ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

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Geoff.D
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Joined: 12 Mar 2010, 9:20pm

ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by Geoff.D »

At the end of May I'll be touring with my daughter, starting from her home in Edinburgh. We may want to return via ScotRail (perhaps from Inverness). She tells me that Scotrail is pretty good with her solo upright, having ceiling hooks for bikes and no need to reserve a place.

Before I contact ScotRail, has any one experience of using this company with a recumbent? I have the choice of using my sub 2-wheeler, or my folding ICE trike. I can't imaging that either will hang up. But is the company relaxed enough to stow a 2-wheeler in some way, or allow the folded ICE to be taken as "luggage"?

Advice will be most appreciated. I'll talk with them, but having prior knowledge will allow me to manage any uncooperative/unknowledgeable customer service adviser.

Cheers
landsurfer
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Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by landsurfer »

Scotrail has started a new service to Inverness replacing the class 158 fleet with short rake HST / CLASS 43 locos. The class 43 has a guards van at each end that could take a ford fiesta never mind a recumbent cycle ... give them a bell ...
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pjclinch
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Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by pjclinch »

Geoff.D wrote:At the end of May I'll be touring with my daughter, starting from her home in Edinburgh. We may want to return via ScotRail (perhaps from Inverness). She tells me that Scotrail is pretty good with her solo upright, having ceiling hooks for bikes and no need to reserve a place.

Before I contact ScotRail, has any one experience of using this company with a recumbent? I have the choice of using my sub 2-wheeler, or my folding ICE trike. I can't imaging that either will hang up. But is the company relaxed enough to stow a 2-wheeler in some way, or allow the folded ICE to be taken as "luggage"?

Advice will be most appreciated. I'll talk with them, but having prior knowledge will allow me to manage any uncooperative/unknowledgeable customer service adviser.


Whenever I've taken the 'bent I've just turned up with it and got on with it.
Aside from the 125s running on the longer routes now, most of the stock is DMUs with a dedicated cycle space for (notionally) two bikes. This is relatively "free form" to take other stuff and a 'bent goes in there okay.
I've only seen the ceiling hooks on the line out to Oban, but they're fine with 'bents:

Image

Overall staff attitude tends far more towards "can do" than "won't do" IME.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
irc
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Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by irc »

Just to clarify , ScotRail are good. No need to book on most central belt services. Don't expect to get a bike on train on the Oban or Fort William line without booking though. I've seen a local cyclist going one stop being stopped from loading his bike at Oban because the 6 hooks were booked. Same story north of Inverness you may be lucky on the day but no guarantee.
Geoff.D
Posts: 1982
Joined: 12 Mar 2010, 9:20pm

Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by Geoff.D »

landsurfer wrote:Scotrail has started a new service to Inverness replacing the class 158 fleet with short rake HST / CLASS 43 locos. The class 43 has a guards van at each end that could take a ford fiesta never mind a recumbent cycle ... give them a bell ...


Good to know, landsurfer.
Thanks
Geoff.D
Posts: 1982
Joined: 12 Mar 2010, 9:20pm

Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by Geoff.D »

pjclinch wrote:
Whenever I've taken the 'bent I've just turned up with it and got on with it.
Aside from the 125s running on the longer routes now, most of the stock is DMUs with a dedicated cycle space for (notionally) two bikes. This is relatively "free form" to take other stuff and a 'bent goes in there okay.
I've only seen the ceiling hooks on the line out to Oban, but they're fine with 'bents:

Overall staff attitude tends far more towards "can do" than "won't do" IME.

Pete.


Encouraging, Pete. Photo says it all. I didn't realise there is so much "headroom". I imagined the hooks would be quite near the ceiling. Thanks
Geoff.D
Posts: 1982
Joined: 12 Mar 2010, 9:20pm

Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by Geoff.D »

irc wrote:Just to clarify , ScotRail are good. No need to book on most central belt services. Don't expect to get a bike on train on the Oban or Fort William line without booking though. I've seen a local cyclist going one stop being stopped from loading his bike at Oban because the 6 hooks were booked. Same story north of Inverness you may be lucky on the day but no guarantee.


Good to know. I'll be booking. Cheers.
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Tigerbiten
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Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by Tigerbiten »

I used to fold my ICE Sprint then put it in a soft bike bag if I was traveling with it on a mainline train.
With the boom diagonally across the bag the trike ended up standing on one wheel.
That way it's not a trike it's just oversized luggage.

YMMV ........... :D
Geoff.D
Posts: 1982
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Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by Geoff.D »

Tigerbiten wrote:I used to fold my ICE Sprint then put it in a soft bike bag if I was traveling with it on a mainline train.
With the boom diagonally across the bag the trike ended up standing on one wheel.
That way it's not a trike it's just oversized luggage.

YMMV ........... :D


I haven't taken my trike on a train, Tigerbiten. I've thought about making up a soft bag as you describe. Nothing special. I could run one up in rip stop nylon easily enough and it would pack up small. But, you've given me a new idea that hadn't occurred to me ....... take the boom out and stow it sideways! Obvious really. So thanks for that.

By the way, do you leave the front wheels on or take them off? I can see benefits of both.
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Tigerbiten
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Re: ScotRail - recumbents allowed?

Post by Tigerbiten »

Geoff.D wrote:By the way, do you leave the front wheels on or take them off? I can see benefits of both.

First time I took them off as it packs down slightly smaller.
But after that I left them on as it's a lot quicker to pack/unpack.
Also if you leave them on it's a lot easier as the trike will balance on the wheel.

Luck ........ :D
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