Bikes on trains – first great western nonsense

Picture the scene…

Nice sunny morning yesterday so decide to take my bike in to work then cycle back.

I live between reading and Oxford and work in reading.

Go to catch the 7.33 – sorry sir this train wont take bikes. Wait for the next one.

7.53 – sorry sir, this train won’t take bikes.

After a discussion with the conductor he kindly lets me on. He has to phone control at reading station to approve me getting off the train.

Looking at the timetable last night none of the trains between 7-9 are now allowed with bikes on. This has all changed as they now run adelante (sp?) rather than the little turbo trains they used to.

It seems a total farce to me. I understand the trains get busy but that only happens past reading and I can get on and off the train in the guards van faster than most people get on normally. I don’t see any h&s or timing issue but then maybe not all bikes are the same.

Just seems a missed opportunity for sustainable transport but then maybe they don’t care! I wish they kept the old trains it was easy then!

(Before anyone asks I don’t want to cycle home on a folding bike!)

Progress, innit. 🙄

Cycle to Reading ya big jess…

Standard UK approach to “integrated transport” I’m afraid. 🙁

Before anyone asks I don’t want to cycle home on a folding bike

If it’s a folding bike, put it in a bag and it’s now just normal luggage 🙂

Get up earlier & cycle to work!
but yes of course I agree, all trains should have the ability to take bikes, it’s ridiculous that it doesn’t. BUT you are as much to blame because the info was available online if only you had looked before taking your bike to the station.

you mean you didnt book it on in advance!!!! usually there is hell on if you dont do that! never mind your situation..

^ wot phil said.

There’s just far too little room for everyone who wants to to bring a full sized bike on a train. Sure in an ideal world there would be a bike carriage to take 60 bikes, but it’s just not going to happen.

However, there’s no restriction on putting folding bike in a bag and carrying it on. And it can be a thin cotton bag like a wrap, it doesnt need to “carry” the bike really.

I’ve took mine on the train a few times but had a horrible experience with Northern Rail last Sunday.

Only 2 carriages on the train, think they call them sprinters, so went to the rear and the guard told me to go to the front, no problem but no space for bikes at all on that train.

Most have space for bikes, but this just didn’t and I ended up squashed up against 2 other people who must have been either going to the airport or moving house by train with the amount of luggage they had, behind the drivers door with one poor bloke squashed up so tight against the wall he looked like he had someone’s hands against his throat

Hardly any space to even breathe and it reached the peak of awkwardness when they swapped drivers at Oxford road and the driver couldn’t get out of his cab for us all.

Bought a return initially but pedalled back not wanting to endure that again.

Cycle both ways you big bowl of fluff.

That’ll be the integrated transport network what I invented sonny

But to echo what others have said, ride both ways, ya great big girls blouse. Its not like you’ve even got any hills down there! 😉

Sure in an ideal world there would be a bike carriage to take 60 bikes, but it’s just not going to happen.

..in the UK.

Meanwhile in Denmark…[/url]

And in Boston[/url]:

Think I might move to Denmark! Cycle both ways is an option but not always possible as often I have to do the kid drop off in the morning which means I wouldn’t get in till ten :-/

It’s just disappointing really as the little turbo trains were great.

Might just get a bike bag and put it in that as luggage!

You know how much tax people pay in Denmark?

Think I might move to Denmark!

That would be a mahoosive commute to work in Reading then, not sure how that would help at all. 😕

It could be worse, you could be in a wheel chair
http://www.channel4.com/news/how-paralympian-tanni-grey-thompson-had-to-crawl-from-train 😐

Just as well we privatised the trains eh?

Imagine how bad they’d be if they were a non-profit public institution with a remit to transport all people in a sustainable way, providing integrated transport and catering for the needs of all passengers?

I think we can all agree that running them as a private profit-driven business that wants maximum paying passengers in the smallest space possible is clearly the recipe for success.

Is it time to start a new thread:

Rear or roof mounted bike carrier for trains, which is best?

Or buses?

Works well too, as long as you don’t need to carry too many bikes:

Sure in an ideal world there would be a bike carriage to take 60 bikes, but it’s just not going to happen.

OT, but I thought this was good. returning from a bikng holiday in Orkney, train from Thurso to Perth, changing at Aberdeen, hadn’t booked bike on train.
At ticket office behind a queue of other folks with bikes and I was starting to worry that there may be too many bikes for the limited space available. At ticket desk, I asked about putting the bike on the train and was asked if I planned getting off between Thurso and Aberdeen. No. ok, pass bike on to gentleman over there.
As there were too many bikes to go on the train, they were being transported by van to Aberdeen where they could be picked up.
That’s how it should be done.

Is it time to start a new thread:

Rear or roof mounted bike carrier for trains, which is best?

I once used one of those rooftop bike racks that are on some trains. When I got to my destination and remounted, the handlebars and saddle made me feel all tingly. A bit like pins and needles only hotter.