Eurostar make cycle carriage difficult

[Spinney]

Seeing as they are allowing you to provide your own box I could see a nice little side line renting a box at each terminal that is large enough to wheel a tandem/recumbent in without dismantling it at all.

@Spinney Your reply does fall down on the fact that Eurostar are offering to supply the box to you free of charge. You do still have to dismantle the bike, but at least you don't have to carry a box, lets hope the boxes they source are bigger than the ones they were proposing a couple of days ago.

Oops - should have read their reply better. But their email does not actually say it is free? And you might still have to carry the tools for removing pedals (if this is necessary? I've never needed a bike box before) - not something you want to lug along on tour.

But you're right about the business opportunity!

 

[mjr]

I've written, expressing doubt that I can dismantle my bike in sensible time (definitely true of my roadster) so would have to transport it to the station another way and then use a hand-barrow to wheel it around and to/from the station... or just take a ferry or the Eurotunnel service.

 

[snorri]

on any one of our trains in a cross-compatible, dedicated space.

Eurostarspeak for a guards van with less flexibility and more rules?

 

[jefmcg]

Amusingly if you google eurostar bicycle you see this

When you click the link , the new text does not include the word easy nor does it mention them supplying a box. I think they are in damage control, making stuff up as quick as they can.

 

[snorri]

Amusingly if you google eurostar bicycle you see this.....

I think the text you have copied applies to the present time, after 1st November it's all change.

 

[jefmcg]

I think the text you have copied applies to the present time, after 1st November it's all change.

Well, yes. It's the text from a few days ago, google hasn't updated this text since the Eurostars page update with this new policy.

 

[snorri]

I asked about the cost of using their box and loading the box laden with bike and panniers off and on the train and got this response........

"The boxes supplied by Eurostar are incorporated into the bike transportation costs. No further fees are levied for the use of our boxes.

For the vast majority of bikes, only the removal of wheels will be required in order to house them in the boxes. Panniers will have to be removed but this remains identical to our current procedure when panniers are taken to the travellers seat for storage in the normal luggage racks.

The boxes will be loaded by our staff. Once you've checked in the bike, we deal with all the facets of the actual transport."

No mention of measures to protect mudguards and gear systems when bike is wheel-less in the box.

 

[jefmcg]

[QUOTE 3954020, member: 259"]I've protested via the CTC link saying I'm a frequent business class passenger on Eurostar (which is true, by the way), but I'm not exactly holding my breath for a change in policy.[/QUOTE]
I think they have already made a change. The website says nothing about supplying bike boxes, but emails say they will. So they are tweaking to deal with a PR disaster.

 

[snorri]

Latest note to Eurostar
You say "only the wheels have to be removed", but have you considered the practicality of this?
I wheel my bike up to the check in desk, remove all luggage (6 items when touring) invert my bicycle and remove the wheels. At this point I am trying to keep an eye for security reasons on nine items as I put the bike into your box. You don't mention how the bike will be held in the box. Can I be assured that the frame will be secured in the box in a manner which will ensure the mudguards and gear system is protected? I trust a trolley will be available to wheel my luggage to the passenger coach. Have you considered the inconvenience to other passengers as cyclists carry multiple pieces of luggage to their seats rather than leaving them secured on the bicycle?

 

[jefmcg]

Latest note to Eurostar
You say "only the wheels have to be removed", but have you considered the practicality of this?
I wheel my bike up to the check in desk, remove all luggage (6 items when touring) invert my bicycle and remove the wheels. At this point I am trying to keep an eye for security reasons on nine items as I put the bike into your box. You don't mention how the bike will be held in the box. Can I be assured that the frame will be secured in the box in a manner which will ensure the mudguards and gear system is protected? I trust a trolley will be available to wheel my luggage to the passenger coach. Have you considered the inconvenience to other passengers as cyclists carry multiple pieces of luggage to their seats rather than leaving them secured on the bicycle?

I think most of this irrelevant. What people are asking for is for Eurostar to continuing to provide the service that used to. You've never been able to wheel your bike to the door of the train, you've had to hand it over well before your train and manage your luggage separately. So if you can't manage your luggage without your bicycle, then Eurostar never was for you.

Actually, I guess only eurotunnel would work for you. On the ferry you ride on board with luggage attached, but then you'd either have to leave it in the car area with the risk of theft, or manage to get all the bags upstairs without a trolley, and then watch them all the time.

 

[jefmcg]

The ferry car decks are locked at sea. I've tended to leave most of the stuff on my bike when I've been on ferries and only taken the most valuable bits and what I need off. I've never had anything go missing.

Me too. You'd probably not say

At this point I am trying to keep an eye for security reasons on nine items as I put the bike into your box.

about the Eurostar terminal, either.

 

[snorri]

about the Eurostar terminal, either.

I don't understand your comment.
I was trying to make the point that once a cycle tourist splits bike and luggage into multiple components in a busy area then it is difficult to ensure security and avoid a trip hazard for passers by.
The ferry companies seem better able to cope with bicycles, but it could be a useful option if Eurostar were to provide an attractive service.

 

[jefmcg]

I don't understand your comment.
I was trying to make the point that once a cycle tourist splits bike and luggage into multiple components in a busy area then it is difficult to ensure security and avoid a trip hazard for passers by.
The ferry companies seem better able to cope with bicycles, but it could be a useful option if Eurostar were to provide an attractive service.

Sure, but the current protest about the changes. The best outcome that is hoped for is for them to revert to how it is now. You want a completely different service, that they have never offered.

I imagine the place where you take your bicycle would be separate area on the "land" side, like a baggage drop at an airport, so there wouldn't be a trip hazard.

I agree I'd want to know what the boxes they are providing are like, but I suspect they only decided they were going to do it yesterday, so they have no idea right now. Letting them know what you would require (eg allow mudguards, derailleur protection) might help them spec suitable boxes.

 

[mjr]

Sure, but the current protest about the changes. The best outcome that is hoped for is for them to revert to how it is now. You want a completely different service, that they have never offered.

Why can't someone hope for a new good service? These changes are being provoked by the new trains not having the baggage compartments of the old trains, according to the seating plans on http://www.seat61.com/London-to-Paris-by-train.htm#new_e320_Eurostar_trains - so even a reversion to the old service seems unlikely unless they find a way to sneak some bike hooks on. I wonder what's in the gap opposite the luggage racks in coaches 8 and 9 on the new trains?

 

[toffee]

I wrote to Eurostar via the CTC campaign.
I got a generic email back this afternoon, they have still not addressed to concerns that have been put across to them regarding protection of the bike if you take the wheels off.

Now it probability is the case that the new rules where dreamt up by people who have no idea about the finer points of putting a bike in a box and they now discover that there is a fundamental flaw in their idea, but I hope that they are busy behind the scenes thinking of a better way to do it.

I would have thought that if the bikes must go in a box then they need to go in whole, with at most just the handle bars needing turning. The boxes will be quite a lot bigger than there first hoped for and this may lead to less space on each train for cycle but it could be the way to compromise.

Derek