Scout Group Bicycle Transport Ideas

[domnortheast]

Restrictions permitting we are looking into the idea of taking a small group of Explorer Scouts (approx eight) on a cycle tour in Scotland later this summer and would need to come up with a viable way of transporting Scouts, leaders, bikes and kit from Wales to the West of Scotland and back again 8 days later. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions for transporting groups and bikes? Obviously a minibus and bike transport trailer would be one means if such trailers are available for hire.

[PH]

There are a couple of bus & trailer operators, though none I can think of near you and the extra travel would likely make it prohibitively expensive, but here they are anyway
http://www.sherwoodsminibus.co.uk/yorks ... rt/3646830
The other is Yorkshire Bikeliner, but I can't find a link
I've never come across a bike trailer that is available for hire, though I've usually been looking for larger groups. I have seen box trailers for hire, which might be big enough.

There's also the option of a coach, I've booked groups of around 20 with the bikes fitting underneath. But again your group might be too small to make it viable.
It's sometimes more practical to transport the bikes separately, van hire if you have a volunteer driver, then either a minibus or, if it's an option, the train for the riders.

[Will]

The other is Yorkshire Bikeliner, but I can't find a link

I think they just call themselves Bikeliner now:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category ... 598721049/

Will

[Jdsk]

It's sometimes more practical to transport the bikes separately, van hire if you have a volunteer driver, then either a minibus or, if it's an option, the train for the riders.

This would be on my short list.

IME vans are cheap to hire, minibuses and MPVs much more expensive.

Jonathan

PS: With small grandchildren and no MPV any more I'm looking at hiring a van for a family cycling holiday.

[drossall]

Where are you going in Scotland? When our District does expeditions up to our County facility in the Trossachs, we hire the bikes locally, but then we're taking 60-70 Scouts who are doing cycling and other activities turn and turn about, so we need different sizes of bike each day.

The van sounds promising to me, or a couple of cars with four-bike racks on. Or you can put bike racks on kit trailers, as for example here (not near you, sorry). You certainly can hire full cycle trailers, but again that one is nowhere near you.

SL, 11th Hitchin

[domnortheast]

Thanks all for the replies and ideas. As has been noted there are no bike transport companies near us that I can locate online anyway. I'm waiting on quote from Pedal-Power Cycle Holidays in Northumberland but suspect they'll be way too expensive for us.

Having pondered various permutations for much of the afternoon one idea that seems promising is to use our local area minibus (17 seater) with a rear 4 bike carrier and put the other 4 bikes inside with the luggage.

The idea is to cycle the Hebridean Way so the minibus would drop the riders, bikes and gear in Oban for the ferry to Barra then, using a car/van delivery service, could get moved to Ullapool where we would reclaim it on return from Lewis. This latter bit seems less expensive than I thought it would be.

[Mr.Benton]

The Hebshuttle https://www.facebook.com/HebShuttle/ or https://www.hebholidays.com/hebshuttle/ offers bike transport in the Hebrides so it might be possible to bus back to the start and then ferry back to Oban.
I find catching a bus back to retrace your cycling route quite strange, it takes X days to cycle from A - B and then only a few hours to bus back. I find it a bit like watching a video of your holiday in fast reverse !

I think I have read about cyclists using a local courrier to ship bikes and luggage between the hebrides and the main land, but I can't find the link now.

Scotrail have introduced bike carriages on some of their trains so it might be possible to fit 20 bikes on a single train. This might help getting back from Mallaig to Glasgow. But then you have to get from the Hebridies across Skye to Mallaig.

Good luck with the trip.

[domnortheast]

The Hebshuttle https://www.facebook.com/HebShuttle/ or https://www.hebholidays.com/hebshuttle/ offers bike transport in the Hebrides so it might be possible to bus back to the start and then ferry back to Oban.
I find catching a bus back to retrace your cycling route quite strange, it takes X days to cycle from A - B and then only a few hours to bus back. I find it a bit like watching a video of your holiday in fast reverse !

I think I have read about cyclists using a local courrier to ship bikes and luggage between the hebrides and the main land, but I can't find the link now.

Scotrail have introduced bike carriages on some of their trains so it might be possible to fit 20 bikes on a single train. This might help getting back from Mallaig to Glasgow. But then you have to get from the Hebridies across Skye to Mallaig.

Good luck with the trip.

Thanks for these ideas. Will investigate further. Trip is still just an idea at the moment, trying to get a handle on costs and logistics to see whether it will be viable before going any further with it.

[Pedalhebrides]

The Hebshuttle https://www.facebook.com/HebShuttle/ or https://www.hebholidays.com/hebshuttle/ offers bike transport in the Hebrides so it might be possible to bus back to the start and then ferry back to Oban.
I find catching a bus back to retrace your cycling route quite strange, it takes X days to cycle from A - B and then only a few hours to bus back. I find it a bit like watching a video of your holiday in fast reverse !

