Bike boxes on train

[carreauchompeur]

Folks,

Need to get down to Truro in July for a charity ride, finishing in Bristol. I'm hoping we might be able to chuck bikes into someone's van, however current plan is looking like travelling down by train. Bike spaces, from what I can gather, are nearly all booked.

If i was to acquire a cardboard bike box from my friendly LBS and packages up my bike, would I get it on the train? Anyone done this?

[ewenm]

If you're travelling on an Intercity (125?) they should have space for the boxed bike in the guards section (front or back). if it's one of the newer trains, then it'll be a struggle. I'd pop down to Temple Meads and find out, probably from the gate guardians rather than the ticket office.

[dick_turpin]

You'd be better off trying to borrow a proper bike case; the ones where you take the wheels off.
At that point it's no different from a big suitcase.

[anonymous-user]

You will never fit a bike box on the carriage though, there is space for four bikes in the 125s and you have to book them in advance. I used a bike box (wheels off etc) to get a bike to and from London last year. It just about fits between the racks. You arent allowed to lock anything in there either as they are working to a time table and cant have peopel faffing about with locks etc although the guard will check your ticket and the seperate bike ticket so in theory no one can walk off with your bike.

So book the bike on, dont bother with a cardboard box, they are a nightmare to carry, and just wheel it on. take a small discreet lock, a cheap number combo one would work well so you dont have to worry about losing the key. You really dont have much time between getting off, running tothe guards van, getting the bike and getting off before the train wants to leave though!....

[AyBee]

Perfectly fine, done it numerous times. I didn't like that I couldn't lock my uninsured and expensive bike in the bike carriage so I used to get to the station, take both wheels off, stick it in a bike bag and carry it on. Aim for carriage C - it's the one with seats removed for wheelchairs, try to be the first one on though

[TwistingMyMelon]

Whenever I have been on intercitys with my bike, every station I've been stting it thinking someone will nip in the guards van and wheel off my bike, so much so I stopped using them! Guess you could lock it, but wouldn't fancy fannying around the limited time the train stops in a station

[ewenm]

I was assuming from the "train down, ride back" bit that the OP is looking to abandon recycle the bike box in Truro, so proper bike-boxes/bags are probably unsuitable.

[AyBee]

ewenm said:

I was assuming from the "train down, ride back" bit that the OP is looking to abandon recycle the bike box in Truro, so proper bike-boxes/bags are probably unsuitable.

In which case, use a box As far as I'm aware, there's no limit to the size of packages allowed by train, if you get in the way with it, there's usually more space in the front where they don't keep bikes (have seen them use it for bags on bank holiday etc).

[carreauchompeur]

Cool, cheers guys.

[carreauchompeur]

Cool, cheers guys.