Bikes on Eurostar?

Yeah the rinko stand seems overkill, especially if you're carrying the bike yourself. I bought some sheets of hdpe and reusable cable ties a while ago which are useful for this sort of thing but far from necessary.

Also great opportunity to buy like 5 voile straps which I always found useful in addition to the straps that come with the montbell bag.

Did you consider leaving the front wheel in the fork? I think that's a traddy .jp rinko move that I've seen?

Where'd you put headset bearings and such? Did you pop them all out into a parts bag or something or just leave them on the ground where you pulled the bike down like I'd have done?

Put them in a "really safe place" and then forget where that is. Alt: I've heard of leaving them on the fork and putting a bunch of rubber bands on the fork to stop them falling off.

Or leaving them in the frame and running a zip tie through it

I used probably 20 reusable cable ties to package it up very solid.

Did you consider leaving the front wheel in the fork? I think that's a traddy .jp rinko move that I've seen?

Yes I considered it. The issue is keeping the brake hydraulics connected and it was an extra variable to do that while keeping the bars the right distance from the frame.

It was more of a priority for me to leave the bars attached to the fork than the front wheel.

Where'd you put headset bearings and such?

Shit!

No, just kidding. I put them in a special box with other bits I will need, like my chain and rear mech, and then put them in a plastic bag for grease and packed them away in my rucksack.

Let's see if I can find them at the other end...

leaving them on the fork and putting a bunch of rubber bands on the fork to stop them falling off.

Or leaving them in the frame and running a zip tie through it

As I put the stem back on I realised I could have done that, but it was too late and I cba to take it off again. Next time I'll do this though.

I left the lower bearing in to avoid spreading more grease and put a cable tie through to secure it.

I once left the top cap, bolt and spacers on a bench in Kent.

Not as critical, but I left my watch on a bench at Zagreb station last week after it came loose when I was building the bike back up.

My experience of Eurostar -

https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/travel-planning/luggage/bikes

London to Lille (the same line as to Brussels)
Booked on Trainline, assumed I added my bike and checked with 9 days to go. Trainline said it's Eurostars problem, Eurostar said it's trainline's problem. Eurostar eventually says they will organise it
They say that folded bikes are fine, and I can break my bike down, but upon further checking refuse to allow the bike even fully disassembled in a bag - no bikes allowed to Lille at all.
Had to postpone the ticket for some rainy day and book a last minute (cheaper) budget flight

Brussels to London
I booked a £70 ticket 30 days ago and asked to book a bike for another £45 at the same time. They took 2 weeks to respond, saying that my specific timeslot and train does not take bikes and I would need to change - to a train now twice as expensive.
Bikes were supposed to be allowed fully assembled. I was forced to remove all my bikepacking bags including daisy chained/laced frame bag and handlebar roll and carry them and my rear pack around the terminal and train.

In summary - I'm not sure if I would overland to/from UK again. The cycling parts were relatively fun and worthwhile. But the necessary legs of public transport - costly, stressful, risky - I saw hordes of F1 fans in Barcelona wearing oil company merch, pissing any effect of mine in the wind

Looked at this a few times over the last six months. I think Le Shuttle is the way to go

Yeah - though LeShuttle increased from £35 to £50 then also getting to Dover and out of Calais adds cost and time... in not too exciting areas.
There's really not enough incentive for green travel - rather penalties every step of the way

It boils my blood to be honest.

It is sooooooo shit.

It used to be a bit shit but not too bad. (I took a sweet fixeh to Paris in 2010 in a bike bag in the carriage as normal luggage, no extra fee. I would have preferred an actual bike carriage a la an old guards van or whatevers but hey ho.)

Then CV19 and it became like a convenient way to stab yourself in the arsehole whilst paying for the privilege.

And yet, it should be brilliant. It should be joyous. It could be both.

It really is the worst example of crappyness.

It is proper shit. I just use ferries now, much less hassle, but more time consuming and requires longer travel either side.

I've been saying the same shit for years now. Multi-modal ground transit could be awesome yet train companies are shite and governments are balls deep in airlines.

I'm not feeling guilty about flying any more. We have bigger issues that aren't being dealt with anyway. I'm car free but the worse the trains get the more I think #vanlife would be nice alternative.

They say that folded bikes are fine, and I can break my bike down, but upon further checking refuse to allow the bike even fully disassembled in a bag - no bikes allowed to Lille at all

That guy gave you duff info. If you break your bike down it is not a bike any more - it just goes by the general rules for luggage. You can't take bikes to Lille but you can take luggage that fits their max height of 85cm - and it can still be a bit over that and fit in their scanner. Still a massive pain but, based on what I've read and my experience, it would be possible to get it to Lille

If you speak to different people at Eurostar, or any org, you will get a range of different answers.

My logic now is if I have to disassemble my bike and box it anyway, I'm just going to fly if it's cheaper and quicker even though I loved trains, they don't love me back.

What a shitshow! We booked earlier this year and they seem to have sorted out an autoreply from Travel Services that lets you know what you can/can't book on. Why this isn't included on the Eurostar website beggars belief.

Only Brussels accepts fully assembled bikes, and only on three trains from London (09:01, 13:01 and 15:04).

I would MUCH rather take an overnight ferry to Hook of Holland/St Malo/Santander than do this in the future. Much more holiday-esque and no need to schlep all your shit off your bike.

Makes sense, was sat at Lille a couple of weeks ago waiting for a two hour late TGV to Lyon and watched a guy completely dismantle his bike until it all vanished in to an over shoulder bag that he carried through to the Eurostar to London

yep its awful, not even gonna attempt eurostar anymore, either drive or fly sadly

If it fits i to a 85cm x 85cm x 85cm bag/box it counts as normal luggage, they can't refuse to pass it through the large items scanner.