Cycling, public transport and a family of 7!!

[Craggle]

Hi, new to the forum and it looks great. Just searched on Google for "cycling camping" and found this site. Brilliant

My problem is this: me and my family love camping. We have recently bought bikes. A few days ago my car went in to the gararge for some work and we got about on buses and trains and had a great time. So this got me thinking: what if I sold my car. Working out the thousands it would save me a year was eye opening Getting to work, wife and kids to school, shopping etc is the easy bit. Holidays are a bit trickier.

As we love caming (just done John O'Groats to Lands End on a 3 week road trip in a tourer) we wondered how to get our camping gear and bikes to places like Corwall, Wales, Scotlland etc without a car. We were disappointed to discover that trains wont carry all the bikes we need( 4 adult sizes, 1 childs and a twin toddler trailer). Surely there must be a way? Any thoughts?

[eeyore]

hire a car for the holiday - okay it costs a few hundred quid but its a lot cheaper than running one all year - The parlous state of british public transport leaves you a bit stuck for non car options - though I have heard that you can take bikes on trains by the simple expedient of wrapping them in brown paper and claiming they are a parcel - but this may be an urban myth

or go by train and hire the bikes on arrival ?

welcome to WAB btw

[life through a lens]

Originally Posted by eeyore

though I have heard that you can take bikes on trains by the simple expedient of wrapping them in brown paper and claiming they are a parcel - but this may be an urban myth

No Myth. Was watching a consumer type programme the other day about train companies and there was an example of a guy who had got on a train with his bike but wasn't allowed to take it through the gates at the other end unless it was wrapped as a present. Ludicrous !!

Would have to agree with the idea of hiring a car or maybe even buying a cheap van type affair just for holidays and declaring SORN for the rest of the year.

Olly

[troutmask]

A folding bike...
I use a Dahon Speed TR. As I carry a load of photography gear when I go cycle camping I have panniers front and rear. I take them off, fold the bike and put it in a luggage rack.
Just come back from a week in Wales and it always works. The train people sometimes get a bit fed up with waiting for me to load all the stuff on, but they havn't been able to say "we already have one bike on here so you can't put another on" as as happened in the past.
Many companies state that you should book your bike in advance (which is often impossible, see last weeks "Private Eye"), but this dosen't apply to folders.

[speckled wood]

I have a collection of folding bikes A Brompton T3, A Trek and a Dahon Epresso the latter is a full sized mts type machine have have had it for three years and it has proved to be very robust and having normal 26" wheels it rides just like any ordinary bike. On occassion when I have been tired out or wanted to cheat I have flolded it up and so far I have always been allowed on the bus with. Would not risk it for long train journeys in case I get barred from boarding because of its size.

The Brompton is the second Brompton I have owned I use it mostly if I go long distances on train or bus, I have done over 70 miles in one day on it and it has a brilliant front pannier that holds just about everything. The Brompton folds down to the sort of size where I have never be barred from boarding a train, and I have always been allowed on the London Underground with it. Of the Trek and the Brompton I prefer the Brompton because it has got that nice rubber bush that acts as suspension.

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by life through a lens

No Myth. Was watching a consumer type programme the other day about train companies and there was an example of a guy who had got on a train with his bike but wasn't allowed to take it through the gates at the other end unless it was wrapped as a present. Ludicrous !!

Would have to agree with the idea of hiring a car or maybe even buying a cheap van type affair just for holidays and declaring SORN for the rest of the year.

Olly

I worked for the railway for many years, any restriction applies to taking the bike on the train itself, when you are on the platform you can unfold it ..... there are no restrictions through the gate. (it is still reasonable to expect you to fold it before you board the train and reasonable to expect you to be prepared prior to the train arriving rather than needlessly causing delay).

There is of course the problem that modern trains can seldon accomodate more than a couple of non-folding bike, this is a simple political issue ..... down to treasury penny pinching.

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by speckled wood

There is of course the problem that modern trains can seldon accomodate more than a couple of non-folding bike,

'Tis indeed a fault of modern trains. There was a time, many many moons ago, when all trains had a parcel van attached, which would accomodate a bicycle. I think you paid a few pennies more for taking yer bike on.

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

'Tis indeed a fault of modern trains. There was a time, many many moons ago, when all trains had a parcel van attached, which would accomodate a bicycle. I think you paid a few pennies more for taking yer bike on.

Latterly (until the late 1980s) it was free. Of course in those days most mail and a large amount of parcels traffic went by passenger train and justified the "parcels" van.

[Craggle]

Hi, we've done a lot since our last post. The car and caravan are up for sale. We have decided to go for it as a 12 month experiment, hopefully after that we will be experts at getting around car-less and will carry on forever. We've been in touch with National Rail and folding bikes are the way forward. Two full size bikes are allowed but you are advised to book but there is no limit on folding bikes.
We have decided to cut down on the amount of camping we do (can be every weekend in the summer) and we'll save and plan for main holidays. We are looking at going to Center Parks again, maybe stopping in static caravans and we are looking at activity holidays as well. So that is another plus point to giving up the car.
We have bought one folding bike so far and are travelling to most places on our bikes with the 2 little ones in the trailer behind, and we are still loving it.
Getting to work and back at the moment is going to be done on a moped. This isn't ideal but I do contract work all over the place at short notice and can do reallt early starts. I have looked at electric mopeds but they don't go quite far enough. I will be checking out the new Baroni electric bike as they rekon it can do around 50-60 miles on a full charge. If they go that far then I'll have one but it sounds a little optimistic. I will be looking at working closer to home so the moped will eventually go as well.
So the next 12 months should be very interesting and I can't wait to get started. I'll keep you posted and thanks for your help.

