Taking a 'non folding' bike on the London Underground

[Drago]

Do any of the stations youre planning on using have access/egress via escalators? Im a husky chap and really wouldn't fancy a full sized bike on my shoulder going up or down one of those.

 

[Shreds]

I wouldnt take any road bike on the underground. Full stop.

My road bike is light enough to shoulder over any obstacles or stairs when needed, but you may as well ride in London. Its quicker and cheaper plus less hassle than becoming subterranean.

Brompton is a different matter. Designed for trains and the like.

The cases of theft occurred on mainline trains significantly about a year ago where Bromptons and other luggage were snatched from the luggage racks near the doors seconds before the doors were closed for departure.

Theres always some scrotes around.

 

[Blue Hills]

I use that line a lot @ontodva most carriages i think have a bit where folk can stand leaning back against upholstery on the wall. So there. Worst comes to the worst, just stand with it. No probs. Folk can hardly complain if you should slightly impinge on a seat as not all seats are supposed to be being used these days. Overground stations usually pretty decent for lifts though not the likes of peckham rye and norwood junction. Something to consider if heavily loaded.

 

[srw]

My road bike is light enough to shoulder over any obstacles or stairs when needed, but you may as well ride in London. Its quicker and cheaper plus less hassle than becoming subterranean.

My local station is on the Underground network. Off peak it takes about an hour and £4 to get to central London. Riding takes about three hours - much more hassle, much slower and given fuel for the rider more expensive.

The tube isn't just zone 1, where what you say holds true.

 

[vickster]

It’s fine for stations with
disabled ie lift access, although surface to tube platforms at Wimbledon is a flight of stairs, no escalator

 

[Tigerbiten]

You can take a bike on the deep underground, but you need to work around the bike ban.
Wheels off, seat down, basically minimize the size and then put everything in a bike bag with the dropout supported.
Now it's just oversized luggage which is a lot easier to get on a tube.
So 9 trips out of 10 it's not worth the extra hassle.

I used that trick to get my bent trike onto mainline trains to travel into and out of London.
Seat off, fold frame and everything in a bike bag.
Once I even took it on the underground to cross central london like that.

Luck ........

 

[Reynard]

Yeah... I've done Kings Cross to Blackfriars (circle line) on a Sunday with a road bike while en route from Ely to Winchester by train, which wasn't a problem. Fortunately both stations have lifts, so it wasn't a hassle. The only time I was challenged turned out one staff member wanting to know where I'd got my bike luggage from!

You can't take non-folding bikes on the deep-level lines ( especially northern, victoria, piccadilly) or on the other lines at peak times. The TFL website has all the pertinent details.

Although last year, I saw two people manoeuvre a large dining table onto a northern line train in the rush hour...

 

[hatler]

It’s fine for stations with
disabled ie lift access, although surface to tube platforms at Wimbledon is a flight of stairs, no escalator

I'm pretty sure there are lifts from the Tube bit of Wimbledon station. Certainly the TfL map seems to indicate that.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yeah... I've done Kings Cross to Blackfriars (circle line) on a Sunday with a road bike while en route from Ely to Winchester by train, which wasn't a problem. Fortunately both stations have lifts, so it wasn't a hassle.

If I was doing that trip I'd pop next door/virtually same station and go from St Pancras to Blackfriars on the Thameslink train.
It's quite easy these days to cross london without heading into a tube of any description.

 

[Reynard]

If I was doing that trip I'd pop next door/virtually same station and go from St Pancras to Blackfriars on the Thameslink train.
It's quite easy these days to cross london without heading into a tube of any description.

There wasn't any Thameslink service the day I did that. Other option for me the next time I do this (once the current situation is over) would be getting a Thameslink train from Cambridge, and then no mucking around changing until I get to Blackfriars.

 

[lazybloke]

No problem taking my road bike on the surface parts of the Piccadilly line a couple of months ago. Some fellow passengers had massive suitcases, so a bike didn't raise any eyebrows.
I did have to shuffle back and forth to let a few people on/off, but most people just used other doors.

Carrying a "normal" bike up/down stairs wasn't a problem. People forget that folding bikes are often rather heavy.

 

[KiterStu]

What bothers me most about the prospect of taking a full size bike on the Tube is where in the carriage to put it. Across a door is so awkward and so is across several seats. Folk who have done it - where did you put the bike?

This was 8pm ish on the Metropolitan Line a couple of weeks ago. Timing is everything in my experience. I tried to take my mtb on the Victoria Line at Highbury and Islington yesterday afternoon and was told I couldn’t. So I went on the Overground to Willesden Junction and cycled along the canal to Alperton instead.

 

[vickster]

I'm pretty sure there are lifts from the Tube bit of Wimbledon station. Certainly the TfL map seems to indicate that.

There might be, never used it