SWB 'bents on trains

[nobby]

Anybody have any experience of moving a swb two wheeler bent on trains?
I know cycleman moves all sorts of junk by train and coach but he has this little boy lost look that he can use. Anybody who looks normal (relatively speaking) using trains with Bacchetta sized 'bents?

[Tim Hall]

Not exactly a 'bent, but we move our Pino (half man, half biscuit half upright, half recumbent) tandem by train fairly regularly without problems. This is mostly on Southern, generally on a Sunday.

[RichForrest]

I've put mine on a train a few times. Not saying I look normal though.
Virgin trains have to have a bike resevation ticket and you need to see the platform manager at the station and the train manager on the train to get it back off again.
Local trains I've had no trouble with, just walk up and get on. It's the same as a normal bike init, it's got 2 wheels.

Rich.

[clarion]

I expect Grand Central would be fine with it.  Not much throws them vis-a-vis bicycles.

[Pedaldog.]

I think the East Coast main line operators have an actual No Recumbents RULE on their books. Somebody mentioned it in Velovisio0n a while ago. I wonder jhow to deal with the Virgin trains on the West Coast mainline as the bikes have to hang from the front wheel on a hook. Not easy on a SWB when the boom sticks out in front of the wheel and it'd leave the bike swinging in mid Air anyway!

[RichForrest]

I did York Peterborough with mine in June no problems.

Rich.

[LaidBack]

Not having a car I've moved loads of bikes by train on the odd delivery for LB. Railway doesn't care really as long as doors are not blocked and people aren't damaged by pedals

Virgin Voyagers - I hang bikes like Mistral or Fuego by back wheel. If you have tiller bars take a bungee or they'll flop forward. Your chain ring may rest on the floor.
You'll find worn grungy fllor straps to stop bike swinging. Put through front wheel.
Booking essential although you can enter unlocked area without guard which is why you may find golf carts and giant suitcases in the way. If you have a booking then it's easier to make space. Staff can be good.

Virgin Pendolino - they have lockable room for bikes. Four bikes can hang - SWB would be ok. One tandem can also fit on the level. Booking essential

Turbostars - Bike is level so can go beside fold down seat ok. If there is a bike there already then it's better if bent is swaped over if rider is agreeable. That way pedals stay out of the way.

GNER/NEEC East Coast - will carry any bike in theory. GNER tried to ban recumbents in the past just to see what happened.
Answer... they went bankrupt and became NEEC.
Recently the editor of Velo Vision was met with some opposition from this company when he tried to take a booked tandem from York to Berwick. So the forces of bike discouragement are still active in this company.
I took the Fuego to Peterborough and back from Edinburgh this summer no problem so I think there is hope. My semi-low racer was one of two bikes being carried in a huge empty guards van.

Finally I travelled on a crowded (like sardines) commuter train in Birmingham with a Mistral held upright. Took no floor space at all and something you couldn't do with an uprght as handlebars would be in peoples face. Sure guard would have thrown me off but he was trapped up the train!

cheers

David

[cycleman]

 

[Pedaldog.]

Thanks for the clarification on the East Coast trains. As you say they are obviously trying to discourage bikes in general. Maybe a critical mass would shake them up a bit? Probably just calmly announce that ony two bikes could travel and leave us all standing.

[Wendy]

I often take my Hurricane on South Eastern Trains, Victoria to Bromley South.  No problems, although once I was stopped as the guard thought it was a motorbike.  When he realised he let me through and we ended up having a top chat.  I'm quite friendly with all the gate staff now, the bike is an excellent talking point and ice breaker.

[Tiger]

A recumbent is quite obviously a wheelchair. I adopt a very heavy limp and bag the wheelchair point and then sprawl in a disabled manner across two seats. Never been questioned although I did get some nasty looks from a chap in a wheelchair trying to board the train back from Brighton once.  There just wasn't enough room for him so he had to wait for the next one.

[nobby]

See, that's just the look I was on about!
 

[nobby]

Not having a car I've moved loads of bikes by train on the odd delivery for LB. Railway doesn't care really as long as doors are not blocked and people aren't damaged by pedals

Virgin Voyagers - I hang bikes like Mistral or Fuego by back wheel. If you have tiller bars take a bungee or they'll flop forward. Your chain ring may rest on the floor.
You'll find worn grungy fllor straps to stop bike swinging. Put through front wheel.
Booking essential although you can enter unlocked area without guard which is why you may find golf carts and giant suitcases in the way. If you have a booking then it's easier to make space. Staff can be good.

Virgin Pendolino - they have lockable room for bikes. Four bikes can hang - SWB would be ok. One tandem can also fit on the level. Booking essential

Turbostars - Bike is level so can go beside fold down seat ok. If there is a bike there already then it's better if bent is swaped over if rider is agreeable. That way pedals stay out of the way.

GNER/NEEC East Coast - will carry any bike in theory. GNER tried to ban recumbents in the past just to see what happened.
Answer... they went bankrupt and became NEEC.
Recently the editor of Velo Vision was met with some opposition from this company when he tried to take a booked tandem from York to Berwick. So the forces of bike discouragement are still active in this company.
I took the Fuego to Peterborough and back from Edinburgh this summer no problem so I think there is hope. My semi-low racer was one of two bikes being carried in a huge empty guards van.

Finally I travelled on a crowded (like sardines) commuter train in Birmingham with a Mistral held upright. Took no floor space at all and something you couldn't do with an uprght as handlebars would be in peoples face. Sure guard would have thrown me off but he was trapped up the train!

cheers

David

Thanks for that very full answer and to the others for all the information, and how many people are big enough to suggest that Rich don't look normal?
I think I'll try a couple of runs sans camping kit perhaps a couple of day rides from the not too far aways.

[rower40]

Meridians (voyager lookie-likeys, but used from St Pancras to Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield) have an excellent bike area just behind the cab at the end furthest away from first class.  I have to take the flag down off my Grasshopper, but it fits in the bike space fine.
BUT it's behind a locked door.  If you don't happen to own a BR-standard carriage key, you'll need to talk nicely to the guard.