David Martin wrote:

I would be quite happy for bulky goods (large suitcases, bicycles,
prams etc.) to be carried at a nominal handling charge if I could be
reasonably sure of getting a bike oto a train. It makes a mockery of
the train service when a family of five cannot travel with bikes.. I'm
thinking of the highland lines where you can only fit 2 bikes per
train (officially).

When I was a penniless student oaf, the Uni cycling club would meet up on a
Sunday morning, decide where we wanted to go, ride to the appropriate
station, get on the train, go to the green and pleasant countryside, ride
around the place and return. Nowadays this would not be possible.
Apparently this is "progress".

However, I believe you /can/ still take a washing machine or a stuffed
hippopotamus with you as "luggage".

--
Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
While you were out at the Rollright Stones, I came and set fire to your
Shed.

On 06/17/2005 16:33:44 "Dave Larrington" wrote:

David Martin wrote:

I would be quite happy for bulky goods (large suitcases, bicycles, prams
etc.) to be carried at a nominal handling charge if I could be reasonably
sure of getting a bike oto a train. It makes a mockery of the train
service when a family of five cannot travel with bikes.. I'm thinking of
the highland lines where you can only fit 2 bikes per train (officially).

When I was a penniless student oaf, the Uni cycling club would meet up on
a Sunday morning, decide where we wanted to go, ride to the appropriate
station, get on the train, go to the green and pleasant countryside, ride
around the place and return. Nowadays this would not be possible.
Apparently this is "progress".

However, I believe you /can/ still take a washing machine or a stuffed
hippopotamus with you as "luggage".

But Uni cycles only have one wheel! heh

--

Buck

I would rather be out on my Catrike

http://www.catrike.co.uk

When I was a penniless student oaf, the Uni cycling club
would meet up on a Sunday morning, decide where we
wanted to go, ride to the appropriate station, get on the
train, go to the green and pleasant countryside, ride around
the place and return. Nowadays this would not be possible.

Why not? Almost all the TOCs take cycles free off peak
(and it's off peak all day on Sundays). Some long distance
journeys 'require' pre-booking, but on MML and GNER if
you turn up with a bike and they've got space in the goods
section they'll take the bike even if you don't have a
reservation (the GNER Mallards have nice new yellow
bike racks built in). MML don't even require reservations
on Meridian trains.

See: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/cycling.htm


Matt Ashby
www.mattashby.com