Touring - Taking your bike on English trains

The last time I was in England, there was a petrol strike and some wise chairman of the train company decided bikes should be banned from their rolling stock. Luckily, mine was still in the box coming from Canada, so I claimed it was a sculpture.

I'm planning to head to Bodmin from Gatwick in April, 2003.

I'm going from Gatwick to Reading and then Reading to Bodmin Parkway. I've been using this site:

http://www.qjump.co.uk/buy/?s=99&c=101&o=0&startValidation=DoValidation&start=&endValidation=DoValidation&end=&ticketType=out&outDay=23&outMonthYear=Nov%202002&outArrDep=depart&outTime=0800&retDay=--&retMonthYear=Undecided&retArrDep=depart&retTime=1145&RefURL=BritainExpress

For some reason I can't make it give me a run from Gatwick to Bodmin with one change at Reading. If I type in Gatwick to Reading and Reading to Bodmin, I'm fine.

So here are the questions:

Can I expect to be hassled carrying a bike using Thames or Great Western trains?
Where should I stand on the platform to be close to a baggage car?
Can I expect to get those deals they offer? I've been offered 78.50 to 37 Pounds Sterling for one way.

Any other info on taking your bike on a train in England would be appreciated. Also, on the way back I'll have to show up without a box? Will that change things?

Allan

I was thinking about using a Dahon folding bicycle (http://www.dahon.com/boardwalk6-intl.htm) for bus commutes. Something like this would probably work in your situation as well.

I would get a backpack/shoulder bag to haul the thing with and carry it on the train.

In your neck of the woods, it should be easy to get a really spiffy Brompton or Montague as well.

regards
Dan

I'm posting some info that Mick from England sent to me via e-mail

Hope this helps from the Thamestrains site
http://www.thamestrains.co.uk

FAQ- Bicycles On Trains


On Weekdays
Bicycles are generally allowed on Thames Trains services, provided there is room
for them without inconvenience to other customers. However, from Monday to
Friday, customers with bicycles may not use trains advertised to arrive at
Paddington between 07.45 and 09.45 hours or to depart from Paddington between
16.30 and 18.30 hours.

At other times, conductors will not allow cycles to be carried if circumstances
so dictate. There are no restrictions on folding cycles, but tricycles, tandems
and motorcycles will not be carried at any time.


At Weekends
When extensive engineering work is necessary, it is normally scheduled to take
place at weekends. This may cause train services to be diverted, or substituted
by bus services which cannot accommodate cycles.

Major disruptions are listed in the Thames Trains Guide to Services; more
detailed information is published on station posters If you intend to travel over
a weekend, please check beforehand by phoning National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48
49 50 (24 hours, calls may be monitored, local call rate applies).


Cost
Bicycles are carried free of charge on Thames Trains services.

Consideration for other rail travellers
Please be aware of others using the railway, and show them consideration. Do not
cycle on station concourses or platforms; on trains, please ensure that your
bicycle stays upright and does not obstruct gangways and doorways.

Bike Racks
As part of Thames Trains commitment to improve facilities for customers, bicycle
racks are being installed in Turbo Express trains for evaluation purposes. We
would welcome any observations on their usefulness.

If you do not want to take your cycle on the train, the following stations served
by Thames Trains have facilities to accommodate bicycles:


Stations
Basingstoke
Bedwyn
Bicester Town
Bourne End
Burnham
Charlbury
Cholsey
Colwall
Didcot Parkway
Ealing Broadway
Earley
Evesham
Goring & Streatley
Guildford
Hanborough
Hayes & Harlington
Henley-on-Thames
Hereford
Islip
Kingham
Kintbury
Langley
Leamington Spa
Ledbury London
Paddington
Maidenhead
Marlow
Moreton-in-Marsh
Newbury
North Camp
Oxford
Pangbourne
Pershore
Reading
Redhill
Reigate
Shiplake
Slough
Stratford-upon-Avon
Taplow
Thatcham
Tilehurst
Twyford
Winnersh Triangle
Wokingham
Worcester Foregate Street



bicycles for hire
Thames Trains services call at some of England's most picturesque and beautiful
places , many of which are very popular with cyclists of all ages. If you like to
cycle but don't have your own, we can help.

At Moreton-in-Marsh station, Country Lanes Cycles Centre offers £2 off a day's
regular cycle hire rate; and in Worcester, Peddlers offers £1 off normal hire
charges. Information about these and other discounts for Thames Trains travellers
is shown in our Cotswolds brochure to recieve a copy complete the leaflet request
form .

***** They also have a timetable to download Reading to Gatwick Airport,
including costs


Bicycling with FGW
First Great Western, as part of an overall package of improvements for cyclists,
have introduced a special reservable bicycle fare of only £1 per single journey
(£2 return). It enables you to guarantee a place for your bicycle in the new
special on-train racks, and keep your bicycle safe and secure throughout the
journey. There are six spaces for bikes on each First Great Western service and
these are situated in the Guard's van adjacent to Coach A.

Reservations
The special £1 fare is available for all reservations made at least 2 hours
before the departure of the train, or the day before for early morning trains. If
you are unable to book your journey in advance, we will not be able to guarantee
your bicycle a place. The non-reservable bicycle fare is £3 per single journey
(£6 return). Space is subject to availability so we strongly advise you to book
as far in advance as possible.

This is the usual query page for UK train services:

http://212.87.65.227/bin/newquery.exe/en

Try a query without Reading as a stop, and see what it gives you.

Packing a bike on the return journey is always a pain. Shoulder bags dont protect a bike on aircraft, they just get chucked around like other baggage. I prefer to keep mine looking bike shaped. You can get pipe insulation (in the form of split tubes of stiff foam) to cover all tubes, and that usually does the trick for airlines.