now i’ve got my bike booked on the train to go with me to stockport on my exciting adventure (see here) this saturday. i can’t remember when i last took my bike on a train where i didn’t just keep it with me for the journey. do i need to be worried about the prospect of it getting nicked on the way and take a lock, or does one just hand it over without worry?

it’s a virgin service, by the way, stopping 3 or 4 times before my stop.

You’re not supposed to lock them but I have done in the past without issue. I guess it depends on how much of a jobsworth the guard or train manager is going to be.

ok, but do you think i need to?

flatboy,
I carry my bike on the trains all the time and if its a Pendalino (which going to Stockport it probably is assuming you’re coming from the South) there isn’t really anywhere to lock it to.

The area where you put the bike on the pendalino trains is technically not an access door so if you sit next to it you should be able to keep a fairly good eye.

The voyagers are different and less secure but I wouldn’t worry too much. Juts keep a close eye.

ok cool, thanks – cos i booked my seat and then reserved a bike space after that. so will i have to sit elsewhere than in my reserved seat next to it? i had assumed it would go at the end separately?

thank god, I thought this was another Samuel L Jackson thread. All trains stop at Stockport (it’s the law, no really, summit to do with financing the viaduct yonks ago).
I’d probably get off at Macclesfield instead though, and end up at Stockport somehow.

what time do you get it?

Personally wouldn’t let any bike of mine out of my sight on a train unless I’d locked it up to something damn solid with a proper sized lock.

Watch out !!!!!!

I booked virgin pendalino and then got a bike resevation number from someone at the trainline call centre.

But the train guard nearly did not let me put my bike on because I only had a number not a ticket!

I sweet talked her round, but if you get a grumpy git guard and have only a res number and no ticket…..?

what do i do then, cos that’s exactly what i’ve got! 😯

edit – though the person i spoke to was on virgin’s helpline, not trainline…

If I could I’d meet you at Macc and do the following: Macc Forrest, Cat’n’Fiddle, Goyt, Whaley, Chinley, Hayf, Cabins, Little Mill, Mellor Cross, Roman Lakes, Marple, Chadkirk, Stockport

That’ll mean nothing to you but it makes sweet music in my head.

Its a real pain, all I can suggest is make sure you identify the train guard/manager as soon as the train stops and be really friendly but be prepared to stand your ground if you are denied.

Let us know how you get on 🙂

If its a pendalino train your bike will be very secure.

ok, thanks for the reassurance about the security – the train will be starting from euston where i get on so fingers crossed!

Depends on the type of train. Mostly there are just hooks to hang your bike from which makes it tricky to lock it, and the little corner it goes in is basically open to anyone so security is not great. The ones where it’s actually locked in a separate carriage that Joe Public can’t get at are quite rare IME. If you can just sit near it and keep an eye on it at the stops. I’ve taken my bike on Virgin times loads of times and have never had a problem though.

It’s annoying that you have to have a seat reservation as it’s typically miles away from your bike so just sit where you like.

Never locked mine and I have commuted by train with bikes worth a few hundred up to a couple of grand. This is on the old 125 type trains and the bikes are out of site so if you keep an eye on that end its pretty safe, nobody is going to have it while the train is moving after all.

Be friendly and respectful to the train staff and you will be OK, esp. with a reservation. They get a tough time from cyclists at the moment which is not called for given that they are not the ones setting the cycle policy etc

i will be polite, well-mannered and pleasant at all times. 🙂

here is more info from bikes on trains web site http://www.atob.org.uk/Bike_Rail.html

TIP: To escape Virgin’s blood pressure-raising automated telephone booking system, say ‘agent’ at the start. This, we’re told, should put you through to a nice lady in Scotland.
TIP: When making a cycle booking, use the Virgin Customer Services number (0870 789 1234) rather than the ticket line (08457 222333). But be warned – if you’re adding a cycle reservation to an existing ticket, the telephone staff will give you a reference number to present at the station. A cyclist has recently been turned away at Euston trying to board with the number only. Staff may insist on a bicycle reservation ticket… More than their jobs are worth, etc etc
TIP: Voyager and Pendolino trains carry a yellow rectangle at the opposite end to the bike space. This is usually at the ‘country’ (ie furthest from London) end of the train.

