Commuting fare advice required

[pethadine82]

Due to the current fuel situation I need a back up plan in case things done work out.
I work in Bracknell but live in Rayners Lane NW London.
Worst case scenario I was thinking was
cycling to Feltham and then catch SWR to Bracknell.
I would need to be in Bracknell by 8am. Do I need a cycle reservation? This would be for 3 days / week so I heard about flexible season tickets.
If the journey to Feltham is too exhausting then was thinking about tube from Rayners Lane to Hounslow west and then cycle to Hounslow SWR station and take the train from there switching at Staines or Virginia Water if need be.
I do need to take a bike as its 2 miles from Bracknell station.
Really appreciate any help with the logistics and the fares.
Thank you in advance.

 

[telstarbox]

I don't think the SWR cycle policy allows that if you're travelling in the morning peak.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I don't think the SWR cycle policy allows that if you're travelling in the morning peak.

More at the following link (below)... Small folding bikes should be o.k. if they can be safely stowed away, i.e. without causing an obstruction.

Bikes on Trains | Bike Travel Info | South Western Railway

Find out more about how and when you can take bikes on trains. We love to welcome cyclists and their bicycles and to accommodate them as much as possible.

www.southwesternrailway.com

Bicycles cannot join or leave trains bound for London Waterloo, Reading, Hook, Alton, Guildford and Dorking, due to arrive at London Waterloo between 07:15 and 10:00 inclusive or departing from London Waterloo between 16:45 and 19:00.

In addition...

Stations between Clapham Junction, Feltham/Strawberry Hill and the Hounslow loop cannot allow bicycles to join or leave trains which are due to leave Clapham Junction between 07:45 and 09:00.

 

[greatkingrat]

The OP is travelling in the counter-peak direction, so bikes are allowed from Feltham to Bracknell in the AM peak, whether folding or not.

 

[Haywain]

The OP is travelling in the counter-peak direction, so bikes are allowed from Feltham to Bracknell in the AM peak, whether folding or not.

Do you not think that those trains are heading towards Reading? As posted above, they are not accepted on such trains.

 

[yorkie]

Due to the current fuel situation I need a back up plan in case things done work out.
I work in Bracknell but live in Rayners Lane NW London.
Worst case scenario I was thinking was
cycling to Feltham and then catch SWR to Bracknell.
I would need to be in Bracknell by 8am. Do I need a cycle reservation? This would be for 3 days / week so I heard about flexible season tickets.
If the journey to Feltham is too exhausting then was thinking about tube from Rayners Lane to Hounslow west and then cycle to Hounslow SWR station and take the train from there switching at Staines or Virginia Water if need be.
I do need to take a bike as its 2 miles from Bracknell station.
Really appreciate any help with the logistics and the fares.
Thank you in advance.

There is no way I'd cycle from Rayners Lane to Feltham (I say that as someone who does not own a car and cycles most places).

If it was me I'd do Hounslow Central to Hounslow to interchange between lines.

 

[Haywain]

Bearing in mind the overall journey, I wonder if using the train from, say, Southall to Maidenhead or Twyford and cycling the rest might be a better solution? At least GWR seem to have fewer restrictions than SWR on carrying bikes.

 

[A Challenge]

Do you not think that those trains are heading towards Reading? As posted above, they are not accepted on such trains.

I didn't realise that it was in the counter peak direction as well, but the SWR pocket timetables (Reading to Waterloo) usefully have shading to show where bikes are allowed, which shows the first restricted service (not counting the Clapham Junction to Aldershot service, also shown) is the 0816 from Feltham (Feltham being the last restricted stop, you can still take a bike between Ashford and Reading), meaning that the OP can travel on the last train arriving at Bracknell before 0800 (the 0716 from Feltham) and even have a backup train (0746, arriving at 0820) they can still take their bike on.

There are no restrictions on taking bikes towards London in the evening peak.

 

[greatkingrat]

Do you not think that those trains are heading towards Reading? As posted above, they are not accepted on such trains.

The text on the website is very badly written. However if you look at the restriction map, it does not show any restriction on trains going to Reading, just a restriction based on arrival times at Waterloo, which is not relevant for a Feltham-Bracknell journey.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Bearing in mind the overall journey, I wonder if using the train from, say, Southall to Maidenhead or Twyford and cycling the rest might be a better solution? At least GWR seem to have fewer restrictions than SWR on carrying bikes.

