Obliged to use cycle storage?

[marks87]

Indeed, you put the wheel in the slot and hang the other wheel on the hook.

When I last carried my bike on an East Coast (as-was) HST, the guard advised me to use my lock "just in case". And who was I to argue...

 

[yorkie]

When I last carried my bike on an East Coast (as-was) HST, the guard advised me to use my lock "just in case". And who was I to argue...

I expect a memo to be released to VTEC Guards any day now...

 

[Tetchytyke]

I expect a memo to be released to VTEC Guards any day now...

I've been advised that too. As the guard pointed out, you can't travel with it in sight and they can't check at each station who's taking it off.

I guess it doesn't matter in a DVT/power car though. If you screw up and leave your bike locked to the train, the only person who is inconvenienced is you when you have to travel 200 miles to get it back.

 

[marks87]

I've been advised that too. As the guard pointed out, you can't travel with it in sight and they can't check at each station who's taking it off.

To be clear, the guard advised me to secure my bike to make sure it didn't fall out of the rack, not specifically to deter theft (I doubt he'd want to admit to the contents of the power car being vulnerable to thieves!).

 

[BestWestern]

...I notice on Pendolinos the 4 seats nearest the bike area are marked "Reserved Cyclist" these days.

Are there alternative seats reserved for a boisterous, outgoing cyclist?!

Sorry...

Regarding locking, on FGW HSTs cyclists are specifically required not to lock their bikes to the train, as it can prevent access to the paraphenalia often stored behind the racks.

 

[bitmadmax]

My hybrid bike weighs about 10kg, which is about the same weight as a toddler. Anyone who gets "crushed" by it is being a big jessie.

Getting people to move out of those tip-up seats on the 185s- even on quiet trains- is a nightmare. The little sign can say whatever it wants, people don't accept it if they're sitting down. Although at least they bothered to put a bicycle space on the 185s, that was something London Midland decided not to bother with on the 350s.

Most of the time simply wheeling the bike in front of sitting passengers is enough of a prompt. However as my bike is usually clean with a wonderful, soothing citrusy smell they are often ruluctant to move

 

[BurtonM]

Most of the time simply wheeling the bike in front of sitting passengers is enough of a prompt. However as my bike is usually clean with a wonderful, soothing citrusy smell they are often ruluctant to move

I have never found this to be the case. The closest I've had is one occasion when one out of four offered to move for me (in a group of two women and a small child), but not my bike... I gestured to my bike to no avail and declined, there was nowhere to put my bike.


The EMT set-up, I recall, was two of these behind a partition:

If you don't lock your bike to it it just falls about.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Then please make yourself known to the traincrew and we will do something about it! That is what we are on board the train for. Im personally very pro-active about things like this

 

[LowLevel]

I have never found this to be the case. The closest I've had is one occasion when one out of four offered to move for me (in a group of two women and a small child), but not my bike... I gestured to my bike to no avail and declined, there was nowhere to put my bike.


The EMT set-up, I recall, was two of these behind a partition:

If you don't lock your bike to it it just falls about.

They're meant to be fitted with velcro restraining straps, unfortunately some seem to have vanished. In the usual superb 'garden shed' design tradition of the 158, the racks are attached to a cupboard full of relays and other electrickery which technical staff can require to access if things go wrong - having bikes locked to it and on occasion cyclists with earphones in not hearing announcements has causes issues in the past as its nigh on impossible to get in there with bikes locked in.

The habit for some reason seems to be to put bikes in front wheel first which allows them to turn and fall over. Rear wheel is recommended.

If I see people boarding with bikes on anything but a totally full train I always go and dispatch the occupants of the cycle space tip ups elsewhere - someone's desire to be antisocial and not make use of the seats in the carriage shouldn't be the problem of someone who can only put their cycle in one place in the train.

On the other hand if it's full and standing (usually only in disruption) the bike will be refused as per our cycle policy as I won't turf humans off to accommodate cycles and the same if it's not been reserved and the space is full of luggage.

 

[BurtonM]

Bringing this up again.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that TPE had responded to me by contradicting themselves and I asked them to clarify.
Their reply to me said they appreciated my comments and basically accepted that they couldn't change my mind, but they would pass my comments upwards.
No clarification though so I asked again what their contradictory statement meant - a week has passed with no reply.

Today I noticed this:



It's a new sign with no text hock:
Who has priority now?

This journey was from platform 13 at Piccadilly. I wait for the train to arrive - coach A is at the front so I walk up to the door for the cycle storage and the sticker on the door is missing. The TPE-uniformed despatcher is nearby, looks at my bike and tells me to go to the door with the picture of the bike on it, gesturing to the first class end of the train (?!).
'But this is the bike storage...' I reply.
Dispatcher goes up to the train and looks in the window to find the cycle storage and a man with a bike, and backs down. Could have been a lot friendlier about it as well, she was rather stern. Bike man agreed and asked 'why was the dispatcher giving you grief?'.
Can't win can I... :roll:

 

[Jonfun]

This journey was from platform 13 at Piccadilly. I wait for the train to arrive - coach A is at the front so I walk up to the door for the cycle storage and the sticker on the door is missing. The TPE-uniformed despatcher is nearby, looks at my bike and tells me to go to the door with the picture of the bike on it, gesturing to the first class end of the train (?!).

Perhaps she made a mistake (it does happen occasionally) and thought the train was the other way around because she saw the door didn't have a sticker?

 

[BurtonM]

Yes, that's what I said :roll: if the sticker is missing that's an issue TPE should pick up on.

 

[Jonfun]

Well, it happens. There's no need to imply it's some form of anti-bike hostility.

 

[BurtonM]

My comments were more aimed at the dispatcher's general less than pleasant attitude when facing me, a passenger, directly. Nowhere did I suggest (or intend to) that I felt myself a victim of prejudice by virtue of being a cyclist.

 

[cjp]

The problem with the 185's is that such a short train should not be doing those distances, and the amount of times those sets are overcrowded with people, and if anyone has boarded from MAN Airport, all the luggage bays will be maxed out.......

Reading the posts above, there are obviously great differences of opinion, but when all is said and done, the cycles are carried FOC, the Train Crew have a difficult job to do and in this day and age HAVE to prioritise safety and err on the side of caution....

Also carried FOC are huge cases and unfolded buggies which often lurk in the doorways....

Just saying

 

[BurtonM]

My point seems to have been lost somewhat - if a TPE train doesn't have the bike priority sign any more, is cycle priority implicit or non-existent?

 

[185]

Solution would be for TPE to have taken staff advice long ago and remove the four tip up seats.

They were reluctant to put any signage up as it may seem too aggressive. They refused to take out the seats as that would breach the operating contract by reducing seat spaces...

Can't see much change until a new franchise starts.