Bikes on trains

[Rupie]

I live in the midlands but work all over the country.
I am working on the olympics and so have got digs, 5m from work for the next 3 months. To get to London I have to travel on First Great Western and on the train from Worcester to paddington. Their website says you have to book, and only travel off peak. I called their very expensive phone line and always get told their is no spaced on the train and one operator suggested booking two weeks in advance ! All of my colegues have brought their bikes down on the train, without any problems, they just got on the train, off peak as well, form varous places across the country. None of us have folding bikes and due to work I cannot plan two weeks ahead.
Can it really be that hard to bring you bike to london ?

 

[StuartG]

Why not go via Birmingham? May be cheaper as well (£3.95 from Moor Street with railcard booked a day or two in advance). No probs with Chiltern & LM.

Chiltern has free wifi too - being used here atm!

Otherwise try booking through the Southern Railway website. They have an option to add a cycle reservation to your ticket. Look hard on the page where you specify the seat preferences - its hard to spot. I've used it with FGW and East Coast sucessfully.

 

[GFamily]

I live in the midlands but work all over the country.
I am working on the olympics and so have got digs, 5m from work for the next 3 months. To get to London I have to travel on First Great Western and on the train from Worcester to paddington. Their website says you have to book, and only travel off peak. I called their very expensive phone line and always get told their is no spaced on the train and one operator suggested booking two weeks in advance ! All of my colegues have brought their bikes down on the train, without any problems, they just got on the train, off peak as well, form varous places across the country. None of us have folding bikes and due to work I cannot plan two weeks ahead.
Can it really be that hard to bring you bike to london ?

Time to get yourself a Brompton.

 

[Melonfish]

Time to get yourself a Brompton.

looks like you might have to.
tis a shame when you have to buy a new bike because the public transport network is quite frankly crap.
pete

 

[mcshroom]

It isn't that difficult, although you do need to be able to plan at least the day before you travel (which is cheaper too). Try booking the trip through Southern Railway, Chiltern or East Coast websites (they all do FGW and any other operators tickets). You can add a cycle reservation as part of the booking process on there.

You may also need to check whether there are extra restrictions on the line during the olympics, but there shouldn't be any cycle reservations to book if that were the case.

Here's a useful link for the rules on FGW: - link

 

[Rupie]

Thanks,
Being quite a long way up the line, there are not any real discounts for early purchase, and my station is unmanned so cannot collect tickets. I get great off peak savings with a Network rail card. I went home and back yesturday and spoke to Guards on both journeys, they both said that although there may be restrictions during the actual games, there is never a problem off peak on the line and they only have to turn people away of a large group have turned up. They dont know what customer services are talking about. They reccomend turning up would be fine and First Great must be up to something they are not aparty to.
Cannot afford and justify a Brompton, but have bought a cheap none folding, now im down here for weeks.
The problem now is that my digs here have just taken the bike secure shed away because they need the space for Laundry !!!

 

[CopperBrompton]

The chances are a Brommie wouldn't cost you anything. Buy it secondhand at a sensible price, sell it for the same price when you're finished with it.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

looks like you might have to.
tis a shame when you have to buy a new bike because the public transport network is quite frankly crap.
pete

But it had already been pointed out what to do regarding the websites, etc

 

[kedab]

i have had regular discussions with fellow commuters and often staff on trains regarding just how pants the rail firms are at providing adequate space for bikes - example - if i work an early shift, get to cambridge station for say 18:00 - i can't get on the birmingham service cos you can only have 4 bikes on that sucker and you have to book your space...so, i have to wait until half 6 to get a norwich service which has a complete carriage for bikes...makes no sense