clients disposal if they dont have to pay for them...and we the users can very well do maintenance.

Not sure their insurer's would be too keen on the idea as they (the bikes) would technically be Marina Property and therefore any liability for injuries sustained through mechanical failure (ie; Brakes) resulting in an accident would be down to them... so maintainance would need to be supervised etc..

[PamlicoTraveler]

A lot of marinas do have bikes in the US. Don't know about other places.
I think I am more likely to buy one when I'm going to be somewhere for a long time. If you want a proper sail inventory, safety gear, spare anchors, spare rhodes, sea anchors, fenders, and personal belongings etc I don't know where you find the space. I can see how they are a nice luxury, but since storage is the #1 issue on a sailboat, I don't see bicycles as a possibility.

[FPVman]

I've had bikes on board, and always ended up selling them! I have one at my home port just to get from the 'shed' to the boat (nearly 3/4 mile walk) so it saves me time if I've forgotten something. If I'm away, I'm not really that bothered going too far from the marina, with a max crew of 16, it could create more problems than it solved!

[otherthan]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Not sure their insurer's would be too keen on the idea as they (the bikes) would technically be Marina Property and therefore any liability for injuries sustained through mechanical failure (ie; Brakes) resulting in an accident would be down to them... so maintainance would need to be supervised etc..

The bikes belong to the sailing comunity not the marinas...they will charge you for this service then...as for liability, when you take a bike its yours and your responsability alone...so if I enter a marina (anyware) and see punks jumping off the deck with (lets call them yellow bikes) I can interven as it is my bike...its any sailors bike.
a real free service and all it cost is to pick a bike up paint it yellow and leave it at the marina for other to use.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

You guys amaze me -- where in the world do you find space to store bicycles on board?!.....................Especially center cockpit boats!

It's simple! We raised two children aboard untill they left home in their late teens. The void they left on our center cockpit boat could accomodate six bicycles!