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  • Commuting Insch to Dyce – room for bikes on train?
  • Deveron53
    Free Member

    I’m thinking about taking my bike on the commuter service Insch to Dyce and return, what are the conditions like for taking bikes on board? I have a long-ish journey around the airport to Kirkhill so need a bike for that bit. Is there room for bikes? Are the Train Managers fairly accommodating? Will the Inverurie passengers pile on and make it impossible to get off quickly at Dyce?
    My last experience of this was Sheffield to Rotherham and it was like Russian roulette – some of the Train Managers were total 4sshats. I don’t want to be refused boarding due to some arbitrary rule like ‘max 2 bikes per train’ etc.

    dragon
    Free Member

    What time of day? You can take bikes on, but rush hour is mental and it might be a struggle. Outside rush hour I can’t see many problems. To be fair a good few people take bikes on at rush hour, so you might be okay even then, but it’ll be more of a fight for space, as much as anything.

    Deveron53
    Free Member

    It’ll be the 7.30 from Insch and 17.30 from Dyce – so, yes, rush hour.

    What are the Train Managers like? Any observed refusals or is the worst one can expect just loud tutting from fellow passengers?

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    kcal
    Full Member

    In my infrequent use of the INV – ABN service, there is relatively limited bike space. Not sure about the train managers. I do know that things get /real/ busy at Inverurie — Insch less so, but it goes mental at Inverurie, so scope for just trundling a bike on has to be limited..?

    dragon
    Free Member

    I shouldn’t think the managers would be too much of a problem since plenty of folk take bikes on those trains, the bigger issue I’d have thought is the space to fit them on. Possibly not so much getting on at Insch in the morning, but the train out of Aberdeen through Dyce at rush hour is pretty rammed. I admit I’ve only ever taken my bike on slightly later trains than the ones your planning on, but I’ve never had an issue with the train managers.

    kcal
    Full Member

    may not be helpful thoughts —
    * Brompton
    * pub bike left at Dyce

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    you will get it on coming in – as most cyclist get on at inverurie – but good luck getting back out the wya.

    scotrail trains are usually very good for cyclists – letting you get 4/5 cycles in the bike space (supposed to only take 2 per bike space – and usually 2 per train)

    based on experiance of doing dyce to stoney – i wouldnt bother – your everyones worst enemy – i ended up leaving my bike at stoney under the CCTV cameras all day.

    maybe get a raft of a bike for each end – IIRC its bp your going to ? can you cycle to the station in insch and lock a bike up there then walk to bp ? otherwise i suggest you seriously look into a folder.

    kenneththecurtain
    Free Member

    I used to get the 7.13 from Inverurie to Dyce (cycled home at night).

    Getting the bike on was often a struggle – there were at least 6 regular cyclists and usually one or 2 others on a train designed for 4 bikes. Most of the guards were cool, but one in particular used to rigidly enforce the rules, meaning an unexpected ride to work if I wasn’t one of the first 4 to get on.

    The later train (7.45ish, probably the one you are on about) used to be RAMMED. Getting a bike on that would be tricky I would have thought.

    kenneththecurtain
    Free Member

    PS: watch out for maniac drivers. One of the main reasons I don’t live up there any more is due to the fact I would probably have been killed pretty quickly, the standard of driving up there is shocking.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    i agree mr curtain – they dont even respect other car drivers never mind cyclists…especially heading north – no such thing as a cycle friendly road going that way.

    Deveron53
    Free Member

    I need to be at the Airport terminal side so I’m thinking pub bike locked up somewhere in Dyce would be a good idea. I can walk from Insch end.
    My other possibility is park and ride from Blackburn but I would get very mucky going through Kirkhill and no showers at work…

    Looks like car will be the only decent option as the fuel cost is lower than train fare. I’m very jealous about my time spent travelling so lift-share not really an option. I used to do it but my commute time got so extended it wasn’t worth it.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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