Bagged Bike on EuroStar

[ubert767]

Please does anyone have experience of taking a bagged bike on Eurostar in order to avoid excess charges?
I'm aware of the 85cm maximum dimension limit and I may be able to just about comply with this ( I have an S&S coupled Thorn Nomad frame). Do they use any dimensional gauges ( as Ryanair do with cabin luggage restrictions) at either departure station, or is it that if it looks about right then you get to travel?
Do the 85cm bags fit easily into the train's luggage racks and are there trolleys available at each end of the journey?
Thanks.

[Richard Fairhurst]

When I travelled with a bagged Bike Friday earlier this year (max dimension around 85cm), there were no size gauges at St Pancras or Brussels, and the bike fit within the luggage rack with plenty of space to spare. I did try to ensure I was one of the first to board the train so that I'd be able to get to the ground-level luggage rack. Don't know about trolleys, I'm afraid.

[LWaB]

On a recent weekend away, we got gauged at St Pancras and measured against a bag outline at Paris. The bagged Moultons passed of course. No trolleys either end that I've ever found.

Getting onto the carriage early is essential, most folk are incredibly inefficient at fitting luggage into racks. Shifting up a class makes things much easier, if the cost difference isn't great.

[ubert767]

Thanks for your replies.

LWaB - Please can you expand on the gauges, are they simply a two dimensional profile? How exacting are they, would a bag at say 87cm be detected by them?

On a recent weekend away, we got gauged at St Pancras and measured against a bag outline at Paris. The bagged Moultons passed of course. No trolleys either end that I've ever found.

[captain offensive]

If you know which train you are going to be on you can book on the bike for about £35 which isn't awful. Stuck mine on that way and worked out fine

[LWaB]

We were a couple of cm over with no dramas. They just don't want somebody extracting the urine with grossly oversized bags.

[ANTONISH]

If you know which train you are going to be on you can book on the bike for about £35 which isn't awful. Stuck mine on that way and worked out fine

Whereas you can put it onto a French TGV for 20 euro.
Also you can take a 120 x 90 bag on the TGV - Eurostar reduced the dimensions in order to make it impossible to take a normal sized bike in this manner.
I'll be interested to see what will be allowed on Deutschebahn when they start using the route.