Youth Hostels

[cougie uk]

I'm hoping to get away for a couple of days for a bit of a wussy bike packing trip - so just staying in YHAs.
I've stayed in a few for walking trips - but not cycling - what's the deal with the bike ? Can I keep it in my room or is there a general area ? Do i need a lock ?
Obviously I'd be in a private room - i think covid has killed multiple occupancy rooms anyway and I'm far too spoilt for that kind of thing now.

Anyone been lately ? Ta.

 

[matticus]

Every UK YH I've stayed in had a secure "bike store". Usually an outbuilding/shed, or in a basement for city centres. A lock not really necessary, but gives extra peace-of-mind.

There may be exceptions; and I've never had a private room, so it's possible they might let your bike in there. Give 'em a ring?

(and let us know if dorm beds are available again!)

 

[PeteXXX]

I've only stayed in Scottish youth hostels (and Pen Y Pas, Wales, where bikes got put in the laundry room) in the last couple of years and always made sure I locked my bike.
There's always a place to leave a bike but security has been virtually non-existent.
I think they rely on honesty..

Having said that, I didn't hear of any problems from other cyclists.

I don't think you could keep it in your room, but it's worth asking.

 

[mjr]

Dorms are not currently available in any I clicked on.

YHA Cycling page has a list of hostels with top-notch facilities but disappointingly little on what their basic standard is or any exceptions: https://www.yha.org.uk/breaks/activity-breaks/cycling-holidays/cycling-facilities

The individual hostel listings do include "Cycle store" under "General" if it has one. It is possible to filter search results by it, once you're on a results page. Much better than many hotel searches.

 

[T4tomo]

there is a very nice YHA in Boggle hole near Robin Hoods Bay, that definitely had some private rooms

 

[cougie uk]

Pah. Turns out that theres no availability for anywhere I want to go. And yeah no dorms yet due to Covid.

Apparently Travelodge are pretty bike friendly.

 

[a.twiddler]

I used to use YHA a lot in my younger days when there were many more "simple" hostels about. I was a YHA Youth Group Leader for a time and introduced many young riders to the joys of Hostelling. The number of Hostels has declined in the last 10-20 years to the extent that it's hard to find enough within cycleable distance of each other to be able to put together a tour. Add to that the trend to go up market and they have pushed their prices up into competition with the likes of Travelodge and similar organisations.

It makes me very sad actually, but it's the change in regulations concerning charities and maybe general demographic changes altering people's holiday expectations which have made such organisations as the YHA more profit conscious. There are independent hostels and camping barns about but it takes time to find them whereas YHA at least was a wide ranging set up that made it fairly easy to connect with their Hostels. I don't recall a cycle store being an optional extra. All the ones I knew had them. Maybe they are catering more for motorised holiday makers now. At the moment, in the shadow of COVID there seems to be a push to hire whole Hostels rather than rooms or dorms, certainly when I last enquired, which rather defeats the object for solo travellers or small groups.

I maintained my membership for years after I stopped regularly Hostelling as a gesture of support but the organisation changed so much from the experience that I used to value that I have completely lost contact now. For me, at that time, the YHA was tied in with my cycling club, the CTC and other such organisations. Fings ain't wot they used to be, indeed.

On the bright side, I too have heard that Travelodge are bike friendly, would be interested to hear of posters' experiences of this and similar hotel chains.

 

[ianrauk]

Apparently Travelodge are pretty bike friendly.

Just did a weeks tour of the UK. Edinburgh to home ( SE London). Each and every Travelodge we stayed at was fine with us taking bikes into our rooms.

 

[PeteXXX]

Travelodge & Premier are both bike friendly. Never been turned down yet!
I've even had the person on the desk swap my room for a ground floor one, without being asked, rather than me having to carry the bike upstairs.

 

[Cathryn]

We use hostels a lot - their private rooms are usually excellent value and there's always secure bike storage although I'd take a really good lock.

 

[raleighnut]

My ex introduced me to the joys of hostelling, 12 to 20 sweaty farting blokes in a room, I'd sooner sleep in a bus shelter

 

[oldwheels]

I was on the “ Entertainments Committee” of the SYHA at one time which was really not much to do with entertainment but more advertising and recruitment of new members. All our hostels then had bike storage which was usually secure.
The hostel movement has been ruined by modernisers turning them into cheap hotels wherever possible and selling many of the buildings. The original idea of hostels has been taken over now by backpackers independent hostels which is why I turned to camping instead.

 

[IaninSheffield]

Youth hostelling as a 16/17 year old back in the '70s was both fun and adventurous - anyone ever stay in Selby Youth Hostel, the Sabrina W?!
I've recently looked at rejoining the YHA, although as others have mentioned, for various reasons it's not so easy to find a bed in a hostel in the current climate. When I was abroad just before Covid, I did spend one night in a well-run backpackers hostel. It was a great place, but as an older more mature traveller, I felt a bit out of place. Dormitory living might have been tolerable to the 16 year old me, but not so much to the 60 year old version.
Has hostelling changed since I was in my teens? Sure. Given the changes in society, if it hadn't, it probably wouldn't be around at all. But I've changed too and with my dotage fast approaching, prefer a quieter, more peaceful experience.

EDIT: Maybe the clue's in the organisation name and I've conveniently forgotten that?

 

[a.twiddler]

Curiously, one of the things I remember as a 20/30 something Hosteller was how many older people used them, maybe active pensioners enjoying cheap accommodation. Young at heart, maybe.

 

[PeteXXX]

I used YHA around Kent, Sussex and Wye Valley areas on walking holidays when I was about 15/16 ish. Cars were a rarity for people staying. Almost frowned upon, if memory serves correctly.

I also stayed around Europe in the hostels when I was bumming around for a year. My two favourites were Grindelwald & Pizzo del Calabria.