Getting to the start & from the finish of a trip

[PirateGirl]

How do you guys get to the start point of a trip and back from where you finish? A couple of trips I may be able to do from my house, but if I want to get out and explore more, I'm not sure how to work the transportation. Do you drop a vehicle at a trailhead or have friends drop you off/pick you up?

[Pivvay]

I've done everything from ride home on the road to have my wife/family pick me up to pay a shuttle service to drive me back the start. Usually it's easier to drop the car at the finish if you know you will make it there and deal with shuttling up front so you don't have to worry about rolling in late. It all depends on when and where though

[ScottM]

Friends are handy if they're willing to drive, but it is a lot to ask unless they want to visit something nearby or do some riding themselves.

One of my favorite solutions to this is to make a figure 8 out of a section of trail and a returning dirt / pavement route.  We rode halfway on trail, then took a 'rest day' on roads, "shuttling" ourselves to the other end of the trail.  Then we rode backwards to the midpoint on trail, later closing the figure 8 on roads to get back to where we started.

Not always possible, but when it works, it's a good way to roll.

Of course you can always just loop on roads, too.  It can be challenging to lay out multi-loops that don't feature a lot of highway riding, though.

[PirateGirl]

Yeah, and I'd hate to have a deadline to meet some friends to pick me up at the end. This is supposed to be relaxing/fun afterall. I'm also concerned about leaving a vehicle for a few days while out riding (breakins and such). I'm looking at taking the Sunny Tran bus to get me as far as possible across town for some trips to start with. The figure 8 is an interesting idea. I'll definitely keep it in mind.

[Rob]

Greyhound maybe? 

The other day we rode out our door to the Metrolink Train station and took an hour long train ride to LA Union Station and then we took a 20 minute transfer on the Gold line to South Pasadena.  We then climbed Sam Merrill Trail to Millard Campground.  Then descended another trail into Pasadena and by the Rosebowl and then returned back using the Train again. 

My Brother is in Phoenix so I might be able to get a ride from So Cal out to the AZT so I plan on riding there in the near future.  I'll probably take Greyhound to get back. 

 

[ScottM]

Yeah, and I'd hate to have a deadline to meet some friends to pick me up at the end. This is supposed to be relaxing/fun afterall. I'm also concerned about leaving a vehicle for a few days while out riding (breakins and such). I'm looking at taking the Sunny Tran bus to get me as far as possible across town for some trips to start with. The figure 8 is an interesting idea. I'll definitely keep it in mind.

Sun Tran will take you fairly close to the AZT @ Pistol Hill.  22nd and Houghton, I believe.  Paula and I used it to get out there and it beat riding all the way across town.

We've had pretty good luck with leaving vehicles in the desert (like Freeman Road area, for example).  Helps to leave nothing of value inside, and also to have a crappy car, though.

[PirateGirl]

Greyhound maybe? 

Does Greyhound take bikes on board?

[PirateGirl]

Sun Tran will take you fairly close to the AZT @ Pistol Hill.  22nd and Houghton, I believe.  Paula and I used it to get out there and it beat riding all the way across town.

I'm just north of Tanque Verde and Soldier Trail, so the east side isn't too bad to get around. I was trying to figure out by Oracle. I can take Sun Tran to Oracle & Rancho Vistoso and ride out to the AZT from there and head north. I'm trying to find a way to get back from the Florence area, which may require just coming back on the 79.

For the first bikepacking trip I'm thinking of riding from the house up Redington, then heading south to Cascabel, Pomerene, Benson, back over and hit the AZT by Colossal cave, then back home.

[heckboy]

  When we did the divide we rented a Uhaul truck from where we planned to finish and drove it to the start.  Haul a lot of gear, plenty of room to sleep in. 

[chrisx]

I just had some s&s couplings    http://www.sandsmachine.com/    instaled.  now I can fold my bike in half
 and put it in a case. 

[jerryric]

Greyhound does take bikes (I've returned from 2 trips that way), but there are somethings you should know:

It's got be in a box. You either have to ship a box ahead (to a post office, they will hold a package shipped a few weeks [confirm when shipping and note on package your expected arrival date]) or ride to a bike shop to pick up a box (let them know you are coming at least a week in advance and they will hold one).

You are not confirmed on a bus until you have a ticket IN HAND. Even if you pay in-advance via phone or internet you could be bumped by people with tickets in hand, in an overflow situation.

Some bus stops are only open for a few hours a day. Buy tickets in advance, plan ahead, or plan to be flexible.

Drivers may give you grief about your bike being so big. Smile, be super polite and plead respectfully if need be. They have a tough job and sometimes are a little gruff. In the end they do decide what and who goes on the bus in an oversold situation. Chances are someone will give them a hard time before the bus departs. Not being that person will get you far.

I have used mass transit to get either to a trail, or to a city with an airport/greyhound station. You would be surprised how far you can go on city buses (you can get all the way from Seattle to Astoria Oregon for example). Confirm in advance the transit system(s) have bike racks on all their buses. Besides Google searches, Craiglist is a good way to ask locals about transit systems (and their quirks). It has helped me in the past.

Good luck