Travel by Bike

[whole diary]

[eightf48544]

In other posts on Coffee Shop the problems of  conveying bikes on trains has been aired. It has occurred to me that the TOCS/Networkrail/TFL^▸ (Transport for London) are missing a trick.

Why don't "they" (and it could be anybody) provide bike hire at major stations.

It could be integrated into the fare so for say a ^2  extra you get the use of bike for a day at your destination.

In London it could be integrated into Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) and allow say to drop off at any London terminal or larger station. At ^2 it's far cheaper than the tube even with a travel card.

I am obviously being far too simplistic, so I guess it would never work! No doubt members will tell me why it won't work.


 

[Phil]

I remember reading about a scheme just like this being introduced at Reading station not so long ago - certainly within the past 2 years.

edit: yes, here it is:

http://www.oybike.com/OYBIKE/obhome.nsf/press/2093ED8DF190120C8025744F005230CD

[Super Guard]

Crosscountry will be making bike reservations mandatory, and having seen a 'refreshed' voyager come through last week, 2 bikes and at a squeeze 3 will be allowed and that's your lot!

[devon_metro]

Crosscountry will be making bike reservations mandatory, and having seen a 'refreshed' voyager come through last week, 2 bikes and at a squeeze 3 will be allowed and that's your lot!

The trolley is a wopper!!

[bemmy]

In other posts on Coffee Shop the problems of  conveying bikes on trains has been aired. It has occurred to me that the TOCS/Networkrail/TFL^▸ (Transport for London) are missing a trick.

Why don't "they" (and it could be anybody) provide bike hire at major stations.

It could be integrated into the fare so for say a ^2  extra you get the use of bike for a day at your destination.

In London it could be integrated into Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) and allow say to drop off at any London terminal or larger station. At ^2 it's far cheaper than the tube even with a travel card.

I am obviously being far too simplistic, so I guess it would never work! No doubt members will tell me why it won't work.

Sounds like a great idea to me, although it would of course be necessary to charge a hefty deposit.

It doesn't sound like something the train companies would bother with unless it was a condition of the franchise, as there wouldn't be a lot of money in it -- not many people want to cycle.

[ReWind]

There still the problem of a lot of people would want to take there own Bike.

Cyclist with a certain type of Bike, e.g racing bike, BMX etc.
 
I know at Yate, there is a problem with large groups of children who wish to take a BMX bike each on the train!  They could have anything upto 10 BMX Bikes, wishing to get on a 2 car unit.

I think it is a good idea, and could certainly help the problem, but I don't think it will solve the problem completely.

I do think TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s could provide better facilities on their trains.
It wouldn't take much to provide a little more space on trains for Bikes, luggage etc.

[John R]

It wouldn't take much to provide a little more space on trains for Bikes, luggage etc.

Not sure I agree with this. If you provide a little more space then it is at the expense of seats (or even standing room) for fare-paying pax. And we all know that in the rush hours the services are already too overcrowded, so I don't think it would be welcomed.

The only other way is to provide more carriages, and whilst we would all welcome that, it's very expensive, and won't be done just to provide space for some more bikes.

[ReWind]

To provide more luggage, Bike space I was thinking more in the lines of removing the luggage racks in the coaches and leaving that space clear/empty.

Therefore anything can go there from Bikes, suitcases, prams etc.

I definately would not want any more space at the expense of seats.  Sorry for the confusion!

[G.Uard]

Owing to space constraints and H&S^▸ (Health and Safety) issues, we sometimes have to refuse bikes on busy commuter services.  This is frustrating for cyclists and (as a keen bike owner myself), highly unsatisfactory from an ecological standpoint.  From a purely commuter perspective, as reasonable bikes can be had second hand for as little as ^20, what is  to stop commuters from buying two, leaving one at departure station and t'other at arrival?

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Jon Snow's blog, on the Channel 4 News site:

I think I have detected an unreported war on First Great Western trains. At its heart, integrated transport and climate change.

On Saturday morning I arrived to board the 7.50am train to Oxford. I had cycled from my home to Paddington and proposed to cycle from Oxford to a friend^s house in the north of the city.

Guards at the barrier attempted to prevent me and others from getting on to the platform without a bike reservation. In 50 or more journeys to Oxford with a bike over the last year or two I have never had a reservation.

Having overcome that, I arrived at the bike van at the back of the train (a section of a carriage walled off and arranged with racks for about eight bikes. It was locked and empty. The train guard gesticulated to me to go to the one at the front. It was full.

Two American cyclists had already been prevented from boarding an earlier train. It had left with a full compliment of bikes and almost no passengers. The guard proceeded to tell us that although there were spaces at the back, being a Saturday it was locked and ^not in service^. He then told us that under no circumstances would any more bikes be taken on this train.

I won^t go into detail, but eventually the train departed, on time, with the bikes and bodies of myself and the two American cyclists.

Just outside Slough, the train^s advanced train protection system triggered and immobilised the train. I had time therefore to count the number of carriages (eight) and the number of passengers aboard (42). All 42 passengers could have been stuffed into one of First Great Western Trains far from great carriages that pack passengers like so many rows of pigs ^ still leaving seven empty carriages.

We were detrained. On the train behind - you have guessed it ^ the cycle van was full. A serious attempt was now made to try to prevent 12 cycles being loaded onto a two-thirds empty train. Sheer force of numbers prevailed.

Now, I accept there was some sort of cycle event north of Oxford and thus an unusual number travelling. But the trains were empty of passengers. The entire culture I encountered with First Great Western Trains was aggressively anti-bike.

Yet not only do we pay to be transported by them (and I would willingly pay for the bike, too, if I had to). Our taxes contribute hundreds of millions of pounds to these companies in subsidies. They could be making a profound contribution to fighting climate change. The government could simply force them to carry more.

Oh, and by the way, this week sees another rail franchise awarded ^ the South Central contract that serves London-Gatwick-Brighton and other commuter areas around London. I wonder what role climate change and assisting the travelling public to integrate their bikes with the trains is playing in contract negotiations. I think I have the answer: none.

[Mookiemoo]

Owing to space constraints and H&S^▸ (Health and Safety) issues, we sometimes have to refuse bikes on busy commuter services.  This is frustrating for cyclists and (as a keen bike owner myself), highly unsatisfactory from an ecological standpoint.  From a purely commuter perspective, as reasonable bikes can be had second hand for as little as ^20, what is  to stop commuters from buying two, leaving one at departure station and t'other at arrival?

Because chances are, the one left overnight will not be in one piece the next morning.  When I did this at oxford I found all removable parts -er - removed and, once when left at Paddington, I came back on the Monday to find nothing except the frame!

[super tm]

I read the article but it does not make sense.  He says the bike space at the front of the train which has a rack and can take up to 8 bikes was locked.

However the bike space on the train can take 6 bikes and is never locked as the door provides an emergency exit.  Perhaps he was refering to the rack in the power car which can take only 3 bikes.

From reading the story I think that the usual bike space was full and they would not let him but his bike in the power car.  But as he doesnt actually say this I am only guessing.  There was a bike race at Hanborough that day and most Oxford services were fully reserved for bikes that day.  Why didnt he mention that in his report?  I suppose if he had done so we would not feel so sympathetic towards him.

It seems to me that he was spinning the story to his benefit to make FGW^▸ (First Great Western) seem worse - and he is meant to be a reporter not a politician.