Hello – I’m cycling from Marseille to Paris soon.
Unfortunately, I booked train tickets to get me there and back, and then learned I need to dismantle my bike for all journeys and put it in a bag.
(Apparently all TGVs from Paris to Marseille don’t accept bikes in any other way)
The bike bags I’ve seen are too large to then carry during the trip.
Does anyone have any ideas what I should do?
I’ve considered buying a bag for the journey there, then posting it onto a hotel in Paris for the journey back, but am open to any suggestions.
Thanks in advance

Bike Box from Bike shop, mail a shop at the other end to get them to put one aside for you

I think I would take some duck tape, find some cardboard and wrap it up like that, throw cardboard away each end.

any good?

http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=5184

Thanks for help. Have you done the cardboard option? All the instructions I’ve seen say you need a bag, rather than box, and having been fined on French transport before I’m loathe to risk it.
Seen some other people recommending just making one…

I’d just make something from rip-stop nylon. It’ll pack very light (might even make a handy bivvy 🙂 ). Won’t offer much protection, not sure what it needs but it should be OK if baggage handles aren’t in involved

Thanks for the idea – I’ll try and think of how to make handles to make it look like a bag!

Our duffbag Stealth bag complies with the Eurostar regulations that very basically say that the bike must fit into a 120 x 90 cm bag. It has been well used for thousands of journeys by many people over the last two years.
More info here

Duffbag Stealth

The bag folds up really small and can go in a pannier and weighs just under 2kg

Unfortunately we will not have stock for a couple of weeks as they sell out really quickly this time of year. The trip sounds great, bikes and trains do mix very well in France providing you comply with the regs.

@asmarshall

I just bought one of the larger duffbags and it works well. With the straps and handles it’s reasonably easy to carry the bike about (bike + kit is heavy)

A guy I was on holiday with just transported his bike in a cardboard box from Geneva to Albertville but it was a hassle as the box was large and difficult to move about. I’d suspect they will be hot on sizes etc on the TGV too. Clearly it’s the cheapest option if you can get a box but a potential hassle.

Duffbag looks great – unfortunately all the lightweight bags I’m finding are sold out, and I’m going a week Sunday!
If anyone’s got one I can buy or rent off them before then please let me know!
Otherwise, it’s looking like I’m either going to make one myself, or go with this from Decathlon and post it to other end:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/bike-carry-bag-id_8023151.html

This person claims it can fit quite small although maybe not…

http://www.kettik.com/go/asia/india/stories/45

You might try and bodge something using one of the builders aggregate bags. I’d imagine with a bit of rope and some ingenuity you could get the job done, it’s only temporary after all. As you are on the train you can keep an eye on how the bike/bag is stored.

Email response sent to OP, hopefully we can sort him out with an alternative

I’ve heard good things about these Ozzo Unpadded Bike Bags. You can stick some cardboard down the sides to protect your bike whilst on the train, then ditch it at the end of the line, roll up the bag and pedal off back to Paris 🙂

That Duffbag looks good as well, though a tad expensive. Personally, I’d ‘borrow’ a Cordura portable display board carrying case from work and get busy with a pair of scissors & the GF’s sewing machine 😉

Thanks Slugwash, will have a look and try and get GF to invest in a sewing machine!

Double-check this with SNCF. Most TGVs allow you to travel with your bike fully-assembled, but you most use one of the small number of bike hooks and book in advance – costs about 10€ per journey.

I booked this for some clients a while ago and you couldn’t find this info or make the booking on-line – you had to call SNCF.

Some older TGVs have a few bike hooks, for which you need a special ticket (10€). The newest trains have an area with foldable seats where they can carry two bikes, but must also be booked in advance otherwise they sell the seats. In all other trains you will need a bag/box of max 120x90x30 cm as Duffman mentioned.

On the SNCF website (www.voyages-sncf.com) you will find a bike pictogram next to trains that can carry bikes (click on “Détails train”), however it is impossible to book bike tickets online…

I’m coming back from my bike hols this Sun with my Stealth – you’re welcome to borrow it if you get stuck.

Hi professor_fate. That’s really good of you to make the offer. Could you drop me an email asmarshall at gmail.com? Really like the look of the bag, and would prefer to buy one once they get them in stock for trip after this rather than have to go for something else now…

Not travelled on TGV or Eurostar with bikes, BUT, we were on a TGV on Wednesday – there were 2 complete bikes bungied together in the compartment without any covering or box. Just been to Gare du Nord (Paris Eurostar station) to collect tickets for tomorrow, got talking there to a couple who had just loaded complete bikes onto the train – they were trying to work out how to carry 8 panniers, 2 bar bags and 2 rack bags onto the train without the bike to attach them to! Again no boxes or bags just wheeled them on so it can be done. Eurostar did cost though, I think €30 per bike IIRC.

When I was on the TGV last month, an Aussie guy I was chatting with had his wheels off his road bike and the whole lot wrapped in bin bags and taped up just to get him on the train. The guard was OK with it, plus upstairs on the train they have huge luggage racks that easily took my bike in a bike bag.

Just to say thanks to everyone who offered me help with bike bags last month. Ended up grabbing one from Decathlon, which worked a treat on Eurostar and on a TGV from Paris-Marseille.
I also didn’t find it much of a problem to carry around in a pannier, and I went up a few hills.
No idea if I’d have got away without it, but my impression was I wouldn’t have been allowed on the TGV if I hadn’t had it in some kind of bag (that route has no trains with bike spaces).
Local trains (non-TGVs) are of course fine; just wheel on.
If anyone needs to borrow a bag at some point, feel free to drop me a line, and if anyone wants to read about my failure to get all the way from Marseille to Paris, you can here: http://republicordeath.tumblr.com/post/32510287810/vive-le-velo-cycling-the-marseillaise-tour-diary-part
In short, I forgot about the mistral.