Presumably Hayes and Harlington, rather than Southall, to pick up GWR from Rayners Lane. (In fact, even West Drayton is a similar distance, looping round west of RAF Northolt, though going via Northolt Park the old route of the A312 to H&H is more direct/straightforward, and no doubt what I'd have done when cycling in that area years ago.) Half of the extra cycling between Twyford and Bracknell is saved on the first leg of cycling, so the overall time - compared to the SWR route - shouldn't be that much different. The idea of so much biking on the commute seems intimidating - I agree with Yorkie - but going into town on one branch of the Piccadilly and back out on the other would itself be time-consuming and unrelaxing! At least you're travelling early enough that you'd be doing so at a time when cycles are allowed on the (non-deep-tunnel) parts of the tube so you have that as an option.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

If you can be certain of always using the same route, then is using multiple bikes an option? So (for example) ride your ‘home’ bike to Feltham: lock it up there for the day. Then train (with no bike) to Bracknell station: collect your ’work’ bike there and ride it to work. Returning, lock your work bike up overnight at Bracknell station: train to Feltham and collect your home bike.

Most obviously this requires two bikes: it also involves being happy to leave them unattended at stations - overnight for your work bike.

 

[zcacmxi]

Cycling Rayners Lane to Feltham is 1hr+. Feltham to Bracknell 36mins by rail.. Another 10mins in bracknell. Total 2hrs+ each way.

The journey is 30miles / ~1hr in a car. Probably about a gallon of fuel each way? £12 per day in fuel even when you can get it, x3days x4week. ~£150 per month in fuel alone.

I know this is a railforum, but I'd also seriously consider swapping to a cheap commuter electric car if you have parking each side (assume you do for your petrol car), and have access to a charger on one side. Even an older Renault Zoe or Nissan Leaf (~£6k) should easily cover the 60miles return trip without needing to recharge enroute.

It's not rail / steel wheel.. But it's electric?

 

[Haywain]

Cycling Rayners Lane to Feltham is 1hr+. Feltham to Bracknell 36mins by rail.. Another 10mins in bracknell. Total 2hrs+ each way.

The journey is 30miles / ~1hr in a car. Probably about a gallon of fuel each way? £12 per day in fuel even when you can get it, x3days x4week. ~£150 per month in fuel alone.

I know this is a railforum, but I'd also seriously consider swapping to a cheap commuter electric car if you have parking each side (assume you do for your petrol car), and have access to a charger on one side. Even an older Renault Zoe or Nissan Leaf (~£6k) should easily cover the 60miles return trip without needing to recharge enroute.

It's not rail / steel wheel.. But it's electric?

Oddly enough, the advice offered has been around what the OP requested. Perhaps the OP can't drive or doesn't have anywhere to keep a car, or simply prefers not to drive.

 

[akm]

Oddly enough, the advice offered has been around what the OP requested. Perhaps the OP can't drive or doesn't have anywhere to keep a car, or simply prefers not to drive.

The first line of the first post is "Due to the current fuel situation I need a back up plan in case things done work out.", which, although it doesn't say it outright, at the very least strongly suggests that OP is using some kind of hydrocarbon-vehicle currently.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Cycle to Langley and pick up the 703 bus to Bracknell? About the same distance as Feltham and a much nicer, easier ride - you could do half of it on towpaths if you like. Obviously you can't take your bike on the bus (unless it's a Brompton or similar), but you could have a bike at each end as suggested above - I used to do this at Paddington.

 

[Haywain]

The first line of the first post is "Due to the current fuel situation I need a back up plan in case things done work out.", which, although it doesn't say it outright, at the very least strongly suggests that OP is using some kind of hydrocarbon-vehicle currently.

Fair enough, I missed that. However, it also suggests that explaining the benefits of car use is a bit pointless.

 

[pethadine82]

Car is diesel which is even more a problem given that there are more petrol cars than diesel. My bike is non folding so cant use it on any buses, I could also technically cycle to hounslow SWR station and then catch the train to Bracknell. This situation is crazy and I wasn't born when some people had the 1970s situation but lets see what happens.