Taking a Brompton on the Caledonian Sleeper

[laphroaig]

Last time I took a cycle on the Fort William portion of the Sleeper I had to get up in the middle of the night and walk the length of a very long train on a freezing Edinburgh platform to get the bike in the right bit as they shunted it around, I would like to avoid this next time!

Does anyone know if they still make you do this? If so I was thinking that taking my folding Brompton bike instead, even though it's not ideal for cycling Scottish terrain, would be a solution, keeping it in my cabin, but those cabins are very small and with my Bargain Berth fare I may well be sharing, has anyone tried this? It does fold pretty small but if the other guy has any luggage at all it could be trouble.

I believe they try to pair cabin sharers by destination, so hopefully getting off at Rannoch in January I might get it to myself!

 

[erk]

I've used the sleepr twice (to Fort William and to Aberdeen). Both times the staff checked the bikes were labelled, and moved them as necessary during the night. For Fort William, other passenges had bikes plus a trailer, which also got transferred safely.

 

[CallySleeper]

Does anyone know if they still make you do this?

Yes they will.

If so I was thinking that taking my folding Brompton bike instead, even though it's not ideal for cycling Scottish terrain, would be a solution, keeping it in my cabin, but those cabins are very small and with my Bargain Berth fare I may well be sharing, has anyone tried this? It does fold pretty small but if the other guy has any luggage at all it could be trouble.

Can't imagine this would be a problem, unless there really was a lot of luggage (space under lower bunk)

 

[laphroaig]

Yes they will.Can't imagine this would be a problem, unless there really was a lot of luggage (space under lower bunk)

Thanks for confirming that. Sounds like I should be ok if there's space under the bed.
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I've used the sleepr twice (to Fort William and to Aberdeen). Both times the staff checked the bikes were labelled, and moved them as necessary during the night. For Fort William, other passenges had bikes plus a trailer, which also got transferred safely.

I think that's how it used to work, they would move bikes around for you, but I suspect they worried about people claiming for damage of expensive bikes so make you do it yourself now. I was hoping this might have changed but apparently not. It only applies to the Fort William portion, as the bike space carriage on that bit doesn't go south of Edinburgh.

Welcome to the forum, by the way!

 

[erk]

...they would move bikes around for you, but I suspect they worried about people claiming for damage of expensive bikes so make you do it yourself now.

That's disappointing. Do you know when it changed?

My trip to Fort William was in 2009. Aberdeen was in 2010 (the bikes didn't need to be moved but the attendant still checked that the destination was identifiable on them).

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Last time I took a cycle on the Fort William portion of the Sleeper I had to get up in the middle of the night and walk the length of a very long train on a freezing Edinburgh platform to get the bike in the right bit as they shunted it around, I would like to avoid this next time!

Does anyone know if they still make you do this? If so I was thinking that taking my folding Brompton bike instead, even though it's not ideal for cycling Scottish terrain, would be a solution, keeping it in my cabin, but those cabins are very small and with my Bargain Berth fare I may well be sharing, has anyone tried this? It does fold pretty small but if the other guy has any luggage at all it could be trouble.

I believe they try to pair cabin sharers by destination, so hopefully getting off at Rannoch in January I might get it to myself!

I used the Caledonian sleeper in the 'day' coach from Edinboro to London with a fold-up bike about a year ago and the staff seemed quite keen that I stow it in the brake van rather than bring it in the passenger accommodation (not that it was a bother on that particular journey).

Good luck with your small-wheeled bike on the Scottish hills by the way. Even the Surrey downs is tough enough on a folder. A full-sized bike might be worth losing some sleep for...

 

[Zoidberg]

... from Edinboro ...

Where? Edinburgh, perhaps? Are you from the USA?