Trike on trains

[Auntie Helen]

Just getting myself organised for the London Freewheel on the 21st and I decided to ring my local train company to check with them about any special conditions of carriage for my Trice. I was rather shocked to discover that I can't actually take it on the train at all as it's wider than 70cm. I explained that if I took the front wheels off it'd be narrower than 70cm but the chap on the phone said that in that case it wouldn't be a bike any longer, it'd be luggage which would have to be specially and safely packed!

I was rather appalled by this and asked to speak to a supervisor who talked to me a bit more and was going to ring my local station to see if they'd accept the trike. I use a trike because of an arm disability and so explained that if I took it apart (as they seemed to want me to do) I probably wouldn't be able to lift it anyway.

Has anyone else had any experience of taking trikes on National Express trains?

 

[Riding in Circles]

Generally its a no unless you put it in a box.

 

[domtyler]

Illegal.

 

[Riding in Circles]

Illegal.

Yep, disabled discrimination.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Just had a message on my voicemail from National Express (I was out cycling!) to say that they can't have the trike on their trains because of... you've guessed it... health & safety reasons. They can't ask me to dismantle it because it's too heavy for me to carry dismantled (part of my disability) and yet they can't offer to dismantle it for me either.

I can't decide whether to cycle to the station on the 21st and see if I get away with it (with the faint possibility I will end up stuck in London at the end of the day) or just give up. But I was SO looking forward to Freewheel! Alternative is to drive the bike to London from Colchester but that seems so ridiculously self-defeating. Any suggestions?

 

[Arch]

I was told off, politely, on Saturday for wheeling my bike into the travel centre at York Station with me to buy a ticket to Hull. I half expected it, but pointed out that if they allowed you to lock a bike up just outside the travel centre without risk of it being removed, it would be easier, otherwise you have to wheel it all the way down platform 1 to a free bike rack, walk back to get your ticket, then go fetch it and get to your platform. The lady said it was due to health and safety, and people tripping over bikes. I restrained myself from pointing out that if they trip over my bike, when I'm wheeling it, close to my body and taking care over it, then it's their own stupid fault for not looking where they are going. I suppose they allow stupidly large baby buggies in ok.

But I digress. I'm afraid I wouldn't even try to get a trike on a train. Sad, but, that's the way it is. Although TBH, I'd find it a struggle to get a trike on and off at some stations, where the step down is quite high.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Bit of an update. I telephoned the Cycle Champions Co-ordinator for Colchester and he phoned his contact at National Express trains who have authorised me to take the Trike and will provide me with a letterheaded document saying so (provided that I get a train with a Guard's Van). So once again it's not what you know it's who you know (fortunate as I don't know much about cycling!)

I am hoping to find another friendly cyclist travelling on that train to help me lift the trike on and off as with my disability it can be tricky manoeuvring it. However I don't want to give up - it's too easy when disabled to think "oh, I can't do that" and you never do anything. I'm not allowed to ski, rollerskate, horse ride, anything like that where I might fall off; I can't swim without causing damage to my prosthesis - what I CAN do is cycle (now I have a trike) and I'm going to make the most of the cycling opportunities I can!

So hopefully I'll see some of you at freewheel. If you see a trike with a hefty woman on it, say hello!

 

[Riding in Circles]

You still have trains with guards vans? You lucky person, there are none here anymore.

 

[Auntie Helen]

I recently exfiltrated Kent so for me Guards Vans were an exciting new thing in Essex. However the Kentish trains (at least the ones from Tonbridge to Charing Cross) are far more comfortable than Essex trains. You win some, you lose some...

 

[Riding in Circles]

I will be there on the Sunday, on a purple Catrike Expedition.

 

[Auntie Helen]

...and are you travelling there on the train???

 

[Riding in Circles]

No, it's only 40 miles to the city from here.

 

[tdr1nka]

...and are you travelling there on the train???

Auntie Helen,

Start a thread in Cafe to ask if anyone is coming down for the Freewheel from Essex, I'm sure someone will be but if not someone from North London could meet you at the London end.

I'd volunteer but I'm coming up from South of the river, sorry.
Catrike, are you coming up through the SE? Miss tdr1nka & I will be heading off from New Cross.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Hi tdr1nka, seems like the girl to whom I just lent my old mountain bike will be coming and will meet me to assist with Trice extraction from the train. If not I'm sure if I look helpless enough various people will assist (I am blonde so that generally helps with getting random chaps to help out).

I'm really looking forward to the event with the slight cloud on the horizon that even my magic letter from the railways chap might not work. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and still gets me out of an event at the in-laws'!

 

[tdr1nka]

The letter will work, even if you have to 'burst into tears' to get the message through..

I'll be there on Sunday, in my Cycle Chat jersey and towing Miss tdr1nka on the trailgator.

In fact we ought to arrange a time and meeting point for all the CC'ers going!