Didn’t fancy another long car journey, so decided to use the folding bike on a mid-week winter work trip. Multiple trains and some cycling in between, with a bit of camera faff en route attempting to show how easy – or how much of a nightmare – this kind of integrated travel really is!
Happy cycling, folks!
14 Comments
As a side not, I take a gravel bike on trains all the time – I can be a lazy cyclist and on a cross-country cycle may jump on a train every now and then if part of the route is filled with A roads you cannot avoid. Anyway, never booked a bike space, always get one and in general guards are friendly and accommodating.
As a small wheeled folding bike owner / user I have to say that I found this very informative and helpful,, top marks for this one 👍👍
Never tried the train with a bike, So that was an 'Eye Opener' 😳
Kudos to you. Looked pretty miserable in the cold, dark and rainy streets. Was just watching Bike trekking with Karl, going on the canal would have been scary.
Really interesting video that Martin. Making a commute far more fun, plus getting a bit of exercise and sightseeing thrown in along the way. Well done mate, enjoyed that. 👍
Time to repeat with your normal bike at a busy time, stress levels through the roof last time for me!
Thank you.
Thank you Martin, having just retired in my late 60’s am making the transition from a MTB to a folding E-bike, for comfort and ease of use and in anticipation of hopefully getting out via the train for mini exploring adventures. Having never commuted on a bike as work required a flexible ability to travel far from home, your video has opened my eyes to what to expect and will have to be planned. Best wishes Mark
I was wondering where you had got to living the good life.great video
Took my standard road bike Leeds – London, book in advance! Worked fine and is free but they have so few spots available
the benefitt of the combining bike with train is unknowen to many peoplel. the flexibility makes it a valueable option.
i often did that similar when i had to commute and had a train line running parallel to it. i sometimes got on earlier or got off earlier and varied the routes as soon as I had some time. this meant i had to ride less in the rain and was able to explore more.
I got a folding bike as the GWR teeny cupboards don't fit any bikes and I can't lift them onto the hooks. Often there's nowhere for even a Brompton. It's an ordeal.
In my experience it can be a doddle but sometimes it’s a nightmare. Travelling by train in the UK is too expensive to start with,the rail companies say they carry bikes but in my experience they don’t really want to encourage it .
Cycle storage designed by someone who has apparently never loaded a bicycle on a train .
I’ve put my bike on a train in Europe, Peru, China, South Korea, India and Thailand all relatively straightforward and enjoyable.
We invented the bloody railways ffs.
You didn't mention the cost but it seemed the trains were running on time.
Here in the Pays de la Loire it's possible to pick up a return ticket (same day) for 5 people for 30€ but limited to travel in the
same Département.
This covers the TER regional trains but not the TGV. No charge for bikes but limited spaces. My daughter lives about 100 km away so it is an option but we take the car. Our nearest station is 15 km away and the reason I don't use the train is to get there and to find no room on the train, there is no certainty of a bike space.
We do take bikes on the train for holidays and I'm very pleased with the efficiency and the condition of the trains. Only snag is they do get busy at times and its always a bit stressful wondering if you'll get on.
I have tried to persuade my wife we should get folding bikes and use the train but she feels unsafe on small wheels.🙄
When Mrs Thatcher privatised the rail network great things were promised but sadly it seems the good train companies are few and far between. A friend tells us horror stories of delays and cancellations.
Thanks for the video, are you sure about the hangover?😄