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Will this pass JR?

This is OK.

  • Yes, go for it.

    Votes: 5 71.4%
  • No.

    Votes: 1 14.3%
  • Don't know.

    Votes: 1 14.3%

  • Total voters
    7

Lawrence

Speeding Up
Jul 23, 2011
124
2
I got my Tioga EZ Wrap (BAR02400- new version I think) today.

I put my Campy cover on the front tire (so it looks more legit).

Can I take it on the train (I'd rather not take anything off if possible)?
Kermie not included.
 
That would probably get through, Lawrence.

Just out of curiosity, was it you who said your bike didn't fit inside your Tioga Cocoon bike bag? Is this the one?
31CEQHKj69L.jpg


Just eyeballing your steed, it seems like it should fit, but I could be wrong, of course. I would think any bike under, say, a size 58, maybe even 60, would work. My bike fits in my Cocoon, but then again, it's a size 56.

Just in case you didn't already try this, it is important to turn your bars to one side before you bag it. Otherwise, it definitely won't fit. In my case, I just strap them to the top tube with a little strip of velcro.

Anyway, good luck with trains, and say hi to Kermit for me!

Deej
 
I have the same cover and use it all the time

But you may need to take off the front wheel and carry it or you might will get hassled at the station. I have been busted for leaving it on, they said it is too big. But with the wheel off I have taken my bike on the Shinkansen and on some of the private train lines with no problems at all. Some times in a wheel bag and some times not.

K
 
Thanks guys!

I got a Cocoon (I'll probably be makin a thread to GIVE it away soon) and no it doesn't fit my 56 frame even after I took off the front wheel off and turned the bar. Maybe if I took off the pedals (no thanks, also got my cadence magnet stickin on the opposite site of the pedal screw).

I bought the Cocoon before the bike (think I bought the biggest one, the sizes are a little different for different versions), recently tried it and found out it doesn't fit and so ordered the EZ Wrap.

I'd drather not take anything off. I got my brakes adjusted to the mm (I'm an adjustment perfectionist, haha)- if I take the front tire off it off it's not a quick just pop it on and ride.

Pooh also hoped a ride but wanted a close up so told him to get off, haha.
 
Maybe not. Leaving your front wheel on for train journeys is not really the done thing. (Subjective, I know, but empirically based.) It's inconsiderate to other passengers too, unless your train is very, very quiet.

If your brakes don't go back to exactly the same position after you remove and replace your front wheel suggests to me that something is wrong.

You might get stopped even then because your bars are showing. But a trash bag over them calms the nerves of station staff. JR are less strict than Odakyu, Keio etc.
 
Was plannin on leavin in the early morn (train staff maybe not even watchin the entrance) and returnin in the afternoon/evening (non rush hour).

I'd use the very back or front of the train and probably stand.

I've got my brakes so both pads hit the rim at the same time (in most places as the rim isn't exactly straight).
The brakes go back to the same place- when you put the wheel on before you tighten down the QR it has some ply in the dropout. If I just pop the wheel in and close the QR chances are it won't be exactly where it was before.

Looks like they got a safety on my front fork too- I gotta loosen the QR nut(s) to pull the tire off. Don't think I can loosen the nuts enough to just open the QR and clear the safety nob.

I adhere to the if it ain't broke and it's workin OK then leave it alone but takin my wheel off is gonna have me want to adjust/check before I ride.
 
My buddy and I 'mankini rinko' our bikes more than a year by doing nothing but pulling both wheels, covering the chainset with a garbage bag and carrying the wheels separately either strapped onto a backpack / messenger bag or stuffed into another garbage bag. As a foreigner you have alot more leeway. The bag you showed - I see alot of these on the trains. The only hassles I ever received was when I was with Japanese ride buddies and we had to garbage bag rinko back from Itsukaichi - the station manager gave them a pile of crap, but in the end allowed all of us because I was a foreigner and didn't know. According to the exact rules, the bike must be fully covered and in an 'approved' rinko - whatever 'approved' means. For what it's worth, my break apart bike never gets a second glance other than 'wow, that's a cool idea' by the station staff. Even if I don't rinko it and just cover the chainset only.
 
Mine are legit rinkos, so I guess all I can do it try.

I do realize my bike will be kinda big with the wheels on so I know I gotta avoid the busy times.

If they say something I either gotta do it or screw the train and not use it.
Ya, I'm gonna be usin the "Oh I didn't know that." Also I've never taken a bike on a train so I really don't know how it'll be.

I figure if I'm nice and treat people nice they will do the same to me but in the end the conductor, JR/train guy is in control in the stations and I gotta do what he says.

Maybe some of the 'problem' was there were many of you. Any large amount (>1) of bikes in the same area may draw the JR guys attention.
I guess bikes on the train are still rare so even one may get Mr. JR to his head though.
 
Here's a last year snap of some bagged bikes just about to get on the shinkansen from Hachinohe to Tokyo. That was the originating station at the time, and these guys were able to get their gear stowed at the end of the car. I didn't see them come thru the gates, only on the platform, but apparently they were not hassled about full coverage.

