Why I <3 Trains...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3tC9pi54ss"]YouTube
- The Armando Iannucci Shows - Train Track[/ame]

Armando is genius!

Has anyone tried to get a bike into the power cars on High Speed Trains? There are 8 extra spaces on every train in the Power Car if the normal area is full. Problem is you have to force the station staff to open the door because it might delay the service and it takes so long.

One station knob jockey threatened me with the Trans Police if i tried to open the door myself. I explained slowly that it would take 1/2 hr for the bizzes to arrive or he could take 2 mins letting me in.

First Fucking Great Western, cunts.

they dont mind trains...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSqNx7vJLDE

Has anyone tried to get a bike into the power cars on High Speed Trains? There are 8 extra spaces on every train in the Power Car

Is that the front or back bit or are they the same? Its a good tip.

I'll not be photo shopping a ticket any time soon, call me a wimp, but that goes through fare dodging and on into fraud and could well land the user with a crimmy record.

I spend shit loads of money on trains getting to races. Can anyone forward me a photoshop template ????

On subject. Up untill now I haven't had a problem getting my bike on and often it's in the middle of commuter hour. Took the 6:00 PM to brighton the other day with my bike and one to virginia water the week before. Packed with commuters.

You do need to have a thick skin though with all the disapproving stares you get.

This was posted a while ago, thought it was worth another look.
YouTube - CTC, Cyclists Special, 1955: Out for a cushy ride

"who wants to go to Rugby?!"

we need to make a remake of this...
full tweed ride anyone?

we need to make a remake of this...
full tweed ride anyone?

I'm up for that.

I love my tweed, Not sure if it matches my IRO tho.

BigBen

On High Speed Trains (that's Intercity 125 for you old gits) each powercar (engine) has the spaces.

Just checked this document http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Documents/Custom/Cycling%20by%20train%20dec%202007/Cycling%20by%20train%20leaflet%20December%202007.pdf . It says there are 3 spaces in the front power car and can only be used if you are at a short platform station. That must be why i had all the trouble.

Best way to get a space is to reserve it. It's free and you can reserve as many days as you want.

sorry to drag up an old thread, but this annoyed me yesterday I forgot about the between 4 and 7 rule, so had to ride from victoria to Croydon in order to get on a trian with my bike, even there I only got on because the ticket guy was looking the other way.

So why not have a carriage just for bikes you could fill one carriage with bikes and not disturb the other passangers, surely this would reduce the amount of buses needed and also taxi's in London.

Take the bike apart next time if you are really stuck.
Two wheels and a frame count as luggage then, works for the tube as well.

thanks for the advice, although the ride was nice.

That would be an ideal but the simple question is who's paying for it. Alas there aren't enough interested cyclists to warrant the hike in cost that would affect all passengers.

Take the bike apart next time if you are really stuck.
Two wheels and a frame count as luggage then, works for the tube as well.

+1 I've also read about someone going and buying some wrapping paper as well

Take the bike apart next time if you are really stuck.
Two wheels and a frame count as luggage then, works for the tube as well.

Yep, saw a bloke do this with a lovely early carbon Specialized last month. Did smirk though when he coulnd't work out how to put the back wheel in.

I like trains, but the two bikes rule on Southern Trains is wearing me out. Most guards are pretty good and let everyone get on, even in the non bike carriages. A couple of guards have been a bit discouraging, like when three of us were arranging our bikes together he said 'they're great ideas these things, but totally impractical'. He was actually referring to bikes, not the bike compartments on trains. And a guard this morning shouted at teenager that 'the bike compartments the next one down' even though it was full and the norm is to get on at the least busy carriage.

I'm yet to be hassled. In fact, it's usually me swearing about a late train or which fucking platform to use when a guard will go "you can strap your bike here mate" and I will be humbled. Expect a super rant when the first one stops me getting on though :)

There was a guy a few years back that wasn't allowed his bike on the train or tube, so he asked if there was a size limit on a 'package' you can take on board. The reply was 'no' so he literally just wrapped his bike in paper and they let him on. True!

also:

1ce

A sad day indeed. I never thought I'd ever see that.

If you need to use your cycle at the other end of the journey please consider the following:
Using a folding cycle
Re-thinking your journey
Travelling earlier or later to avoid peak times.
Using two cycles (and keeping one at either end).

Helpful advice from Southern Trains.

Just get one of those new inflatable bikes. Problem solved. Duh.

If you need to use our train during a cycle journey please consider the following:
We are car-loving fucks just like the rest of the world
We don't like you smelly hippies amongst us making us feel guilty about our car parked at the station
We don't want to see fit people while we scoff our Burger King
You are too small and thus don't appear in our profit/loss statements. Try somewhere else.

Helpful advice from the man that bought you beer milkshakes.

If you need to use your cycle at the other end of the journey please consider the following:
Using a folding cycle
Re-thinking your journey
Travelling earlier or later to avoid peak times.
Using two cycles (and keeping one at either end).

Helpful advice from Southern Trains.
I like that one of their bits of advice is 're-thinking your journey', translated = get lost.

To honest what are the train companies meant to do?

The train network is operating at nearly full capacity.
The possibility of an extra carriage for bike would be nice but most people would rather have some more seats so they did not have to stand up for 90 min.
Most train lines outside of London don't make a profit and the London lines tend to be used to subsidies the smaller less popular lines.

The crowding on the trains could be elevated slightly by expansion in the network (and it need it) but:

1. In cities finding space for these lines would be dam near impossible, tunnels are prohibitively expensive.
   
2. England is a crowded country, especially the south. Just like for the road network, I expect there exists a critical density of population for which exceeding capacity of the network is inevitable for a given movement rate of the population. Here I am using "movement rate" as a term to describe / quantify the need / want of a population to transport them selfs. This "movement rate" term would not be isotropic as clearly more people head into town than head out.
   
   

The only way to truly sort out the transport system is to reduce the need / want of the population to move.

Government makes airlines charge proper prices for those bullshit domestic flights.
Money goes to improving trains and reducing train ticket costs. Job done. :)

Failing that.. a curfew during daylight hours for anyone that doesn't have a bike.