Bike bag on the tube?

[steephill]

Hi,

I need to get across London from Victoria to St Pancras on a Saturday morning (around 8am) with my trusty steed inside an Avenir padded bike bag (plus other item of luggage), just over 1m long. As the Thameslink line is closed for engineering works, the only other rail option is the tube. However, I have no idea whether I will get away with this. Would anyone be able to advise? Would I be best off just getting a taxi?

I also need to do the reverse on the following Saturday evening. Again, there are engineering works on .

 

[suecsi]

Hi,

I need to get across London from Victoria to St Pancras on a Saturday morning (around 8am) with my trusty steed inside an Avenir padded bike bag (plus other item of luggage), just over 1m long. As the Thameslink line is closed for engineering works, the only other rail option is the tube. However, I have no idea whether I will get away with this. Would anyone be able to advise? Would I be best off just getting a taxi?

I also need to do the reverse on the following Saturday evening. Again, there are engineering works on .

You should be ok on a Saturday morning, there will be a certain amount of people commuting to work in Oxford Street but you'll lose them fairly quickly. Given the size of some luggage I see on the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow (I live near Hatton Cross station), I can't see it being a problem.

 

[steephill]

Given the size of some luggage I see on the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow (I live near Hatton Cross station), I can't see it being a problem.

Perhaps they have different rules & regs on different lines? I am not an expert so I don't know how similar the Piccidilly and Victoria lines are.

 

[srw]

Perhaps they have different rules & regs on different lines? I am not an expert so I don't know how similar the Piccidilly and Victoria lines are.

Very similar. Both are deep-level lines with tiny trains. But if you've got the time I'd suggest taking the Circle line instead - bigger trains, more space, fewer escalators.

A taxi really would be much simpler, but more expensive.

 

[subaqua]

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/bicycle-tube-map.pdf

folded bikes are allowed at all times.

will the wheels be visible?? if not then its luggage .

 

[andym]

What suecsi said - you'll be fine. Although if you have wheels on the bike bag your life will be a little easier. Just don't stand on the left on the escalator.

EDIT: another option you might want to consider is the 73 bus which goes from Victoria and stops just outside Kings Cross. Probably just as quick if you take into account the time to get down to the platforms. They're bendy buses so there should be plenty of space. You need to buy your ticket from a machine before you get on.

 

[snowy10]

What suecsi said - you'll be fine. Although if you have wheels on the bike bag your life will be a little easier. Just don't stand on the left on the escalator.

EDIT: another option you might want to consider is the 73 bus which goes from Victoria and stops just outside Kings Cross. Probably just as quick if you take into account the time to get down to the platforms. They're bendy buses so there should be plenty of space. You need to buy your ticket from a machine before you get on.

Very true about the ticket because the driver won't wait!

 

[dellzeqq]

If you could get to London Bridge Station (by changing at East Croydon?) and take the Northern Line the tube would be less busy and, if you did get refused entry, it's a shorter, quicker taxi ride to St. Pancras.

If you catch the 73 you can get on any door, so avoid the front door.

 

[Festina_Lente]

I did it a couple of times... pack the bike bag light! It's not pleasant. But no one bothered me, they let you through these little side gates. I had to go from St.Pancras to Heathrow, which involved walking to that other station near St. Pancras.

 

[suecsi]

And remember to check on tfl.gov.uk for engineering works (particularly with the Circle Line) as this might affect your choice of route .....,

 

[Fiona N]

Hi,

I need to get across London from Victoria to St Pancras on a Saturday morning (around 8am) with my trusty steed inside an Avenir padded bike bag (plus other item of luggage), just over 1m long. As the Thameslink line is closed for engineering works, the only other rail option is the tube. However, I have no idea whether I will get away with this. Would anyone be able to advise? Would I be best off just getting a taxi?

I also need to do the reverse on the following Saturday evening. Again, there are engineering works on .

What's the big deal - I took a bike box + rucksack on the Tokyo metro (Yamanote line, for those familiar with Tokyo) at rush hour. Mind you, I guess the Japanese are rather more accommodating of crazy westerners

 

[shirokazan]

What's the big deal - I took a bike box + rucksack on the Tokyo metro (Yamanote line, for those familiar with Tokyo) at rush hour. Mind you, I guess the Japanese are rather more accommodating of crazy westerners

Well, I'd say there's more space on a Yamanote line train which makes things a tad easier, though there is still the issue of getting up and down escalators (can't recall if there are lifts or not). Biggest pain on any Japanese train is the mandatory bagging of the bike.

Anyhow, I think OP will get along fine with whichever of the useful pieces of advice given above s/he follows. The Circle line option would involve less stairs/steps/escalators.

 

[andym]

What's the big deal - I took a bike box + rucksack on the Tokyo metro (Yamanote line, for those familiar with Tokyo) at rush hour. Mind you, I guess the Japanese are rather more accommodating of crazy westerners

No it isn't a big deal - I've navigated the bus and tube system loads of times with a bike in a bag. Mind you in London in the rush hour it's often hard enough to get yourself onto a train, never mind big bags (that's why so many Londoners have turned to cycling).