P1000016.jpg


I think your front-wheel-on bagging could be a little hard to wield around corners or tight spots.
 
Yep, gonna have to be careful. Since my bike's so big probably not gonna get to use the escalator unless no one else is usin it (hope to leave early enough and be in the station when it's not so busy).
I think I can still turn the handlebars even w/the covers on if need be.

Hopefully if my bike's covered it's OK though.

Surprised the guy on the end didn't have any probs but for the most part Mr. JR usually seems pretty passive.

A few times when my son was younger he lost his train ticket.
Once we had to pay again (but other times they said it's cool and just let us pass through).
 
Lawrence, this is most definitely fine. The rule is to have the bike covered, but it does not matter how (sorry, Tim!).

I actually use the exact rinko you are using, and I do so a lot. I take out the front wheel which means the fork is exposed. Technically this is not OK, but rarely ever someone complains. Once I was caught by JR Tokai (shinkansen), but they then got me some rubbish bags for free to cover the rest of the bike. Twice or so some Odakyu staff may have told me off, but didn't stop me.

I sometimes put the front wheel inside the covered part of the bike, sometimes leave it outside, strapping it to the seat post (again not quite OK, but not as offending as carrying the front wheel in your other hand!).

I also have a rinko bag that covers the full bike, but requires taking off both wheels. I used this for two years or so, but then discovered this more convenient bag.

The current bag requires though that you use the front or rear of the train, and on some trains (JR Super Asuza) it is almost impossible to put the bike anywhere without seriously obstructing others. I've learnt how to deal with these situations, but don't really recommend it.
 
I'm always in the back or front of the train anyways (less crowded) and will do the same w/my bike.

The train riding's only gonna be occasional (in fact once summer vacation is over the bike riding becomes occasional as well= work 6 dayz a week) and will probably mostly be JR 'normal' trains in the Tokyo area.

Hope to hit one of the kawas (Ara or Edo next week) and so I'll be takin the train then.
 
Took my bike on the train today and didn't have any probs.

Guess I'm OK!
 
I had a total fallout with the JR morons of Takao station. But what can you expect from this uniform wearing OCD clowns. I'm using the Tioga as well, have so for ages, even put the frontwheel inside.
Today, for the first in hundreds (no kiddin) times, they wouldn't let me in because saddle and seatpost stick out. Like I said, morons. I started to make promises of good behavior first and a fuss later, no dice. Got three of them out, one surprisingly bringing a toolset to disassemble the bike. And all I wanted is to pass through JR to Keio. Sitting on the Keio train now.
Lesson: Never talk to trainstaff, if you absolutely have to, broken English only.
 
BTW - don't forget about the handicap marked cars. They usually have space enough for several bikes and rarely are any wheelchair users onboard. @Ludwig - sorry, but was told (and its clearly marked) that ONLY 'approved' rinko were allowed. Very frowned upon to use garbage bags. Even though I have used them in a pinch many times from many different stations. Again - what is the 'rule' is differently enforced based on station by station. @Gunnar - weird - usually Takao is one of the most tolerant. Maybe something happened and a cyclist injured one of the geriatric trailwalkers with a dangling seatpost.... then now they are forced to 'crackdown' to show some discipline. Was up there last week with no issues, going up again in a fw hrs.

Agree about the talking to staff (or police) - never do it. One of the few times I was hassled about my bike rinko, I was with my Japanese riding mates and they actually let us all go on finally because 'I was a foreigner'.
 
Ya, talk- less is better.

In Japan it seems many things are on a per person basis- some of the policies are so vague they are left to whoever is on duty to interpret/enforce them as they see fit.
 
Tim, the JR companies say "senyou no fukuro" which leaves a wide range of interpretations, and most certainly does not mean "approved".

In any case, if you get stopped because not everything was covered, and apologizing does not work, one can always ask for one or two rubbish bags.

Better still not to be stopped. Never work on the bike in view of the station staff. Enter through the ticket gate quickly, and without looking at staff.

The other day I would have missed a shinkansen at Honjo Waseda if I had taken the time to put the cover over the bike, and would have had to wait for a full hour. I simply carried the bike without any cover/bag onto the platform and into the train, and wrapped it up inside. Nobody stopped me. Have done this a couple of times before, on various lines, and never an issue.

Needless to say, in 99% of the cases I do wrap the bike before I go through the ticket gate.
 
The other day instead of entering by the staff I scanned my pass and lifted my whole bike over the ticket machines.

Move quickly and make it look like you know what you are doing (like you have done it many times before, even if you haven't) I guess you could say.

But I still think (although rare) if Mr. JR is havin a bad day or thinks they gotta stop you they will.
If I was stopped I would try to be nice and courteous, and ya if something is uncovered I'd ask for a trash bag to cover it up (covered = OK I guess).
I took a couple of extra plastic shopping bags in my backpack just in case (they are useful for many things, including covering).
 
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