There are no special restrictions on folding bikes.

thanks a lot!

this bit:

TIP: When making a cycle booking, use the Virgin Customer Services number (0870 789 1234) rather than the ticket line (08457 222333). But be warned – if you’re adding a cycle reservation to an existing ticket, the telephone staff will give you a reference number to present at the station. A cyclist has recently been turned away at Euston trying to board with the number only. Staff may insist on a bicycle reservation ticket… More than their jobs are worth, etc etc

worries me though! they say that, but they don’t tell you what to do instead! i’ve got a number from the guy on the phone and that’s it!

I know, they nearly did not let me on a pendolino out of birmingham one onight. I knew about the issue and stressed the lady who gave me the resevation number “Are you sure I dont need a ticket!!!!!” she said absoluteley not but the train manager when I tried to get on the train said I did…….

Note the bike carriage is at the country end of the train and only the train manager can open this compartment up..

hmmm, i wonder if it’s worth stopping at euston on the way home tonight to see if i can get a ticket from them, rather than rushing it in the morning…

Whichever way it goes let us all know on Monday.

Chat the train manager up, get some info.

right you are

ok, update on the situation. i stopped at euston on the way home and i’m glad i did. i queued at the ticket area and got the guy to give me proper tickets for the bike, both ways, rather than just a code. i asked him what would have happened if i’d just turned up without them and he said, without hesitating, “they wouldn’t have let you taken it on”. i asked a bit more about it, and he said basically the train staff would have refused me to take it on and made me come and queue up to get a paper ticket. i asked why they let you get a code online, then, and he said he didn’t know! i also asked if you could get the magic paper tickets on the phone or online and he said no, you have to get one from the desk. so everyone take note!

it’s a shit system because it’s a system that doesn’t really need to exist
it’s so that they know which station you will be getting on and off at with your bike, because train staff can’t be held responsible for remembering anything that isn’t written down for them and spelled out in words of one syllable

I actually had a pleasant situation the other day where a ticket inspector asked two people to move seats so that I could get my bike on the train – I nearly fell over!

yeah i’ve now got 4 tickets – two for me and two to attach to the bike, one on each leg of the trip. presumably to remove any possibility of me being relieved of my bike at some point on the way. still, at least i’m as sure as i can be it won’t get nicked!

it’s one thing to have the system, and you can understand why they do, but to be able to ring the actual phone number for the company and for them to give you a reference number that is meaningless is pretty bizarre!

TFB,

My suspicions were well founded then, next time i need to take the bike on virgin I shall have to buy the tickets at a station to ensure I get bike tickets. Trouble is, I wont get the same price (lower if advance booking) as on line with trainline etc?

well you don’t necessarily have to buy the ticket from the station – i turned up with my online tickets and got the bike added on for free. and there’s nothing to stop you doing that immediately before your journey before you go to the train. the risk there would be that you would be banking on there being no other bikes taking up the spaces. luckily for me euston’s on my way home from work so it wasn’t a problem to stop by the day before, so that’s probably the safest/cheapest bet if possible.

My mate’s bike was nicked from a train. I would have a lock myself.

TFB,

Whole point of advance booking is to reserve space for your bike, I think pendolinos ony have room for 4?

Say I buy my ticket online then ry for a bike ticket at a station, does it have to be the departing staion or anystation?

put the bike in a **** big bag. That way it’s oversized baggage, not a bike. Always works for me on Pendolinos, ‘full’ or not…

Say I buy my ticket online then ry for a bike ticket at a station, does it have to be the departing staion or anystation?

no idea – i went to the virgin ticket desk at euston, which happened to be the departing station. i would say, though, that as long as you’re somewhere with a ticket desk that can issue virgin tickets from any one station to another then you’re set.

put the bike in a **** big bag. That way it’s oversized baggage, not a bike. Always works for me on Pendolinos, ‘full’ or not…

not so good if you’re riding out when you get to the other end though

not so good if you’re riding out when you get to the other end though
left luggage? Jersey pocket? Give to a homeless type?

You can reserve your bike online with your tickets at the National Express East Coast site- when they come through the letterbox it’s all there. This is how I always do it now and haven’t had any problems, but dunno if this privatisation stuff in the news will have any effect!