Author Topic: How can I lift my bike into a luggage hold?  (Read 2351 times)

shelivesthedream

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How can I lift my bike into a luggage hold?
« on: October 09, 2014, 03:24:45 AM »
I am commuting to a different city by bus for work for two months and am taking my bike in the luggage hold of the coach so I can exercise my Mustachian badassity at both ends instead of paying crippling public transport fares or spending an hour walking. However, the luggage hold on the bus is two and a half feet off the ground and set behind some folding steps. The past few days have been an exercise in abject humiliation as I struggle to lift my bike into the hold while the driver basically rands there looking at me.

Is there some technique I am missing? I have to lift it two foot up and two foot back before it starts entering the hold, and then I have to lie it down so it doesn't fall over during the journey. Am I holding the wrong bit of the bike? I want to carry on doing this but it's getting very dispiriting.

Spruit

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Re: How can I lift my bike into a luggage hold?
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2014, 04:11:37 AM »
You mean a full size bike? I'd say you are badass for even trying! Sorry, no help there. But I'm 5 ft, 2 inch...

Maybe a foldable bike is an idea? I absolute love my second hand brompton, it allows me to optimize the use of public transport without the "hassle" of towing a bike along in the train and having to stand all the way etc. You are allowed to take them anywhere, they are even said to fit in the handluggage space of an airplane (no personal experience, though). And if the trains crowded, I always have a seat: the sadle of my folded bike.

Rosbif

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Re: How can I lift my bike into a luggage hold?
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2014, 05:03:26 AM »
You can try lifting the front wheel off the ground and sort of pushing it up the steps? And then push it in on its side? Bromptons are amazing, but expensive. Decathlon do a cheapo folder, don't know what the second hand market for those is like yet.

If you have cycle2work scheme available, you get major tax benefits for doing it, might be worth getting a nice new one?

GuitarStv

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Re: How can I lift my bike into a luggage hold?
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2014, 05:55:45 AM »
If you're small and short it will be difficult to do what you want.  You could try taking the wheels off beforehand to lighten the bike/make it less unwieldy.  Personally I'd ask the bus driver to help me.