Taking Road Bike on Trains

[KnittyNorah]

Yep, you ae maybe right
was looking at a folding rod bike like this

https://www.ternbicycles.com/uk/bikes/471/eclipse-x22

looks good and would certainly take away all the troubles, just turn up and board
Just depends how often i would travel on a train given the cost of tickets, but then ill have a senior rail card which will be good

something to think about and how often i would be going on a train with my folder to the actual investment of a folder

You can easily get 16 & 20" folders onto buses, too - maybe larger ones, but the little country buses I like might be an issue; obviously you avoid travelling at peak times. Of course an OAP National Concessionary Pass enables you to travel FOC on 'local' buses in your constituent nation, subject to certain restrictions. Relatively, much slower than a train or coach of course, but sometimes a local or local-ish bus connection is just what you need to get you within more comfortable reach of where you want to go - or back home from where you've got to - and/or avoid/minimise the stress of major roads and heavy traffic.

 

[paulbufffer]

If doing a mini tour which presumably includes an overnight and thus more 'stuff', be prepared to remove any panniers. It can be tricky trying to manhandle a bike onto a train and carry the panniers. Sometimes you can put the loaded bike onto the train and take them off afterwards which is less stressful.

Like KnittyNorah, I have a folder which I often end up taking on trips including trains so I can be a bit more flexible. An easy way to get started is to to get the train out and cycle home. Then you can be confident booking a space (if necessary) for the outward journey and don't need to worry about catching a particular train home.

THANK YOU

the simple ideas are usually the best

 

[PaulSB]

@paulbufffer don't be put off. I've been hopping on and off trains with my bike for 25+ years. Not regularly but often enough to have some experience. This includes a full year of commuting in and out of Manchester on Transpennine and Northern Rail.

I was once refused access to a Virgin train as I didn't have a reservation. I didn't know one was needed.

Other than the Virgin experience I've never had a problem but have met lots of helpful railway staff.

 

[ColinJ]

I had been warned by @Littgull about some of the trains in Wales being very overcrowded and having problems with bikes. He was right...!

I thought that you might have been exaggerating when you told me of your difficulties travelling with a bike on Arriva Trains Wales, but then I experienced it for myself a few weeks ago! A 4-carriage train was reduced to 2 carriages on a busy bank holiday weekend. An exasperated guard helped us squeeze our bikes onto a crowded train with only 2 official bike spaces, which already had 4 bikes on board. He told us that he didn't want to turn cyclists away - he is a cyclist too - but if one more passenger tried to board with a bike, he would be forced to stop them.

 

[mjr]

I had been warned by @Littgull about some of the trains in Wales being very overcrowded and having problems with bikes. He was right...!

It is worth remembering that was three years ago, Arriva have gone, Transport for Wales Rail has taken over, some trains have already been replaced and almost all the rest will be replaced in the next 2 years (or maybe a bit longer now due to pandemic delays). Change is the only constant. Recently, things usually get better for bikes, although occasionally they get worse (those flipping Hitachi expresses!).

Similarly, Virgin have gone and been replaced by Avanti. Still need to reserve bikes on them, though.

 

[ColinJ]

It is worth remembering that was three years ago, Arriva have gone, Transport for Wales Rail has taken over, some trains have already been replaced and almost all the rest will be replaced in the next 2 years (or maybe a bit longer now due to pandemic delays). Change is the only constant.

Hopefully, the changes turn out to be good ones. I would really like to go back for more cycling holidays there but nearly not getting on the train was very stressful, the train was horribly overcrowded, and some of the passengers were literally throwing suitcases on top of the bikes. (They couldn't find a space to put them down and couldn't get close enough to gently rest the cases on the bikes!)

 

[ClichéGuevara]

More tips, Paul...

Those over 60 can buy a Senior rail card. It costs £30 for one year or £70 for 3. Use that to get 1/3 of each journey.

Because of the stupid fragmented rail system in this country, sometimes you can double a fare by just going one extra station. Check for that kind of thing, and avoid by getting off at an earlier station.

Sometimes it pays to buy separate tickets for different parts of the journey (check split ticketing sites). Sometimes return tickets are pretty much the same price as singles.

Slightly off topic, but on several occasions, I have got a lower price fare by booking a longer journey that involved a change, and just not completing it, as the change was at my preferred destination.

I have also ended up with over 30 tickets for one journey, as I booked from one station to the next all along the route, and just sat on the same train throughout the journey. It saved a fortune.

On each occasion, I was sat on the exact same train that would have been far more expensive had I just booked A to B.

It's bonkers.