How do folks travel to events/rides

[Blodwyn Pig]

Was looking at the camping weekend, then I thought, ok , I'd drive, but on my own that's not really eco friendly, but the train is sooooo ££££££, or is it?   I live in kent, so would need  a return to  a station nearby, ditto FNRTTC, getting back from Brighton, Dunwhich ( I know), Whitstable, Southend etc.  Do you have a discount train card or summat, and does it work for all regions, or is it all a bit bit of a pigs foot. Not clued up on all this train malarky.

[Greenbank]

Advance fares on trains, generally need to be able to plan weeks (if not months) ahead to get the best deals.

I've had singles between London to Bristol (for the Bryan Chapman) for £12 each way and those were booked pretty much as soon as they are released (sometime around 12 weeks out).

Living in London makes it much easier for me as I can get to pretty much any train station from home or work within an hour (either by cycling [madness!] or by train/tube).

I've never driven to an Audax although I have taken lifts from others who were already going by car.

For events up to 25 miles away I'd usually ride there although there's one 100km Audax I've ridden 75km to 3 out of the 4 times I've done it (and sometimes ridden back too).

Dunwich Dynamo I've only done once and arranged it as a DIY 400 (moving the start point to Dorking and finishing in Putney) so I could ride back.

[Tim Hall]

I've got Network Railcard, which gives discounts subject to various conditions, such as weekend or fares greater than £13 (I think).  Thus for getting back from Sunny Whitstable after a FNRTTC it works well, but doesn't for getting me to the start from Three Bridges on a Friday night, as the standard fare is less than £13*.  The Network Railcard covers the old Southern Region, I think. From the National Rail website: "The Network Railcard spans 16 counties in the South East including London.You, and up to 3 friends and 4 children, can travel together and save 1/3 off rail fares."  Cost is  £30 a year.

The other Top Tip for getting back from a FNRTTC is to make friends and get a Group Save. According to the National Rail website "GroupSave offers groups of three to nine adults travelling together 1/3 off, travelling off-peak on participating train company services. "  You need to be traveling to the same destination, which can work well if you're all traveling o0n from, say London, having returned from the sea side.

Advanced fares are another good way of getting cheaper fares. They're released, in limited numbers, 12 weeks before they can be used. You'll be tied to a specific train though.

If you're an old bugger a person with a wealth of experience, there's the Over 60 railcard. Discounts seem to be more wide ranging than the Network Railcard and the price is the same.

*  For FNRTTC starting in That London I now ride to Gatwick an tap in using my contactless bank card, which works as an Oyster card. Oyster fares are generally less than Network Rail standard fares and the Oyster Zone extends down the Brighton line to Gatwick.

[Paul H]

Was looking at the camping weekend, then I thought, ok , I'd drive, but on my own that's not really eco friendly, but the train is sooooo ££££££, or is it?   ...Not clued up on all this train malarky.

Trains can be cheap, but getting the best prices isn't simple.
Usually the best prices get released 12 weeks before, at that point a good place to start can be the ticket splitting websites - just google - this is where you sit on the same train with multiple tickets which have cost less than a single ticket to be sat in the same seat - really, I'm not making this up! Sometimes it's 70% cheaper.  BUT it's not that simple because you can't book your bike via the splitting website, so you'll need to work out where (It's not hard, there's usually only a couple of ways they could have done it) then go and book them yourself with the bike reservations at the same time - several websites allow this, I use GWS.
Example - Derby to Plymouth last September, £120 single ticket - £55 with split tickets

[Kim]

Trains and/or cycling.  Occasionally driving.

Dunwich Dynamo is a special case, in that it deliberately goes somewhere with no good way to get back from other than by non-trivial amounts of additional cycling.  The FNRttC is the opposite, in that it nearly always goes somewhere with a decent train service (it also actively discourages driving).

Some audaxes are accessible by rail without an overnight stay, but they're a minority.  ECE seems to be the non-driving solution.

Train tickets are expensive, but so is using a car if you haven't already paid for it.  Cycle touring is a good way to get to camping weekends, but that takes time.

Many BHPC races are quite difficult to do without driving.  You can cycle there, but that requires a cycle that's reasonable to ride on the road, and that you not be carrying half a boot full of timing equipment...

[Ben T]

Was looking at the camping weekend, then I thought, ok , I'd drive, but on my own that's not really eco friendly, but the train is sooooo ££££££, or is it?   I live in kent, so would need  a return to  a station nearby, ditto FNRTTC, getting back from Brighton, Dunwhich ( I know), Whitstable, Southend etc.  Do you have a discount train card or summat, and does it work for all regions, or is it all a bit bit of a pigs foot. Not clued up on all this train malarky.

just park round the corner 

[Deano]

I organise them locally so that I can ride there

[bludger]

Obviously it depends on the events but I do it in order of this preference (assuming a non-trivial distance to the start point):

*Boutique hotel accommodation (i.e. sleep in the HQ if it's available - see Paul's events for a guide!)

* Train

* Bivvy the night before

* Airbnb (pretty unusual circumstance) or warmshowers (only done once so far but it was great)

I have driven to one, back when I was a white collar worker and had a car, 2 years ago.

