Cycling UK Forum

As promised when I started this thread I can now provide an update to the first leg - Milton Keynes to Ardrossan Harbour.

Our daughter arrived yesterday afternoon as planned and most of the trip worked out OK. At MK station the railway staff wanted to see both her ticket and printed cycle reservation before she was allowed through the barriers. These were checked again before she got on the train itself and at this stage she was told that she had to attach reservation to the bike itself or it could not travel. Luckily she had a short section of tape that could be removed from her handle bars to do the job.

Apparently the bike traveled next to the drivers cab, accessible through a one way locked door - no real problem as she was getting off at the terminus in at Glasgow Central.

The next part on Scotrail and the Calmac ferry to Brodick passed without incident.

A further update in week or so for legs 2 and 3

Alan

Just before Easter my daughter asked me to arrange for her and her mountain bike to travel by train as follows for a Scottish holiday in late May

Leg 1 Milton Keynes to Adrossan Harbour
(Stay with the family on Arran)
Leg 2 Adrossan Harbour to Inverness
(Separately arranged bike packing trip Cape Wrath to Inverness)
Leg 3 Inverness to Milton Keynes

She seems to think that being retired I would have more time to deal with the matter (correct) and that I might forget to claim the costs back from her (incorrect).

Having read dire warnings on this forum regarding the difficulties in booking cycles on some trains I approached the task with some trepidation but so far it seems to have worked well. What has been noticeable is the very different arrangements each Train Operating Company has for this task and perhaps as a help to others in the future I have set out my experiences below. In each case, following advice on this forum, I rang the TOC customer help desk, obtained a (free) Cycle Reservation Number and only then booked and paid for a passenger seat.

Leg 1 MK to AH via Glasgow Central (She will get local pre booked taxi Bedford to MK)
Rang Virgin Trains
Given Cycle Reservation Number for MK to GC
Booked passenger ticket MK to AH.
No seat or cycle reservation possible or needed GC to AH.
Paid on my credit card.
Daughter can use ANY valid credit card with the Cycle Reservation Number at a booking machine in advance of traveling to obtain paper ticket to attach to cycle
Charged £2 to have tickets posted to daughter's home. They have arrived in 48 hours.
CalMac ferry Ardrossan to Brodick is pay at time of use for passenger, cycle free.

Leg 2 AH to INV via GC and Glasgow Queen Street.
Rang ScotRail
AH to GC no cycle reservation or seat reservation needed.
GQ to INV given (free) cycle reservation number.
Booked passenger through from AH to INV
Given seat reservation details GQ to INV
Paid on my credit card.
Could have had tickets sent to daughter's home but would be charged £6 for Special Delivery and need signing for as it was not the billing address for the credit card.
All tickets sent to my address for £2 and no signature needed. Arrived in 48 hours

Leg 3 INV to London Kings Cross
Rang LNER
Obtained cycle reservation number verbally as it is on a different system.
LNER then emailed me this. It appears BIKE is no smoking but has a facing, aisle seat!
Went on to LNER web to get cheapest fare.
Booked passenger and her seat.
Paid on my credit card.
Printed out all passenger and seat details at home. No charge.
She will then get a local train KX to BD and pay at the time. This is a journey she has done many times before.

Although the whole process took a couple of hours to work through one Sunday lunch time all the service desks seemed to know the system well and very helpful.

Sorry this is quite lengthy but I hope it may help others in the future (at least untist TOC franchises and websites change!)

Alan

I had a similar situation here in the UK a few years ago when my Brompton was dropped by luggage handlers at a coach company. At the time I had to buy a new rack but still have the old one in my spares box. If I remember correctly it was a lug on the casting that broke and the stays are intact

If you think this might help please send me a pm and we will see what can be worked out

Alan

Thank you for all the helpful replies.

I have now managed to reconcile the different information from the various sources.

Planning to read "Three men in a boat" again before I go.

Alan

In a fortnight's time I hope to have a day out on my Brompton, starting from Richmond station and following the Thames upstream and then a train back to central London. How far I get just depends on how the day goes.

Having looked at a number of maps (Tfl and OS) and searching a number of websites (Thames Path, Sustrans) as well as this forum I am still confused as to where cycling is allowed/possible. I can see that NCN 4 goes through Richmond Park but on this occasion I would like to stick to the riverside.

Any advice or local knowledge would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Alan

The charity REMAP (http://www.remap.org.uk) has local branches in many areas of the country and aims to provide custom made items, free of charge, for people with a variety of disabilities - not just cycling. I suggest you visit the website above which will direct you to your local group.

Alan Parker
Chairman
Leeds and Bradford REMAP panel

This is a rather belated reply as my wife and I have just returned from an excellent holiday, including some cycling, on the Isle of Arran.

