Bikes on trains in the UK

If it's a big fast one then you need to book but if it's not then normally you can walk on. Get to the station a little early and try and get reservations for both, if you don't need them they won't give them to you.

Innanzi
IME trains to Oxford from PDTN don't require booking, but do get busy on a Sunday evening back to London, which can make taking bikes a bit ... hassleatious. Not sure about now but the bike spot was pretty small when I last used one about two or three years ago.

Anyhow I'm sure it'll probably be fine. The mainline fast trains would probably take you on spec', you can just pick up a bike reservation at the ticket office when you're at the station.

Have fun there, doing anything nice?

edit: and ^ what snottyotter said!

Sorry to revive an old thread!

Don't apologise - that's the whole point of having these threads!

How was your London cycling experience?

It would be good if everyone reported back on their train experiences too so we know whether the advice given on here is sound or as fantastical as the guards' often seems.

Virgin make you get a reservation before hand, as the bikes go in a separate locked carriage. As far as I am aware, every other company has bike storage someplace near middle of train. So just jump on.

It's generally never an issue but be sure not to be accidentally annoying to other passengers

I would be nervous about reservation on the day, book and reserve in advance where possible.

Thanks folks. We will book in advance and have the Oxford trains as a back-up. See you on the Tweed Run next week? I may be on a dark green Cinelli and Patricia on a Carpenter. If it rains an R O Harrison and a Flying Scot as they have mudguards.

Sorry to necro an old thread, but I am doing the dynamo and I need to get a train from Swindon to Paddington with my bike on First Great Western. Can I get away with just hanging out in the door space with my bike for the 45 minutes? Or do I really have to hassle with the whole reserving a bike space thing.

I just chucked my bike in the door space and sat on it a very long time ago but no idea if that'll work again.

Those trains have dedicated bike spaces and you can't take it in the normal carriage. Booking a bike space is free and you can do it online if you book your ticket through East Coast. Otherwise if you book through FGW (or anyone else) you'll have to phone up.

I have taken a bike on those trains plenty of times without booking, but did get caught out and have to wait an hour for another train once. If the bike spaces are all taken then it's up to the guard to decide whether you can take it on, unless you have a bike reservation in which case they will find space regardless of how many bikes are already on the train.

I might aswell book I suppose. Though I would feel a little ansty leaving an expensive road bike where I couldn't see it.

It would be good if everyone reported back on their train experiences too so we know whether the advice given on here is sound or as fantastical as the guards' often seems.

Brighton to East Croydon, Saturday afternoon, late Feb: Turned up on spec, no probs, no hassle, lots of room. Experiment hopefully to be repeated on a sunny Summer weekend in the not too distant future. Will report back! (Worst case scenario, I need to stock up on flapjacks and cycle home. Ugh.)

Virgin make you get a reservation before hand, as the bikes go in a separate locked carriage. As far as I am aware, every other company has bike storage someplace near middle of train. So just jump on.

Not Chiltern, they have no storage but you are seemingly free to leave bikes anywhere on the train. It seems impolite but its allowed.

I know crosscountry have the mid train storage.

Booking a bike space is free and you can do it online if you book your ticket through East Coast or Southern. Otherwise if you book through FGW (or anyone else) you'll have to phone up.

minor ftfy, unless Southern have changed their online bookings process?

Well you learn something new every day!

Attempting to book a train to Inverness from London. I'm being given an option to reserve a space for a bike but am receiving the following message:

"There are no bicycle spaces available to reserve for your chosen ticket on the return service. You can change your service or ticket selection or proceed without the bicycle reservation."

Is this because it's just a first come first served kinda thing or are there genuinely no spaces left?

^ yes, bike spaces (as allocated by train operator) already taken.

Inverness to london on same train? If youre at Inverness originating station just be nice to the staff and they show you the guards van. Plenty space.
Once I was refused booking from euston to aberdeen and so for once dragged a bike bag over the tube journey, there were 2 guards vans nearly empty.. I was frothing pissed me right off.
Lomg distance trains usually alright.
If you book with southeastern (on other journeys than scotrail) theres a bike reservation button,
Even if you dont have official space blag it.

J.dennis the system is fucked run by a bunch of cunts

When we came back from Manningtree yesterday, after the Dedham Vale ride, the train was about 25 minutes late. The guard got out and opened the doors for us of the very large carriage that you get for bikes on that line and said 'there are already 35 bikes in there'. Then, when we'd got seats, the announcement came that 'we're sorry for the delay, this was due to a signalling problem but also due to loading bikes at .

It goes to show how popular cycle carriage can be when the space is there.

Are there still sleeper trains from London to Scotland? Can you book a whole sleep er booth and put bike in it?

Yes, not sure but probably if you bag it up.

You can still get the sleeper and they have the usual bike spots in the guard's van. If you go first class you get a whole cabin to yourself, but I suspect they wouldn't take too kindly to an un-bagged bike.

Thanks all. Ended up booking a train a week later due to other reasons and I can book a bike on this one okay so I should have no problems.

A guard at Newport Gwent was happy to turn me away with a smarmy smile the other week. I knew there was only 1 bike on board in the bike carriage. Anger!

Anyone ride Southeastern Rail from London to Dover with a bike? Link to their bike policy is below - it talks about what isn't allowed, but doesn't talk about what is allowed - so does this mean I can bring my bike on off peak trains from London to Dover?
http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/contact/terms-and-conditions/bike-policy/