[cycleman]

I have ridden into London and folded up the trice putting it in a bike bag. As I am disabled I can generally get assistance getting onto the train as I did going to York last year. There is however no guarantee that I will be allowed to travel on the pre booked train so it is always a gamble. I have also managed to get the trice in a bag onto a national Express coach from London Victoria coach station but nearly got stranded in Lancaster due to a lack of luggage space on the return. Fortunately for me another coach going to Birmingham turned up with space so I was able to get on my booked coach from Birmingham to London.
So most of the time I have to cycle to and from events 

[quixoticgeek]

Was looking at the camping weekend, then I thought, ok , I'd drive, but on my own that's not really eco friendly, but the train is sooooo ££££££, or is it?   I live in kent, so would need  a return to  a station nearby, ditto FNRTTC, getting back from Brighton, Dunwhich ( I know), Whitstable, Southend etc.  Do you have a discount train card or summat, and does it work for all regions, or is it all a bit bit of a pigs foot. Not clued up on all this train malarky.

It's probably quicker and cheaper for you to get to stuff in Belgium the than much of the UK. Dover to Dunkerque is pretty cheap, 30k ride to De panne, then hop on a train.

Says a lot about UK pubic transport that this is the case...

J

[Phil W]

For audax

I generally don’t travel for 200’s. Either local or within riding distance.
For 300,400,600 I’ll travel further afield. If the train works I’ll go for that option.

The problem with the train is as noted above to get a sensible fare you need to get an advance one, which ties you in. I ride a recumbent and am never really certain what the space will be like and whether the bike will fit.

Otherwise it’s car and see if anyone nearby wants a lift. I tend to only do one of 300,400,600 per year so three drives at most.

For things like FNRTTC I used the train to the start and train back. The newish Thameslink trains are great for this as they have a long space for the bikes to be strapped into.

Personally I prefer the train if poss for further afield but it’s a lot harder than it should be.

[rogerzilla]

The trains around here are now Class 800s, so you expect to stand blocking the vestibule for the entire journey.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Mostly share a car with HK. Trains are usually expensive for two people and cars stay the same cost. Transporting tandems or trikes is just too much trouble on public transport.

We’ll ride to/from local 200s but I can’t be bothered with that sort of thing for longer brevets or further afield.

We mostly do Eurostar for French rides but usually with our Moultons. Airplanes for stuff far flung, of course.

[Tim Hall]

Mostly share a car with HK. Trains are usually expensive for two people and cars stay the same cost. Transporting tandems or trikes is just too much trouble on public transport.

We’ll ride to/from local 200s but I can’t be bothered for longer brevets or further afield.

We mostly do Eurostar for French rides but usually with our Moultons. Airplanes for stuff far flung, of course.

I've done lots of tandems on trains in the past, without problem, except for the twat of the Great Eastern (?) driver who wouldn't open the doors to the bike van. The vast majority has been on Southern with their no booking required/available and class 377 rolling stock. Both these things made it easier.

[telstarbox]

For distant events I've got the train the night before then a cheap Airbnb or Premier Inn. Train home after the event.

I can fit my bike in the car but don't like the stress / time pressure of a 2 hour drive before a whole day on the bike, and then driving back again.

[ElyDave]

Depends on yoru flavour of local
- Mildenhall, 25km from me, so I'd ride over there and back
- ACME events - usually perfectly acessible by train, from essex or London. For me, 3 trains and three hours on a Saturday morning or just over an hour by car which has a bike rack that fits the recumbent.

generally I find trains not going where I need them, or at the wrong times.  I have contemplated train to Cambridge or somewhere a bit further south and ECE from there, but I'm not quite fit enough yet.  THat's the aim for this year - back to 200 level fitness (fitness being lack of restrictive injuries).

[Kim]

I can fit my bike in the car but don't like the stress / time pressure of a 2 hour drive before a whole day on the bike, and then driving back again.

I don't like the danger of driving after a whole day on the bike.  It's fine for a race or social weekend, but not for a night ride or audax.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Mostly share a car with HK. Trains are usually expensive for two people and cars stay the same cost.

IF there are three of you, there's a scheme called Groupsave which gets you 1/3 off. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr354fdc0a0400020101fea1769fbf60.aspx
But not if you're two.

[Cudzoziemiec]

For audaxes, once or twice I've had a lift with someone, eg for Tewkesbury, but mostly I only do local events so just ride there. I've taken the train to Cheltenham for Steve Poulton's rides and either trained or ridden back (very slowly and with lots of stops ).

For things like forum camping expotitions, it's either ride all the way, usually over a day or two, or take a train part way then ride. Of course it helps not having to request time off from the boss.

[fuaran]

Mostly share a car with HK. Trains are usually expensive for two people and cars stay the same cost.

IF there are three of you, there's a scheme called Groupsave which gets you 1/3 off. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/pr354fdc0a0400020101fea1769fbf60.aspx
But not if you're two.

But there is a Two Together Railcard, £30 per year, then gets you 1/3 off.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Yes, and we use that railcard. Convenience and lower direct cost often wins out though.

[DuncanM]

For cyclocross, I drive. 
I think most people do - some bring two bikes and pit equipment, some bring family/kids and extra bikes (me occasionally). Often, given the muddiness it is risky to rely on riding home again after the race, and it would be pretty anti-social to take a post race CX bike on a train!

[Ian H]

Combination of train & car.  I do tend to combine events with visits to friends.

[drossall]

I like to get to events by train, but sometimes the car is the only workable way.

[Phil W]

Looking at the new Azuma bike spaces I suspect I’ll be driving more.