I think I have read about cyclists using a local courrier to ship bikes and luggage between the hebrides and the main land, but I can't find the link now.

Scotrail have introduced bike carriages on some of their trains so it might be possible to fit 20 bikes on a single train. This might help getting back from Mallaig to Glasgow. But then you have to get from the Hebridies across Skye to Mallaig.

Good luck with the trip.

I would not recommend using Hebshuttle / Hebholidays They have still not refunded money to people who booked with them last year.

[VinceLedge]

How about a minibus and a box trailer? Or if you know anyone with a towable horse box trailer you could borrow, they are good for bike transport.

[domnortheast]

The Hebshuttle https://www.facebook.com/HebShuttle/ or https://www.hebholidays.com/hebshuttle/ offers bike transport in the Hebrides so it might be possible to bus back to the start and then ferry back to Oban.
I find catching a bus back to retrace your cycling route quite strange, it takes X days to cycle from A - B and then only a few hours to bus back. I find it a bit like watching a video of your holiday in fast reverse !

I think I have read about cyclists using a local courrier to ship bikes and luggage between the hebrides and the main land, but I can't find the link now.

Scotrail have introduced bike carriages on some of their trains so it might be possible to fit 20 bikes on a single train. This might help getting back from Mallaig to Glasgow. But then you have to get from the Hebridies across Skye to Mallaig.

Good luck with the trip.

I would not recommend using Hebshuttle / Hebholidays They have still not refunded money to people who booked with them last year.

Good to know. Theyre quite expensive for shuttling 8 people & bikes from Stornoway back to Barra, nearly £500 & for that we could simply take the minibus across with us.

[domnortheast]

How about a minibus and a box trailer? Or if you know anyone with a towable horse box trailer you could borrow, they are good for bike transport.

Have been looking into a box trailer as an option. Would rather keep the whole setup under 6m though in case we do take the minibus across as well. I'm really not terribly keen on taking it over with us if it can be avoided. There are too many large vehicles, caravans, campervans, motorhomes and wotnot on the often narrow roads of western Scotland as it is.

[PH]

How about a minibus and a box trailer? Or if you know anyone with a towable horse box trailer you could borrow, they are good for bike transport.

Box trailers are good, but horse boxes tend to be much heavier, I've borrowed one which was over a ton, without the horse!

[gloomyandy]

Many years ago (1980 I was 18 at the time) I made a similar trip using a mini bus with a trailer (to carry bikes, canoes and other stuff) to the Outer Hebrides. Mine was funded by the Nottinghamshire County Council Education department, but was self organise by a group of "young people". Basically 16-23, they provided the equipment, we did pretty much everything else (I wonder if a 21 year old would be allowed to drive a council mini bus today?). It was a fantastic trip and the experience and memory has stayed with me ever since, so please if you can make it possible for these young folk to do something similar.

But you may want to issue a warning to the youngsters, those islands may have a "virus" of their own. I've been unable to resist the urge to go back time and time again. They can really get under your skin if you let them.

A lot has change since that first trip. On my first visit I walked in and stayed a couple of nights at Rhenigidale. Then the only way there was by sea or foot and the small community only had a single phone that was connected via a radio link, the hostel was lit by Tilley Lamps. In November 2019 I drove to the same place, I had a 4G phone connection and the hostel had electric lights and showers! But it is still a very special place.

[domnortheast]

Many years ago (1980 I was 18 at the time) I made a similar trip using a mini bus with a trailer (to carry bikes, canoes and other stuff) to the Outer Hebrides. Mine was funded by the Nottinghamshire County Council Education department, but was self organise by a group of "young people". Basically 16-23, they provided the equipment, we did pretty much everything else (I wonder if a 21 year old would be allowed to drive a council mini bus today?). It was a fantastic trip and the experience and memory has stayed with me ever since, so please if you can make it possible for these young folk to do something similar.

But you may want to issue a warning to the youngsters, those islands may have a "virus" of their own. I've been unable to resist the urge to go back time and time again. They can really get under your skin if you let them.

A lot has change since that first trip. On my first visit I walked in and stayed a couple of nights at Rhenigidale. Then the only way there was by sea or foot and the small community only had a single phone that was connected via a radio link, the hostel was lit by Tilley Lamps. In November 2019 I drove to the same place, I had a 4G phone connection and the hostel had electric lights and showers! But it is still a very special place.

That is such an inspiring story. I guess 'remoteness' is a relative term depending on when and where you live. Probably going back a further 50 or 100 years having a telephone and roads would have seemed impossibly connected.

Fingers crossed for this trip happening, there are a number of hurdles, not least of which is finding enough Scouts in the Explorer unit who are old enough, fit enough and enthusiastic enough about cycling to take part!