Riding from Waterloo

[neocaligatio]

[Originally I had posted this on BikeRadar, but someone pointed out that this might be a better place to ask!]

Hi all,

I normally get the train into waterloo, then underground to the other side of London, which takes about 40 mins in the tunnels.

I've just acquired an old road bike that would be perfect for using from Waterloo to work, and I wouldn't be completely distraught if it got trashed or nicked, but my question is this:

If I take it up to London one weekend (as SW trains ban cycles on any service arriving in waterloo past 7.15am!!) could I lock it up on platform 19 at Waterloo and leave it there overnight so that each day I can arrive in waterloo by train and ride to work and back to Waterloo for the last part of the journey home?

Essentially it would be at Waterloo overnight, every night. My concern is that I'll arrive one morning and find security had 'tidied up' over a weekend and cut off all the bikes they think are abandoned.

Any hints?

Chris

 

[Twenty Inch]

Presumable you'll be moving it around every time you return to W'loo - it's not likely to go back on the same rack every time, is it?

 

[neocaligatio]

That's a fair point actually! doh.....

 

[gavintc]

I suspect the answer will be no - simply because they can say no. You will be given a diatribe of security concerns, health and safety and anything else that pops into the mind of the 'man whose job it is to say no'.

 

[neocaligatio]

In that case, I best not actually ask...

 

[gavintc]

In that case, I best not actually ask...

I would scout out the options. Check if other bikes are staying overnight, where they are located and whether there is evidence of vandalism on the bikes. You will probably be OK.

 

[hackbike 6]

Try platform 11+12 at Waterloo and also plats 5+6 for other spaces.I reckon a "barebones" bike would be fine.

 

[neocaligatio]

Well the bike in question is a mid 80's Dawes road bike that is currently in a fetching electric blue!

My plan is to strip it down as much as possible first and make it a real workhorse

 

[hackbike 6]

How far you gotta ride?

Get a fixie?

There are lot of bikes on 11+12 so I reckon you'd be unlucky to get it tea leafed.

 

[Roaders]

How did this go in the end?

I'm thinking of leaving my bike there week nights and taking it home on the Friday night train and bringing it in on the Monday morning train.

Mine is a new Specialised worth about £500. I'll remove all removable stuff on there though (other than the saddle ect).

Any advice?

 

[MacB]

wouldn't this be the very thing these rent-a-bike racks are intended for?

 

[dellzeqq]

there are hundreds of bikes left overnight at Waterloo - lots of them outside the station. They all look pretty ropey, but they probably do about ten miles a day at most. Similar story at Marylebone, and (with apologies to Linf, not!) a vast area of racks is to made available at Euston

all of which we can thank Dave Holladay at the CTC for, who has badgered the life out of Network Rail for years.