Taking Folders on Buses

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Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
I am planning to do a regular journey using Cardiff local Bus service and my Folder.
Bus company website says folders are ok provided securely folded but it also confuses the issue a bit going on about drivers discretion or some such.

My plan is just to do it and see how it goes .Anyone else take their folders on buses?
bike is a Dahon 20 inch wheels
 

sheddy

Legendary Member
Location
Suffolk
If you can bag it they won't notice.
A cheap plastic jumbo laundry bay might work, get the biggest.
 

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
How do people carry their folder without their leg getting covered in bruises? I am small and clearly not that strong. I am also fairly new to the folding bikes club. I find my Brompton bangs on my leg if i have to carry it any distance
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Theoretically they're allowed on all major UK operators (ones that are part of some association). In practice, bags may be required.

The bit about driver discretion is in case the bus is too full, I think. Drivers are pretty much god in operational decisions anyway, including refusing/allowing more people to board. You can challenge it afterwards if needed, for all that helps.
 

annedonnelly

Girl from the North Country
I've taken my Brompton on a bus often. It's usually a bit of a giveaway when I fold it at the door of the bus & am still wearing my helmet when I get on :smile: Never had a problem but it's usually been in the evening when the buses are quiet and the trains don't run. I put the bike in the space for wheelchair or pushchair but am prepared to move it if anyone needs the space.
 

Kell

Veteran
I put it in the luggage rack on long distance buses or walk to the wide bit on others. Never needed to use the wheelchair space. I think pushchairs are meant to be folded before boarding anyway.

They're meant to be, but there was a fairly high-profile case a while back where someone had taken their baby on the bus in the pushchair (asleep) and refused to move it to allow a disabled person in a wheelchair on in case it woke the baby.

They sided with the pushchair...

But I think the case was overturned in the courts.
 
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Banjo

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
Situation has moved on since yesterday.

As Mrs B uses my Dahon quite a bit I have pushed the boat out and ordered a new Brompton 6 Speed with the M bars.
I thought the flat bars would suit me more but test rode both and the Mbars felt more natural to me. Its Tempest Blue and is due in on Friday.Like a kid waiting for Christmas now.How many sleeps is it ??
 

Julia9054

Guru
Location
Knaresborough
Situation has moved on since yesterday.

As Mrs B uses my Dahon quite a bit I have pushed the boat out and ordered a new Brompton 6 Speed with the M bars.
I thought the flat bars would suit me more but test rode both and the Mbars felt more natural to me. Its Tempest Blue and is due in on Friday.Like a kid waiting for Christmas now.How many sleeps is it ??
I have the S type. I am 5ft4 and I think it would not suit someone a great deal taller
 
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Banjo

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
I have the S type. I am 5ft4 and I think it would not suit someone a great deal taller

I am about 5ft 10 and felt cramped on the S model .With the M you can alter the angle of the bars forward or back a little to adjust the length a bit.
I prefer the look of the S and had I not had the opportunity to ride both I would have ordered the S .Theres more to this Brompton business than first meets the eye.
 

chriscross1966

Über Member
Location
Swindon
My daily commute is a cycle + bus one. If you're catching the same bus every day you will quickly sort out what times are best to do it. I'm lucky that there are rarely wheelchair users on my bus as my preferred seat is the wheelchair one, my neck doesn't fit the forward facing seats with headrest and I hate the ones without headrest with a passion. The Brompton fits on its side under the seat even though it's a bit wider than standard with its big rear hub, I've seen others put them between the seat and the wall of the bus, but only ones without racks fit there. A T-bag will hold everything you need for a day easily enough. I find if I bundle my winter riding gloves into my helmet liner it makes a pad I can put my elbow on one the rail and can easily sleep for the hour or so the journey takes, plus being faced backwards with a full-height padded backrest was handy on the day we were involved in a minor collision...
 
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Banjo

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
Took the bike on 2 buses today. No problem as both buses were half empty. On a full bus Im not sure where the bike will fit.On the largest luggage rack theres a box full of free newspapers on Cardiff buses which doesn't leave enough space for the bike there .Guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
 

KneesUp

Guru
A very kindly bus driver in Manchester once let me on with a full sized, non-folding road bike when I was caught in an unforcast and viscious hailstorm in August, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. He told me to take it to the back of the bus and that I'd have to get off if more than a few people got on.

Can you put the folded bike on top of the papers? (Which presumably are used primarily as hutch liners by those with pets?)
 
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