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General Category >> Ride Reports >> Bents on the Dart
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Message started by gfreeman on Sep 2^nd, 2014, 11:46am

Title: Bents on the Dart
Post by gfreeman on Sep 2^nd, 2014, 11:46am

So, yesterday was Labor Day and Becky and I decided on a Bent adventure. We trucked our Rovers down to the White Rock Spillway, and rode the Santa Fe Trail to Munger Ave., then to Junius and a few blocks to the Corinthian B and B, where we made a reservation for a (riding) weekend stay later in the month. Then we rode to the Baylor Dart station to try something we had talked about, i.e., putting our Rovers on the Dart. Obviously, doing so opens a world of destinations in places too far to ride (at least for now.) But is is challenging. First, if you decide to try it, make sure you enter at the wheelchair door. Attempting to enter any other door will be a disaster. Then, in order to be out of the way, you have to upend your trike, so it is essentially standing on the chain ring, and the rear wheel is up high. Doing this a couple of times when changing trains, got us into the swing of it, but it is still a challenge. During some spare time, I started wondering if I could fabricate something to fit on the end of the boom, with a caster on the end - the type that will roll any direction, like on a suit case. Then, when you stand the trike up on the front end of the boom, it will easily roll any direction. A further thought was a shoulder strap that would go around the boom, so, you could bear the weight of the trike on your shoulder. That would leave your hands free to grab the two front wheels and steer the rig around on the front caster. When you are on the train, you can use the strap to go through one of the bike hanger straps that have over the wheelchair space. I know it sounds like a lot of trouble, but, as I said, the world of destinations opens up when you hop on the DART with your trike. We are looking forward to checking out the loading scheme on the Trinity Railway Express so we can go to Fort Worth and ride. Let me know what you think.

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Sep 2^nd, 2014, 4:02pm

Yes, you have to use the SLRV car, with the "handicapped" access. There are a couple of bike hangars in that car, but they're obviously designed for "regular" bikes -- so you pretty much have to take up the handicap seating area -- and there's not much extra room for trikes - Terrie and I looked at it, as well. I would avoid putting them up on the chainring, you're going to bend a chainring tooth or two.

Basically, you've got to time your DART train riding for times when there aren't very many people riding it...

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by Action Lad on Sep 2^nd, 2014, 10:11pm

I commute regularly on the DART, and also have figured out the accommodations for my 700. There's a safer way than to stand on the chainring:
On the SLRV car, in the wheelchair area, stand the trike on its rear wheel and put it, rolling side, against the clear lexan. The hand straps above can be moved to hook into the pedals. I use one forward of the pedal, and another rearward. It holds the pedal from two directions. Also, keep a short bungie cord with you, to secure the rear wheel against the wall. Pass the bungie through the holes in that same lexan wall. Next time I go onboard, I should take photos of how it works. It's a bit awkward at first, but it becomes smooth with practice. I wonder if I have it in my unpublished commuting vids at YouTube. I'll have a look...

Nope, none. I'll shoot a video of how I do it for others who want to DART by trike. The TRE has enough room at either end of each car, though depending on conductor, they may have you go to the very end of the train.

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by diannalightning on Sep 3^rd, 2014, 11:04am

So am I hearing rumblings of a train trip to Ft. Worth and riding the Trinity Trail??

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by Patti on Sep 3^rd, 2014, 12:06pm

Steve has taken his trike on the train. He hung it up and had no problems. Still left adequate room for handicapped riders.

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by gfreeman on Sep 4^th, 2014, 11:54am

Action Lad,
Thanks for the info. A vide or some still pix would be great but I think I get the idea.
Diana Lightning,
Yes, you hear rumblings of a TRE trip to Fort Worth to ride there.

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by lupulo on Sep 4^th, 2014, 8:17pm

I've often wondered how much of a hassle it would be to take my Scorpion FS on the Dart. I ride the train to work, but I live in Ft. Worth, so I really have little call to do so, I've just wondered about it. I ride my scorpion on Trinity Trails just about every Saturday that it's not raining or just too cold.

Ron

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by Action Lad on Sep 4^th, 2014, 11:12pm

lupulo wrote:

Incentive is the key, (pun unintended). I live in McKinney, and work in Irving. That's over 80 miles round trip each day. For the Honda, that's $10/day in gas. When I ride down to Parker Rd. Station in Plano, I cut the cost exactly in half. Not only that, but the wear and tear for last school year's travel was $700...real money. Where there's a will, there's a way. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Title: Re: Bents on the Dart
Post by Action Lad on Nov 12^th, 2014, 9:53pm

I've just posted on YouTube how the 700 looks on the train. You'll see purple bungees around the seat, and either the cross member, or rear wheel, but really when the right pedal is hooked into the two standees' straps, and the rear wheel drawn back and towards the window, it's stable.
Check it out:
http://tinyurl.com/kgqsxkc