[speckled wood]

Good luck with the twelve month trial.

For the rest of us here is a thought. If we all the members of this group used their cars just 10% less that would be like removing the pollution and effects of a couple of hundred cars.

[Craggle]

Just a quick update. I know it's been a while!!!

We have been car-less now since October and we are still going strong. In fact, we won't be buying a car after our twelve months is up, we are going to remain car less. It has been a lot easier than I expected. Shopping, school runs, days out etc are a breeze and an adventure. Considering how much I was in to cars before this I am surprised at how anti-car I have become. I don't go around preaching or shouting at motorists but there are a few drivers out there that make my blood boil..... but anyway...

We now use trains for long journeys with not too many problems yet. Camping in Newquay (I live in Willenhall, West Mids) was our biggest challenge yet but we did it. A lot of people a surprised at what we are doing with several people saying we should be in the paper on the TV to inspire others.

The kids still love being in tow in their trailer and we now use child seats so we can use tow paths with out 'width' problems.

We didn't do it to be green but it has changed us for the better: we now recycle as much as we can: reduce the energy we are using: composting: wormery: wildlife garden etc...

I can't save the Earth but at least I know I'm not destroying it. Good luck to anyone else who tries it

[Paul mabbott]

Well done, keep up the good work.
Yes, it can be done - it's just that a lot of people don't want to think about it - needs a bit of planning and for people who have cars it's too easy just to jump in the vehicle and be off.
It is fairly easy to do without cars (or any other personal transport) if you live in big urban centres like London or South Yorks but not so easy for folks elsewhere.
Keep us up to date!

Originally Posted by Craggle

Just a quick update. I know it's been a while!!!

We have been car-less now since October and we are still going strong. In fact, we won't be buying a car after our twelve months is up, we are going to remain car less. It has been a lot easier than I expected. Shopping, school runs, days out etc are a breeze and an adventure. Considering how much I was in to cars before this I am surprised at how anti-car I have become. I don't go around preaching or shouting at motorists but there are a few drivers out there that make my blood boil..... but anyway...

We now use trains for long journeys with not too many problems yet. Camping in Newquay (I live in Willenhall, West Mids) was our biggest challenge yet but we did it. A lot of people a surprised at what we are doing with several people saying we should be in the paper on the TV to inspire others.

The kids still love being in tow in their trailer and we now use child seats so we can use tow paths with out 'width' problems.

We didn't do it to be green but it has changed us for the better: we now recycle as much as we can: reduce the energy we are using: composting: wormery: wildlife garden etc...

I can't save the Earth but at least I know I'm not destroying it. Good luck to anyone else who tries it

[Ian Gray]

Hi Craggle,
Keep it up. I've now been without a car for 15 years. I'ts probably
easier for me as I don't have a young family, just myself to look after.
I just enjoy the freedom of it. I tend to take long holidays which
can last upto 6 months, then my home becomes a tent which sits on my
back much like a snail. Not having a car with you at these times
means you don't have to return to something, just take off
and explore. You can't beat it.


Ian

[Craggle]

I thought we were doing something different from the norm but I didn't think the papers would be interested. We are in The Mirror today,our story is in between Gordan Brown and Prince William!! Here's my fifteen minutes of fame

[Jez]

Have always remembered the guards carriage could house a few bikes when diesel was the fuel but just because it is'nt the fuel to burn why can't trains supply a bike carriage to house tandems, solos to commune between places of visit? Global warming has been threatend for a decade i can recall at least but every body is ignoring it why? Why has the cyclist been forgotten? If i was running a train company i'd have a premade train carriage offering top secure holding and have top friendly staff compliant to safe hold our machines. This would surely work with 10,000 miles of nation cycle network to cover the train seem the intergrasion to perfect cycling holiday.

[Digiscoper62]

Originally Posted by Craggle

J

We now use trains for long journeys with not too many problems yet. Camping in Newquay (I live in Willenhall, West Mids) was our biggest challenge yet but we did it. A lot of people a surprised at what we are doing with several people saying we should be in the paper on the TV to inspire others.

The kids still love being in tow in their trailer and we now use child seats so we can use tow paths with out 'width' problems.

We didn't do it to be green but it has changed us for the better: we now recycle as much as we can: reduce the energy we are using: composting: wormery: wildlife garden etc...

I can't save the Earth but at least I know I'm not destroying it. Good luck to anyone else who tries it

I really enjoyed reading your story
Well done for what ever reason you done it, one more car off the road is a good thing in my book. :-)

(PS Im not anti-car, just think too may people use them too much)

[clover green]

I also really enjoyed reading your story and I admire your courage, especially with a big family, but you have shown it can be done. As Digiscoper said we rely on cars too much! We used to have 2 cars, but now have just the one. I am able to use my bicycle to get to work ( it takes 8 mins) and to the shops, etc. So sharing the one car hasn't been too much of a hindrance and plus the cycling helps to keep me fit, so it has worked out ok for us.