Tandem on train from Brighton

[swansonj]

Does anyone have experience of getting a tandem on a train from Brighton headed London-wards (actually Merstham or Redhill)? This would be on a Saturday, and I'd have my daughter with me, which is why I'd rather know what the chances are in advance. @srw/@rvw, i'm sure you must have done it after a Friday?

 

[srw]

Does anyone have experience of getting a tandem on a train from Brighton headed London-wards (actually Merstham or Redhill)? This would be on a Saturday, and I'd have my daughter with me, which is why I'd rather know what the chances are in advance. @srw/@rvw, i'm sure you must have done it after a Friday?

I believe we have. IIRC, there was no problem at all.

Having said that, I can't actually remember. We've done at least one Brighton ride on the tandem, and I don't think we even had to offer to dismantle it. But since arriving at Victoria would have meant riding up to Marylebone, and I don't remember having to blag our past the barriers there I could well be wrong.

The locals (@User13710 or @User or @rich p) might know better.

 

[Tim Hall]

Easy peasy, IME. Rock up, armed with MkI winning smile and in plenty of time, so as you can bag a space before all the other Bloody Cyclists.

 

[growingvegetables]

Depends on theor cycle-carriage policies? Northern Rail have a strict - "2 bikes only per train, no tandems". And joyfully ignore it. I've had (at different times!) 4 bikes, a tandem and a bloddy great trike on a train. And seen a pennyfarthing carried in the disabled space.

+1 for @Tim Hall's winning smile stragegy . (Just don't try it on Virgin!)

 

[swansonj]

Well, I can now confirm that it is possible to get a tandem on a train out of Brighton on a busy Saturday afternoon. (It was a sponsored charity cycle in aid of our daughter's school in Brighton, so we rocked up with her and me on the tandem and my wife on a solo, all having ridden down from the outskirts of London and therefore not relishing any prospect of cycling back as well.)

In the event no-one challenged us but we deployed a variant of the @Tim Hall technique anyway - my wife went and asked someone official very nicely. Apparently he was so impressed by a cyclist (a) asking and (b) being polite that he became an instant convert to our cause.

 

[steveindenmark]

I find that approach works in any country :O)