Bike by train to Lands End

[e-rider]

I'm intending to do the LEJOG later this summer.

I want to transport my bike to Lands End by train from Norwich.

Everyone is telling me something different about taking bikes on trains!

Is this journey possible by rail?

 

[e-rider]

cheers, yes paddington to penzance via bristol I think.

 

[Bodhbh]

The simplest way I've found is to use:

http://www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/

Despite the name you can book throughout the UK and tick-a-box to make bike reservations with your ticket on the all the trains that need it (if you can't reserve it's generally because it's a local train and you don't need to).

 

[andym]

It really shouldn't be a problem - most of the trains on these routes are older models with proper guards vans.

PS don't forget that you can take your bike on the tube outside of rush hours. I'd say the Hammersmith and City line is marginally easier than the Circle Line.

 

[e-rider]

Cheers - I had planned to cycle across london from Liverpool St. to Paddington; although I've not checked the distance or route - I'm sure if I'm ready for LEJOG I can manage a few miles across london - probably end up crashing or getting the bike stolen before even starting!

 

[e-rider]

I've just tried the national express website and it said (for the norwich to penzance trip) that " there are insufficient or no places available to reserve bikes for this journey" - this was a train in April - tried it just to see what happened! Not a good sign - I'll ask next time I'm near my local train station and see what they say.

 

[Kirstie]

It depends on the route.
Travelling from Brum I took a Cross Country train to plymouth and then a local train to Penzance. There was no bike booking required on the local train. Because of a lack of bike spaces on Cross Country services (there are two per train, so book as early as you can), my mate had to take a different train an hour later and change at Exeter St Davids onto another train to penzance. Both of these required bike space bookings - one was Cross Country trains the other was Great Western I think.

Either way it was a nightmare, but it is possible to do.

 

[andym]

From Norwich, I'd go via London.

 

[Will1985]

Definitely go via London - my flatmate's wedding is down there at the end of the September so I am probably going to take the train there and ride back to Norfolk.

I spent 5h30 standing on trains and snowy platforms this morning coming back from Norwich after the train broke down. It has to be one of the most distant places to anywhere by train or car The only benefit of the Brum route is not having to haul your bike across the city to another station to get the train to Penzance...just a couple of platforms.

 

[pw2389]

I'm sure if I'm ready for LEJOG I can manage a few miles across london

As long as you're confident of not getting (too) lost, then that's what I'd do.

Even at off-peak times it's usually a right pain trying to take a bike on the tube and some lines don't allow bikes in the central London zone (not sure about Hammersmith & City).

 

[andym]

Both the Hammersmith and City and the Circle Line are fine outside rush hours (I wouldn't have recommended them otherwise).

But it is definitely feasible to ride across town: I'd go Bishopsgate; Poultry; Cheapside; Newgate Lane; Holborn Viaduct; Holborn, Gray's Inn road; Sidmouth Street then follow the bike route that leads from there past Tavistock and Gordon Squares and on to Tottenham Court Road then left onto Howland Street. Then New Cavendish Street;Marylebone High Street; Crawford Street; Edgware road and then Sussex Gardens and on to Paddington. 45 mins give or take.

 

[HeartAttack]

tundragumski, any idea on what sort of time frame you will be looking to do this ride? Just I have offered to do the ride for a local Norwich charity and we maybe looking at support vehicles.

Though we did have a laugh at the idea of Norwich-Lands End-John O'Groats-Norwich all by bike, 2000 odd miles, but I didn't say no as if the support is in place I see no reason why not

 

[Bodhbh]

I've just tried the national express website and it said (for the norwich to penzance trip) that " there are insufficient or no places available to reserve bikes for this journey" - this was a train in April - tried it just to see what happened! Not a good sign - I'll ask next time I'm near my local train station and see what they say.

Might be worth sanity checking it by running the journey in 2 parts either side of London and making sure the tube portion isn't making it throw a 'computer says no'.? Otherthing are any parts of the journey liable to be in rush hour, arriving in london before 10am and leaving between 3pm and 7pm? Hrmm so much for me saying it was simple.

 

[vernon]

Might be worth sanity checking it by running the journey in 2 parts either side of London and making sure the tube portion isn't making it throw a 'computer says no'.? Otherthing are any parts of the journey liable to be in rush hour, arriving in london before 10am and leaving between 3pm and 7pm? Hrmm so much for me saying it was simple.

If the journey is in several legs, there might be a leg of the journey with a train operating company that does not do reservations which makes booking a cycle on the trip an impossibility.

 

[User482]

You don't have to go via Bristol - you can do Waterloo to Exeter instead.

When I took the train from Bristol to Penzance, I wasn't able to make an advance bike reservation for the Plymouth-Penzance part of the journey (Bristol to Plymouth was fine). Fortunately, the train had bike spaces, or I'd have been well and truly screwed.