Bike by train to Lands End

[mds101]

It is usually about ten weeks for early booking, but if there is any works on the line, I think they can hold back for a while longer. This tends to feel like they are trying to stop you doing the ride and are out to get you personally. I don't think they are, i think it isn't always easy to manage a rail network.

I struggled and worried about it all last year trying to sort it all out over the internet and phone (going from Nottm.). In the end I went to speak to a person at a train station, got a really good service, the man was happy to go through various options . Just don't go in at peak time if you're going to be there a while. I think it only cost about 20 quid in the end and about 35 back from JOG....after reading horror stories about getting back from JOG it turned out to be quite easy, I just had to be a little flexible and add a day on...but then that gave me an extra day, so didn't really matter.

 

[Albertina]

I am coming to the UK from down under and am looking for some pleasant routes to cycle in south west UK - eg Devon. I am looking for some advice please? What is LEJOG?
Noticed the tip on train riding with bikes. Good to read all this stuff.

 

[andym]

Albertina

Land's End John O'Groats (ie the far South West to the far North East).

Have a look at the National Cycle Network map here:

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/webfiles/general/sustrans-map-2009.pdf

for example the NCN 2 along the south coast. Don't ignore Dorset.

It is a shame though that is so difficult to use trains as a family. Go on give it a go. Trains in the South West frequently do not have guards vans I don't know if you have a family, but try and book 4 people (2 of them, 9 and 6), one with a trailer bike on a train and come and see us in Sunny Somerset

It was very different when trains had big guards vans, but in this neck of the woods they are mostly those tram like slidey door things

SpongeBob/Maggot

Yes I can appreciate the difficulties and this was one reason I would go via London rather than take the CrossCountry services. I have to say I had mixed feelings this morning about the announcement of a new fleet of new trains to replace the good old 125s. I very much doubt that the cycle carriage facilities will be as good as the old guards vans.

 

[WJHall]

And the funny thing is, that when introduced, the 125s were the first trains on which cycle carriage was banned, harbinger of a general move towards no cycle carriage.

The fact that they now have so much more cycle space than anything else, not to mention a couple of mail compartments in the engines presumably not currently used for anything, is a useful reminder that there are rarely real technical reasons why the internal space on an existing train cannot be rearranged to provide cycle and luggage accommodation. The recent rearrangement of the 158s by opening out the cubby holes is another good example.

As to whether those who make most fuss about the difficulties of carrying cycles are those who do so least often, this is probably true. My daughter takes her cycle on trains all the time. I can no longer really bother to try, once off the local branch line it usually seems too likely to go wrong, and there always to be some new rule, some possibility of meeting an unhelpful member of staff. The sort of person who is quite happy to operate a train with a hundred empty seats, but not to find space on it for one bicycle.

Then again, there are those members of staff who will offer every assistance getting four bicycles onto at train with space for two only...

WJH

Albertina

.... I have to say I had mixed feelings this morning about the announcement of a new fleet of new trains to replace the good old 125s. I very much doubt that the cycle carriage facilities will be as good as the old guards vans.