Author Topic: Out but not back 400  (Read 5972 times)

Out but not back 400
« on: 18 July, 2017, 12:19:11 pm »
I'm planning a new 400 for next year which would start in Exeter and finish at or near London.  I'm thinking of a start towards the middle of the day on Saturday. Both start and finish would be near railway stations.

What does the panel think?


Manotea

  • Where there is doubt...
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #1 on: 18 July, 2017, 12:23:54 pm »
Given I live in London, sounds good.

Question is, would the start time allow for travel down that morning or would it require an overnight stop?

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #2 on: 18 July, 2017, 12:29:17 pm »
Check the rules regarding transport of bikes on the west coast mainline. It will presumably be smaller scale but look at the Dunwich Dynamo for an extreme example of how it turns out when quite a number of cyclists try to use a train at the same time.

Often they will want you to be pre-booked on a train which can cause issues if you have a large entry and they can't all rely on a reasonably exact finish time - can be accommodated with a village hall and caek finish.
Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #3 on: 18 July, 2017, 12:46:55 pm »
[Do you mean GWR?!? ]

For the reasons trekker outlines, it might work better for folks to train down BEFORE i.e. have the start nearish to station + cheap rooms.  Getting around London - and out into nearby suburbs - isn't so bad without a reservation.

Or multiple start-times - say spanning 0900-12noon? - or whatever?

Certainly the basic route outline appeals  :thumbsup:
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #4 on: 18 July, 2017, 12:47:55 pm »
[Do you mean GWR?!? ]


Yes that one :)
Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #5 on: 18 July, 2017, 01:07:44 pm »
Great idea. Please consider the option of trains departing from Waterloo as well.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #6 on: 18 July, 2017, 01:08:47 pm »
The idea of one way routes is good, I think. It's somehow philosophically appealing; you're going somewhere rather than simply riding for the sake of it. Or at least it allows you to kid yourself so!

Question is, would the start time allow for travel down that morning or would it require an overnight stop?
This applies to every audax ever organised. And sportives and so on.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #7 on: 18 July, 2017, 01:17:59 pm »
Great idea. Please consider the option of trains departing from Waterloo as well.

There are two routes to Exeter, from Waterloo (slower and cheaper) and Paddington (faster, costlier).  They both meet at Exeter St Davids eventually.


Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #8 on: 18 July, 2017, 02:07:22 pm »
Sounds like a grand idea to me.

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #9 on: 18 July, 2017, 03:51:46 pm »
I like the idea.  Obviously, as I put on several 200km one-way Perms (Holyhead-Poynton, Poynton-Holyhead, Stalybridge-Scarborough).

I would want to book my bike place on the train - in fact I think it would be mandatory - but it would be an extra incentive to getting a shift on.  What sort of numbers of bikes do those trains take, and how many trains per hour?  For the Scarborough-Stalybridge train, it's 3 bikes on an hourly service, so it would take days to return a Calendar event to base.

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #10 on: 18 July, 2017, 04:02:37 pm »
Just ride home afterwards, simple  :demon:

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #11 on: 18 July, 2017, 04:14:32 pm »

What sort of numbers of bikes do those trains take, and how many trains per hour?  For the Scarborough-Stalybridge train, it's 3 bikes on an hourly service, so it would take days to return a Calendar event to base.

6 seems standard (all six in carriage A on a HST and 3 at each end of a local train) and two in the little local trains operating in the west according to page six of this handy leaflet - my local train company doesn't produce anything like as useful!

https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/your-journey/journey-information/on-board/cycling-by-train-new.pdf?la=en
Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #12 on: 18 July, 2017, 05:53:02 pm »
Seems viable, with the Exeter start people can book their trains to the start to suit their schedule without guessing ride time, and then ride home. Obviously those who live in the southwest have to train home, but I would imagine their would be fewer of them so less pressure on trains.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #13 on: 18 July, 2017, 06:16:49 pm »
Seems viable, with the Exeter start people can book their trains to the start to suit their schedule without guessing ride time, and then ride home.
Wish I'd thought of that!  :thumbsup:
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

αdαmsκι

  • Instagram @ucfaaay Strava @ucfaaay
  • Look haggard. It sells.
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #14 on: 18 July, 2017, 06:20:55 pm »
People manage to get home from York every year after the Easter Arrow.
What on earth am I doing here on this beautiful day?! This is the only life I've got!!

https://tyredandhungry.wordpress.com/

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #15 on: 18 July, 2017, 06:33:33 pm »
I think the challenge for some would be getting to the start as with an Arrow you start from where you want.  Getting to various parts of the UK from that London place would be like the finish at York with folk going in all different directions and not causing overcrowding on any particular route or spreading the time of return over a relatively long period.  Getting to Exeter might be a challenge depending on services available and travelling the day before might be the best option for some.

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #16 on: 18 July, 2017, 07:17:32 pm »
I'd be up for this! If you make the start time late enough people should be able to spread out over different trains. A quick check says that before noon on a Saturday there are 4 trains from Paddington, 2 from Waterloo, 5 from Bristol (and points north), plus loads from the west and the local branches.

It will presumably be smaller scale but look at the Dunwich Dynamo for an extreme example of how it turns out when quite a number of cyclists try to use a train at the same time.

If you believe some estimates, that's 3,000 people, and the local trains are only two trains once every two hours. I can't imagine it'll be on this scale!

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #17 on: 18 July, 2017, 07:41:54 pm »
I bloody well hope not!

Ben T

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #18 on: 18 July, 2017, 10:55:51 pm »
Sounds interesting, I might do it - if I do I'd probably arrive Friday night and travelodge

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #19 on: 19 July, 2017, 10:15:35 am »
If it ended on the outskirts of London such as Surbiton or Wimbledon I'd be up for it but cycling into central London is not much fun.  Surbiton and Wimbledon have fast trains into Waterloo which don't have any restrictions for cycles at the weekend.  For those that head back to Exeter, it's 1 stop from Surbiton to Woking where you can change for the train to Exeter which saves on London Zone 1 ticket costs.  Other good places to finish would be Staines, Uxbridge or Epsom as they all have options for 24-hour controls but are less good for people who need to get a train back.

bhoot

  • MemSec (ex-Mrs RRtY)
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #20 on: 20 July, 2017, 11:17:40 am »
If you are a Londoner surely it is a "Back but not out"?
Sounds interesting, having family in Exmouth makes it logistically easy.

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #21 on: 20 July, 2017, 11:24:37 am »
If you are a Londoner...

I'm not ;)

It's a working title only.

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #22 on: 20 July, 2017, 11:39:33 am »

Brakeless

  • Brakeless
Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #23 on: 20 July, 2017, 12:39:54 pm »
If the date is good I'm in.

Re: Out but not back 400
« Reply #24 on: 20 July, 2017, 01:44:23 pm »
If the date is good I'm in.

Me too. Great idea.