Bikes on Escalators, is there a technique

[simonineaston]

I recall watching a geezer in France deal with his cycle and an escalator when he simple tipped it upright, balancing it on the rear wheel, keeping the back brake on, on a step in front of him. But that's the French for you - they're like that.
ps if you try this here in the UK, you'll have the station staff shrieking at you that you're breaking all sort of rules. Meanwhile the lift will have been out of action for days and nobody will have bothered to report it. Or if they have, then the lift company won't have anyone available. Or they can't get the part. Or they fitted the part the week before and it's broken again a few days later...

[mjr]

It is ridiculous that some station operators try to ban them after someone makes a mistake.

I completely disagree.

Put a bike on an escalator in a busy station, especially going down, and you have a very good recipe for trouble.

How? And does any of it not also apply to those "Max checked" suitcases now popular?

Regarding emergency escape, I can only speak with real knowledge for The Underground, where all stations have a way out that is usable in the event of main power failure, mostly stairs, although in some places there are evacuation lifts, and all are lit by emergency power supplies. But, many of the stairways from older deep stations are seriously unsuitable for carrying a bike up, being very long spirals.

Obviously, the deep stations have space constraints, not being big enough for even the UK's undersized regular trains, which is sufficient reason to ban bikes from them, rather than the escalators. If there was sufficient space, it would probably still be necessary to insist bikes be left behind with large luggage in safe zones during an evacuation.

[mjr]

ps if you try this here in the UK, you'll have the station staff shrieking at you that you're breaking all sort of rules. Meanwhile the lift will have been out of action for days and nobody will have bothered to report it.

I've taken my bike on escalators at UK stations without anyone shrieking. More often, I've had to carry it up or down unsuitable stairs because of broken lifts.

[Steve X]

I am noting the people saying
"no issues" or
"simple"

There is clearly an issue, but possibly with the correct technique, the solution is simple.

If I am in the position where I have to use an Escalator, I will apply the brakes as suggested. I think possibly releasing the brakes at the end could be important.

[mattheus]

I am noting the people saying
"no issues" or
"simple"

There is clearly an issue, but possibly with the correct technique, the solution is simple.

Like juggling - the correct technique is "simple". But can everyone do it? I doubt it. And is there always someone present to tutor you? Or to copy?

(The angle, velocity, step/rider depth and surface all vary, and will affect the issue. As will your bike's shape, weight, front baggage etc.
And of course rider skill, strength, mobility ... Doing it every day will be very different to a visitor's experience.

I know I've done it easily on a few in the past ... but the Antwerp ones - ~5years ago - took a lot of strength to hold in place, despite mimicking my companions' "technique". And I'm relatively young and fit!)

[Nearholmer]

How? And does any of it not also apply to those "Max checked" suitcases now popular?

To repeat what I said earlier, bikes cause trouble on escalators at busy stations, especially going down, because they either block people from walking down on the left, causing arguments and/or tailbacks, or trip people over who do try to walk down past them, or, in the worst case, by the owner getting tangled-up at the bottom, leading to a pile-up.

“Wardrobe on wheels” suitcases can and do cause exactly the same trouble, as do people trying to run two wheeled suitcases simultaneously, which some will, and if an Underground station is very busy the staff will intervene if they see anyone approaching an escalator, especially down, with luggage that they are unlikely to be able to control; I’ve had to do so myself on occasions, and I’ve had to move swiftly to lift a small child out from the middle of a suitcase pile-up created by a parent who didn’t foresee problems.

The thing to remember is that a heavily loaded down escalator doesn’t stop instantly if something goes amiss and the emergency button is pressed, and quite a pile-up can occur in that few seconds.

[thirdcrank]

“Stand on the left; walk on the right!”, and tuck the bike under your right arm, so that your left hand can grip the handrail.

The big problem is that bikes on escalators create a major trip hazard for anyone trying to walk past on the right, or cause giant arguments because they can’t, and if one gets tangled-up at the bottom coming off it can cause a really dangerous pile-up.

Here’s where you can take a bike on The Underground off-peak https://content.tfl.gov.uk/cycles-on-pu ... nsport.pdf IIRC all of the allowed stations have stairs that you can carry a bike up, so you don’t need to use escalators.

Just a query about the London Underground escalator etiquette. I thought I remembered a mnemonic from long before I knew what one was. Something my dear old dad picked up during WWII I thought, and stressed when in later years we went there.

On the right:
Stand at ease.
On the left,
Quick march, please

.

Have I got that the wrong way round? FWIW, nobody around here expects to be passed on an escalator and they act accordingly.

I've just found this which seems to confirm what I remember

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/ ... 83-4-10578

[Vorpal]

“Stand on the left; walk on the right!”, and tuck the bike under your right arm, so that your left hand can grip the handrail.

The big problem is that bikes on escalators create a major trip hazard for anyone trying to walk past on the right, or cause giant arguments because they can’t, and if one gets tangled-up at the bottom coming off it can cause a really dangerous pile-up.

Here’s where you can take a bike on The Underground off-peak https://content.tfl.gov.uk/cycles-on-pu ... nsport.pdf IIRC all of the allowed stations have stairs that you can carry a bike up, so you don’t need to use escalators.

Just a query about the London Underground escalator etiquette. I thought I remembered a mnemonic from long before I knew what one was. Something my dear old dad picked up during WWII I thought, and stressed when in later years we went there.

On the right:
Stand at ease.
On the left,
Quick march, please

.

Have I got that the wrong way round? FWIW, nobody around here expects to be passed on an escalator and they act accordingly.

I've just found this which seems to confirm what I remember

https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/ ... 83-4-10578

I remember 'stand right, walk left'. I think it's announced on the tannoy at airports (Heathrow), where they have walking belts.

[Jdsk]

Yes. The etiquette is to stand on the right and pass on the left.

But the government thinks that this seems dangerously foreign and intends to legislate so that passing on both sides will be acceptable.

Jonathan

[Vorpal]

https://londonist.com/london/transport/ ... escalators

[thirdcrank]

But nearholmer's posts seem to say the opposite

(Before posting this I did a bit of googling and I've seen stuff about standing on one side causing uneven wear and standing on both sides shifting more people on average quicker, but that's not what I was querying.)

[Nearholmer]

Have I got that the wrong way round?

No, I have, so I’ve corrected that posting.

Probably a good job I haven’t worked there for six or so years now; I’d cause utter mayhem!

[thirdcrank]

Thanks for the quick clarification! I can relax in the knowledge that my long term memory lives on, even if the more recent stuff is shaky.

[Nearholmer]

Whereas, I can’t.

[mattheus]

If you stand on the same side as everyone you can see standing, how would there be a problem?

First on? Don't have the CUK forum to hand to check? Just pick a side!

[n.b. I do tend to stand on the "correct" side ... but I'm not sure why it's so important. And I don't hog the middle lane - that's a different scenario! ]