MTB on trains?

mfield

What are the rules regarding taking your bike (mtb) on the train?
Can you take it into the cabin/comparetment with you?

Thanks

joshtp

i often take my bike on the train, there is usualy a area for bikes in one caridge, if not, i put it where the wheelchairs go, or even in the door area.

The Spiderman

Different train companies have different rules.FCC for example let you take them,but it has to be at off peak times.

joshtp

down here in (not so) sunny S.wales most of the local trains i go on are Arriva or if im heading east First Great Western.
iv never had any problems, bar one incident with a grumpy old conductor.

MrChrisP

Most train companies will ask you to 'book' your bike on in advance to ensure there is enough space. It doesn't cost you anything extra and also means you are guaranteed a space for your bike.

For shorter journeys there are usually spaces in certain carriages for you to store your bike, and the longer haul services usually have a separate carriage specifically for storing bikes and other large items such as snowboards/skis etc.

Just ask at the ticket office when you go to book your tickets and they'll sort everything out for you.

P-Jay

I've taken mine on short and not so short trips on train plenty of times.

As long as you avoid rush hour they don't seem to mind, just make sure if you run flats like me no one shins themselves as they walk by, they don't like that!

Couple of years back, my mate and I, freshly back from a years backpacking (and broke) took a Train from Cardiff to Gowerton and rode down to Llangenith for a long weekend. It was bloody lovely!

Northwind

Definately book in advance if you can. Also, you're not usually allowed to lock the bike up. Lock it up anyway. Your seat might not even be in the same carriage as the bike never mind within sight of it, so take a compact cable lock if you can. Pretty trivial amount of protection but thefts from trains are usually walk-offs, an opportunistic train thief probably won't even have the light tools needed to cut a small cable.

It's a good idea to have a suitable allen key for the bars handy- most train storage seems to be made for 1990s XC bikes and road bikes, even my Soul overflows the space available (sometimes the tyre is too big for the hangers!) so being able to turn the bars is good. I had some trouble on the way home from fort william as the bike was physically wider than the corridor! 680mm bars vs about 600mm of train The guy with the Glory was having a hell of a time...

compo

We just stand them up in the carriage and then sit next to them
We use Northern Rail though when it isnt too busy. They don't reserve bikes or seats and are very liberal on the '2 bikes only' limit
Its as easy as pie

MrChrisP

@ Northwind

Is that Samson by Regina Spektor in your sig?

Northwind

That it is MrChrisP.

Chaz.Harding

Every train I've been on with my bike has asked me to put it into the luggage compartment, at one end. No-one has access to it, apart from at the stops. Which if you get to the door, poke your head out, and watch. If anyone takes your bike, you'll see - and can chase after them.

But as someone else mentioned, even locking the wheels together so they don't turn freely might be enough deterrent to stop opportunist theives.

mfield

Thanks for all the help. Seems it's OK then

gaanrowl

defo recomend checking if you need to book. i had major truble getting my bike back from london, didnt know i had to book it on and a hitler in disguise as a conductior wouldnt let me put it on. we were travelling to carlisle, i thought i was going to be stranded went to the front of the train and a kind gentelman let me put it on, once we set off hitler comes back kicking off and was going to throw me and my bike off the train, it took alot of fast sweet talking to stay on.

compo

mfield
what train company will you be using - that may be helpful as we can give specific advice

craker

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger ... lists.html

book if you intend to travel on a peak time train.

That doesn't guarantee you availability.

mfield

I was just wondering really, but I am probably taking the bike on the train in the future. I would be traveling with National Rail

Thanks

Thewaylander

I find it funny, taking bikes on trains in europe is normally very easy and encouraged. trying to get one on a train in the uk is such a faf, its like the goverment wants to make public transport and biking unattractive..

bails87

Thewaylander
It's not the government that set the rules on the trains. I'm not sure how they'd 'force' the train companies to let bikes on.

Also, I love how one of the operators has said "we only allow 2 bikes on any one train due to health and safety regulations". I'd like to see the H&S rule that says they are only allowed 2 bikes on a train, but every other operator in the country can do what they like. :roll:

Thewaylander

true point Bails.

I guess i think the privitisation of public transport was a joke. It doesn't work at all particularly in smaller area's where there isn't alot of money for providing quality public transport.

It needs to be brought into line across the country and tehn intergrated between the various types (bus/train/subway) and all made bike friendly to reduce traffc on the roads.

i wish i didnt have to drive to wrok everyday. but where i live i have no choice pretty dismal really

bails87

I know, I'd like to see more space allocated to bikes, especially with the Gov't pushing C2W and things like that. We're encouraged to use public transport, but have to drive to the station. Or we're encouraged to cycle, but can't go far because you can't take your bike on a train.

At the end of the day, a bike makes the train dirty and takes up as much room as 3 or 4 standing passengers, and you WILL be standing at rush hour. The busy trains are already full, so they're not going to lose 4 tickets per carriage, per train, per day, so that one person can bring a bike on for free.

That's what happens with privatisation, the same as with rural areas losing out.

Thewaylander

Sadly the only way the goverment will stop people driving so much, is if they take a much more serious hand in the state of public trasport.

Last year had a friend who needed to pick a car up from Reading for his mum(i live in Newport, his mum towards cardiff.) it worked out cheaper for me to drive him to Reading and then drive back to his mum following, and then bring him back to newport, than him buying a one way ticket to Reading if you can believe that.

welshkev

it's one of my pet peevs that it's not easier to take bikes on trains. i have to drive for about an hour to work stuck in poo poo traffic and putting up with dick heads who want to cut you up to get to work 30 secs faster. if i could take my bike on the train it'd still take an hour but i'd feel much more refreshed after. but it's hard to get me on a train in the morning let alone with my bike and i also think it's 'banned' on my route between 7 and 10am or something like that - just when i need to get to work. :evil:

Thewaylander

Total crap aint it Kev,

And sorry if i cut you up Butt I'm always late hehe

welshkev

Thewaylander wrote:

Total crap aint it Kev,

And sorry if i cut you up Butt I'm always late hehe

guilliano

Well the government has a huge hand to play if they want to force train companies to allow better bike access....... cut the subsidies! Taxpayers pay more towards trains now than they did when they owned the system. Cut these payments and the companies go out of business as fares are regulated and couldn't be raised enough to compensate

welshkev

guilliano wrote:

Well the government has a huge hand to play if they want to force train companies to allow better bike access....... cut the subsidies! Taxpayers pay more towards trains now than they did when they owned the system. Cut these payments and the companies go out of business as fares are regulated and couldn't be raised enough to compensate

i'd love fares to be regulated, at the moment it'd cost me £7.10 return for me to get to work, plus i live 5 miles from the train station and then a further mile when i get to cardiff!


it costs me about £20 a week to drive and i go door to door ( i know tax, mot etc but still)