Good morning everybody. Sorry, but not been on the forum much recently.
Me and Mrs Mick F went on an "adventure" yesterday to Exeter. We walked the quarter mile to Wetherspoon's (The Imperial) for a lunch and a couple of drinks, then back to the station and headed home.
On the way in, we caught the Express train to Exeter, and the Local train to get back. No difference in the two GWR trains except the Local one was a few carriages shorter. The Express had two bike stowages, and the Local only had one. They all had only two cramped hook things for bikes and the stowages were camped. Zero bikes on both trains.
On the way to Exeter, I had a chat with the guard as he was standing near a stowage. He, like me, is a cyclist, and we had a good chin-wag about the stowages. He said that they aren't fit for purpose, and they should never have been signed off. He recommends that after I've tried it to send a letter of complaint. He suggested that all users should do likewise.
Between the two hangers, there is a silly black foldable and lowerable thingy so the two bikes don't bang together.
The hangers themselves are sort of designed for big-tyre bikes, though the entry/exit of the top hooks is too narrow to make it easy.
The hanger hooks are damaged and would scratch the shiny alu rims, especially narrow ones like mine.
The hangers and back-wheel supports are too wide and will not support a bike well at all, no matter how chunky the tyres are.
The guard said that most users just wheel their bikes in and lean them up .............. and he doesn't blame them and neither would I.
Basically, I'm rather unwilling to ride my precious Mercian to Exeter - though it is my preferred ride for a 50ish mile bike ride - but I am tempted to ride my Moulton as it'll be more stable on the train. Also shorter if I want to just wheel it in and lean it up. Mercian is too light and delicate. Either way, I'll be taking cloth protections for the hook and maybe nylon ty-wraps or bungey straps for stability.
Photos, by way of explanation.
The fold-down racks are there for extra suitcase storage if required (if no bikes!)
You can see of the hook the size by my hand.
The black thingy rotates so it's vertical, but it's not rigid in the slightest.
The hook is worn and rough and scratchy.
Terrible design and not recommended for any user.
Mick F. Cornwall