UK Trains - Online bike reservations

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
PH
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by PH »

toontra wrote:Image

That's truly dreadful :shock:
There's no way any bike of mine would fit on the lower hook and if it was on the higher hook with another bike on the lower I can't see how it would come out without first removing the other.
toontra
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by toontra »

PH wrote:That's truly dreadful :shock:
There's no way any bike of mine would fit on the lower hook and if it was on the higher hook with another bike on the lower I can't see how it would come out without first removing the other.


Exactly! As it was it took me a good 2 minutes just to work out how to move the ridiculous dividing bar and get my bike onto the hook. This was made all the more difficult because one of the staff was stacking up the buffet trolley right outside the compartment, saying that was the only place she could do it. Apparently there is also nowhere for the trolley to go now!!

Also note there is no padding on the hooks. Bare metal - great for rims!

I've no idea how this state of affairs was allowed to happen. Where was CUK when this was being decided?
robing
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by robing »

I was told by the train manager on the Virgin train that it is the responsibility of the platform staff to load your bike on to the train (but they rarely do) and the train manager to unload it, union rules apparently.
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

Are there any terms and conditions for the carriage of bikes?
Do they reserve the right not to accept a "strangely shaped" bike?
Is there a "pattern" that they design their stowages for?

I was on the train back to Gunnislake yesterday after getting to Plymouth.
Moulton was the first bike on, and then a Canondale, and neither of them would go into the slots for the wheels. Wheels too narrow.
Then a MTB came on. 29er with big chunky tyres maybe 3" wide. The chap who came on with it, rammed it into the slot, and it stuck fast. Excellent design for thick chunky tyres.

Moulton moved and nearly fell over at one point (I caught it) and so did the Canondale but that was saved by the stuck solid MTB!
Mick F. Cornwall
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

toontra wrote:Not sure how many compartments per train but I suspect 2, making a total of 4 bikes. Presumably that's why GWR insist on advance booking bikes these days.


It's worse than that. There are two compartments, so four bikes in theory; but GWR are only allowing two bikes per train, saying that the other compartment is required for luggage. So comparing old with new, that's a reduction from 6 to 2 bikes per train.

I can see the logic in allowing the space to be used for luggage on the summer Newquay trains where people are loading surfboards, but we don't have much surfing on the Cotswold line, nor do we have Shipton-under-Wychwood International Airport. I've raised this issue directly with GWR but they haven't yet relented.

And I've tried to get CUK to raise it... but zero response so far. :(
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philvantwo
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by philvantwo »

Nice photo of your bike on the train Mick F!
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

I was on the London/Penzance train yesterday evening. Got on at Taunton for Plymouth.

I had gone to a great deal of effort to make sure I was booked AND my bike was booked.
On the platform before the train arrived, the platform chap showed me where to stand with Mercian ready to get on.

Mercian was the only bike onboard as I put it in the exact same position I had put Moulton.
The only bike onboard!
The train manager was nowhere to be seen, so I never had to show a ticket, or prove I had a bike booking. The platform chap wasn't concerned about anything other than getting me and the bike onboard promptly and efficiently.

Basically, if I could have got onto the Taunton platform through the barriers, me and Mercian would have had a free ride to Plymouth.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Sweep
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Sweep »

Cripes - that looks like a shower cubicle.

I also try to remember to take a spare bungee and a strap or two - the car seat belt things many train companies provide are often inadequate, too short, semi-jammed.
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whoof
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by whoof »

Myself and Mrs Whoof got a train from Bristol to Derby last Thursday. We had booked the two available bike spaces. When we got on there were already five other bikes and we had to stand in the vestibule and wheel them back and forth every time someone to wanted to get past. When the beverage trolley man commented that there were too many bikes and we were blocking the aisle we pointed out we were the only ones booked but the others were there when we got on He said the train manager should oversee this but had failed to do so. Fortunately by Cheltenham two spaces became free but I still couldn't get my bike (2" tyres) on one of the hooks, Mrs Whoof with 1.5" tyres was OK.

A similar thing happened last time we book spaces from Llanelli to Bristol and I've booked a space from Bristol to Cornwall in August via Facebook Messenger of all things. Cross Country trains have sent me a message saying the train manager will be aware of my booking, I'm not holding my breath.

I honestly find taking a bike on a plane a lot less stressful than on a train.
PH
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote:Basically, if I could have got onto the Taunton platform through the barriers, me and Mercian would have had a free ride to Plymouth.

That's often the case, I suppose the idea is the chance of being caught is intended to discourage it and people general honesty. Though I've no doubt there are those who regularly cheat the system, there was a story a couple of years ago about a millionaire city executive who'd cheated on £40,000+ of train fares over several years.
PH
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by PH »

Sweep wrote:I also try to remember to take a spare bungee and a strap or two - the car seat belt things many train companies provide are often inadequate, too short, semi-jammed.

+1
I also have a short piece of foam pipe lagging to put on the part of the frame most likely to rub.
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Mick F
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Mick F »

Slightly off topic and rather historical.

When I was in the RN serving in Roysth Naval Base we lived just up the road in married quarters.
Good mate of mine - still is - lived in Manchester and would take the train south on a Friday, and back on a Sunday.
In those days as a married man living away, we were given a return train ticket a month. These were period returns and would last three months.

My mate would get a single from Inverkeithing to Edinburgh, then a return to Carstairs as the ticket inspector only checked tickets between Edinburgh and Carstairs. The rest of his journey to Manchester, he didn't use a ticket and just walked out of Manchester Piccadilly.

On the way back, he'd get a platform ticket and board the Edinburgh train. The return Edinburgh/Carstairs ticket may or may not be checked.
At Edinburgh, he'd swap platforms and get to Inverkeithing with no ticket used.

Meanwhile ........... and this is the important bit ............ he still had his period return Inverkeithing/Manchester, so he was never travelling without a ticket.

He was quids in, and eventually he'd use his period return, ready to get another.
Mick F. Cornwall
Feriebike
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by Feriebike »

Hello. I am Swiss and new to this Forum.
Has anything changed in the question of booking bikespace?

Somebody having knowledge of e-bike transportation (train, air or street) UK to Switzerland?

Thank you for your thoughts.
robing
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Re: UK Trains - Online bike reservations

Post by robing »

I've booked several bike reservations using gwr recently and haven't had any problems and was able to print out my tickets either at the ticket office or machine.
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