A comment was made about the Co-op shops having a monopoly and hence increased prices. This has not been our experience.

The Co-op shops in both Brodick and Lamlash were open 7am to 10pm 7 days a week which planning when to shop very easy and the prices were not unreasonable.

Arran like much of the west coast of Scotland has a very short tourist season on which to survive for the whole year and there were signs that its economy continues to be fragile. As regards local shops, cafes etc it may well be a case of "use it or lose it".

Alan

Glad it worked out for you.

For future reference I think that there is break in the hourly ferry service at 1pm from Port Appin. This fact made me speed down from the cycle track near Castle Stalker in order to avoid a 2hr wait on the jetty.

Alan

PS Do post to let us know how you get on

AWP

Just a further thought. One advert for the ferry timetable said that the phone would only be manned when the ferry was moored on the mainland so you may need to time your contact carefully. Enjoy Lismore it was great.

Alan

I am just back from a weekend in Oban and did exactly this route.

As previous posters have said it is quite a small ferry and I do not think you could get a trike on board. On this trip there were 6 bikes including my Brompton. All of these were lifted on by the crew into the wheel house before the 10 or so passengers got on and went through the wheelhouse to the aft cabin. There is an open deck right aft but a trike would need lashing on if carried there.

The crew were very helpful and I would agree with making a phone call first. We were told that the wheelhouse has a capacity for 5 sheep but no other details were given!

If you do get to the north end of Lismore look out for the telephone box by the jetty which has an honesty box for cakes from the local bakery. Excellent. The cafe at the heritage centre midway between the ferries is also very good.

I will try to post some photos if I get a chance later today but wanted to get this message off quickly.

Alan

If you are unable to find a commercial solution you could try approaching the charity Remap. (I volunteer with my local group).

Remap is a national charity that uses local volunteers, often retired engineers, technicians or those with good DIY skills, to manufacture or modify equipment to meet particular individual needs like yours.

Their website is www. remap.org.uk.

Please send me a p.m. if you need more details.

Alan

I too can recommend this route which I did (partly) earlier this year. It is mapped and signed as NCN 700 and Sustrans(?) produces a useful map, though as ever OS maps show more off-route detail.

From Leeds I caught the Northern train to Carnforth with a very quick change onwards to Barrow in Furness. I cycled out to the Start on Walney Island though I could not a find a formal marker. Turning back through Barrow it proved a little difficult to find the exact route as some signs seemed to be missing but there are plenty of alternatives round the docks. Once out of the town towards Rampside way finding is much easier.

The first night I booked a B and B in Ulverston and spend some time the next morning at the Laurel and Hardy museum which is well worth a nostalgic visit and then on to another B and B in Grange over Sands. Time on the way was spent at Cartmel Abbey but beware the village toilets have been closed by the local authority

Next day was somewhat wet but I made good use of the Witherslack Community Cafe which is on the route just after crossing the A790. It is marked on the Bay Route map but had variable opening hours. Do check first if you can! The route finding near Levens gets tricky - take care. After this it is a flat run to Arnside though I understand the route near Storth may flood at very high tides.

My third and last night was at Arnside Hostel - no longer in the YHA but no major changes except that it does not open until 5:30 pm.

I had intended to spend the next morning at Leighton Moss RSPB site but it was pouring with rain which was forecast to last all day so I caught and earlier train back to Leeds, this time changing at Lancaster. As a previous poster has said you do not need to book bikes on Northern trains and I personally have always found their staff very helpful towards cyclists.

Later this summer I hope to do the southern end by taking the train from Leeds to Heysham and cycling back up the banks of the River Lune towards Morecambe. Again there is a tidal ford at Sunderland. All being well I shall then get to Leighton Moss the next day.

Hope this helps

Alan

I hope to finish off the Bay Cycle way in early July - the previous outing was cut short by bad weather. At the same time I want to explore the Heysham peninsula as well as visit the Leighton Moss RSPB site

Does any one know any cycle friendly accommodation in Morecambe itself - preferably with a single room. I can see plenty of B and Bs on Trip Advisor etc but a personal recommendation would be very welcome.

Thanks

Alan

I have only flown with my Brompton on a return trip from Edinburgh to Orkney so my experience is limited. On that occasion, and since then when traveling by long distance coach, I use the soft bag made by Carradice, padding the folded bike with spare clothes in stuff sacks or carrier bags. In addition I use a couple of wide straps externally to hold everything in shape.

The only extra precautions I take are to remove the two clamps and bolts that secure the Brompton folds as these seem to stick out a little.You do however need to put them somewhere very safe to avoid a panic when you unpack on arrival! I also put a bracing piece between the lugs at the rear of the luggage rack as this was the only place I had any damage on an earlier coach journey.

I hope your trip goes well.

Alan