Forum home› Commuter cycling forum› Commuting chat

East Croydon station

GraemecpGraemecp Posts: 479
edited June 2007 in Commuting chat
Hello - my wife and I are of a nomadic disposition and are currently toying with the idea of moving to Brighton (long story) so that I can move up the ladder in my work's London office. Thing is, I wouldn't mind involving the bike in my daily commute and I know Southern trains are a bit tight with bikes unless they're folding. I'd probably leave a fixie (old Condor pista) at East Croydon station and cycle up to Canary Wharf from there (I know it's not the best, but I've cycled those roads before) and then leave my bike back at E Croydon in the evening and train it back from there. My questions are - have any of you tried this? Is the cycle storage at E Croydon reaonably secure??

Ta
Grame

www.edinburghroadclub.co.uk
www.edinburghroadclub.co.uk

Posts

  • Lance FoghornLance Foghorn Posts: 47
    Wouldn't risk it myself (especially a Condor Pista fixie, bike of the moment). Get a folder, don't leave it out of your sight. Croydon just topped a poll for bike thefts...

    http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/ ... 274492.ece
  • emuemu Posts: 161
    Would you actually be getting on at Brighton station? If so you definitley won't be putting a bike on from there but I know others that do put their "ordinary" bikes on the train from the south coast and I can find out exactly where they get on if you want me to.

    So, East Croydon and storage. How well do you know that station area? Do you know the pub (porter and sorter) right by the post office? Opposite that is where there is undercover storage with CCTV. My son leaves his bike there (Subway 1) and hasn't had any problems. But then it's never been left there overnight....

    And would you really want that kind of commute every day?
  • GraemecpGraemecp Posts: 479
    Lance - they're worrying stats. That sounds like a none starter. Emu, the plan was to leave the bike at Croydon when I'm not riding it and commute up and down to Brighton on the train (I'd probably leave a hack at Brighton to use to and from my new home, if this plan materialises). Yeah, I suppose I could get a folder - however, riding a Brompton compared to a fixie isn't quite so appealing. Maybe I could stick the bike on the car and drive up M23 to somewhere where I could park and ride into town. Cheers for the responses.
    www.edinburghroadclub.co.uk
  • Lance FoghornLance Foghorn Posts: 47
    Sorry to be so negative, but leaving a bike locked up all night in Croydon is just asking for trouble. If it doesn't get nicked it'll certainly get smashed to bits if left over night. Croydon can be a nasty place at night.

    Of course, the best answer to this query is a fully integrated transport policy that allows proper bikes on trains. Ho hum...
  • miffedcpmiffedcp Posts: 315
    or get a flat in croydon especially for the bike....
  • GraemecpGraemecp Posts: 479
    Lol! Actually, my wife wouldn't put that past me!!
    www.edinburghroadclub.co.uk
  • Windy_BlowWindy_Blow Posts: 46
    Have you checked out the facilities at the station? Although Croydon in general is not a safe place to leave a bike I was under the impression that the station facilities were pretty good (although I haven't used them myself). And the commute from there to Canary Wharf is quite nice. I do it once a week to Greenwich and its much better than my normal route up to Westminster. You can do a lot on off-road decent cycle tracks through parks.
  • domtylerdomtyler Posts: 2,648
    edited February 2011
    Chat to Origamist, he has put together some really nice fixie folders.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Porridge not Petrol
    ________
    Vapir no2
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Porridge not Petrol
  • emuemu Posts: 161
    Graeme - my 2 cycling mates that get on the same train as me (7.57 from East Croydon) with their "ordinary" bikes get on at Shoreham and Portslade. Apart from the initial few weeks after Southern's ban last year they've had no problems with guards or station staff. This train also stops at Hove so I don't know whether that station would be easier to get on with a bike.

    If you've read my recent posts as much as I hate riding my Brompton (I bought it for it's foldability) I'd rather ride that than not cycle at all. Once the new Shepherds Bush station opens I will have no real reason to cycle but I will because I'd rather do that than be totally reliant on getting trains to work and it's the only excersise I get.
  • graham_ggraham_g Posts: 652
    Of course the sensible answer is 'don't live in Brighton if you want to work in London!'. Sorry, but I have to play devil's advocate here, even though it is wife driven [:D]
  • GraemecpGraemecp Posts: 479
    Windy blow - it was the station facilities that I was interested in. I used to live in Penge and know Croydon well - and yeah, agreed, I wouldn't be leaving a Condor Pista locked to a lampost or something around there. The local hoodies would take great delight in jumping on the wheels!!

    Emu - the Hove train sounds promising. If that's a slam door, I reckon I'd be in business, as I could leave the bike in the guards's carriage.

    Graham G - it's kids driven! We couldn't afford to live in an area of the Smoke that has good schools. If we went back sarf, good school places like Dulwich, etc cost a packet.

    I will continue my research before I apply for the London promotion!
    www.edinburghroadclub.co.uk
  • emuemu Posts: 161
    No slam doors on Southern anymore! That 7.57 from EC was the last to go. There are several of us that have travelled on that particular train for the past 4-5 years but it's only these 2 particular guys that have not bought a folder.
  • Climber_AndyClimber_Andy Posts: 852
    They're not bad, but Croydon is Croydon. I'd say that people walking to and from the station aren't going to stop to stomp/smash/steal a bike, but who knows? With a good lock and insurance though, it will help.
  • jbindmanjbindman Posts: 1,328
    i had a bike vandalised at east croydon overnight, the first night I left it there & that was an ugly old thing, not worth stealing, they just slashed the tyres & stamped on it for the sake of it. some years ago, mind you, but no way would I leave my pista there even if it was a lot older and dirtier than it is. got to be a folder, i think.

    fgg 1666
    fgg 1666
  • Tourist TonyTourist Tony Posts: 8,628
    My wife was mugged twice in Croydon, once in East Croydon station at the ticket barrier. The incident was ignored by staff. I wouldn't leave any bike there.

    If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or censored
    If I had a stalker, I would hug it and kiss it and call it George...or censored
    http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3 ... =3244&v=5K
  • daninbrightondaninbrighton Posts: 2
    I don't know details of cost - (can't image it's much), but the car-park just over the road from East Croydon Station (it's owned/managed by Fairfield Halls I think) has secure bike locker type things available for rent.

    Might be worth looking in to...
Sign In or Register to comment.