Bikes on Virgin Trains

Looking to take the train up from Kings Cross to Peterborough on Sunday Morning.

Anyone know what its like taking a bike on them or if im better taking a great northern?

Book in advance over the phone and you'll be fine.

oh should have said they are already fully booked.

You're outta luck, then, in my experience. They usually ask to see your bike booking before they let you into the relevant coach. I doubt they will let you stick it in the vestibule... You might be able to sneak it on and just hope staff are scarce on a Sunday but it's a bit of a risk...

If you have a bike bag then take the wheels off and put it in there. Or you could buy a big laundry bag/ikea bag and take wheels/forks off.

If you're mega desperate you could just buy a ticket to cambridge then peterborough and use the trains where you can put loads of bikes on.

Odd. Abelio or whatever they're called this week who run Liv St and KingsX ro Cambridge have no such cares. You just find a gap for the bike somewhere.

Great Northern run on the same line, with no bike restrictions but its a slower, more expensive service.

Thanks for the info about how the rules are applied on the virgin trains.
Anyone happen to have an example of what the booking form actually looks like?
Im a wizz with photoshop.

Anyone happen to have an example of what the booking form actually looks like?

In my experience, the reservation is printed on a 'standard' virgin trains ticket.

Virgin are pretty terrible for taking bikes on. You can't book over the phone or on-line, have to do it in person at a station. They're very strict on you having the ticket before getting on with the bike, and then usually forget to let you off the train. You get the impression the staff hate having to deal with bicycles.