GNER recumbent ban review?

[LaidBack]

Sorry for late posting of this - meeting took place yesterday in
Edinburgh. Mind you it's taken 9 months to arrange!

For many this is the ban that never was. Only really exists 'online' at
moment. However next year a new online bike booking system may be up
and running so it could be a sign of things to come.

Arellcat and myself thought it was important to meet GNER people to see
whether the online booking ban could be lifted or modified.

REPORT
Paseo 20/26 SWB recumbent and Windcheetah trike loading trial at
Edinburgh Waverley 27/9/06.

20/26 fitted on diesel HST train hanging from central area from front
wheel. Reversing it to hang from back wheel means ring touches ground.
There are 3 hanging spaces and 2 horizontal spaces. Vertical seemed
best from a space and security point of view.
Windcheetah ring touches ground as this can only be hung from back.
Tandems (which are legally accepted) would not really fit now rack is
in place - we didn't have one to test. Some trains were only available
for 10 mins so we had to work fast anyway.

20/26 fitted on electric 225 train - diagonally on end rack to be clear
of marked corridor. These toast racks are less than 18 inches apart.
Far too tight when I think about it. No idea why they were designed so
tightly together. Solid though!
Windcheetah could fit at end of racks but ring and pedals overlapped
access to ladders so not correct from an H&S point of view. Health and
Safety is basically what all this is about. Moving ladders was
discussed but every change on a train is muliplied by 30 units.

Outcome is that we'll send measurements to GNER as one way of
classifying bike loading conditions. If accepted these should mean that
20/26 SWB recumbents (like Streetmachine) should be allowed on a marked
rack (perhaps).

In the old days bikes were just leant against sides of van. Nowadays
H&S demands
that they are located so they don't get thrown about and leave a clear
corridor through coach and to ladders. Can't really argue but It would
be good if the racks could be changed so tandems and bents could get on
easily. We were there to present the case for bents but tandems were
discussed a lot. A long bike is a long bike. The Paseo is 1.85m long so
shorter than any tandem. Arellcat's HPV Streetmachine is 2.0 metres
long but could be shortened to 1.90 - 1.95m. My Bernds compact tandem
is 2.1m for example. Folded it's 1.7m. We really just need a general
purpose bookable long bike (ie tandem) space. If it isn't booked for
bikes it could be used as luggage overspill. Various options to resolve
this were discussed.

On a positive note it appears that bike bookings are up and GNER want
to carry them. Peter and Roos from Dundee have taken their 'bents on
GNER this summer with no problems (20/26 and 20/20).

Big thanks to Arellcat for bringing her Windcheetah along and losing
flexi-time!


More meetings are planned with other groups. I explained that the
online ban could deter visitors from abroad and runs contrary to
sustainable tourism objectives. I was only representing the
'commercial' interests of Laid Back. Other groups (like the Tandem Club
+ BHPC) will input too I'm sure.

 

[Arellcat]

LaidBack wrote:

> < lots of stuff about meeting with GNER >

A couple of other details might be useful from the meeting. If you're
travelling with a bike on a 125 HST diesel, the bike goes in Coach A. If
it's a class 225 electric, it goes in Coach P which is the non-driving end.

What wasn't so clear at the time, but probably clearer in hindsight is the
consistency of knowing what rack to expect and where. Last time I took my
bike on a train, it was a 125, and the rack was the three vertical, two
horizontal type. The train that we took home from the Rannoch ride last
year was neither of these, and the bike space/luggage space was "a small
room" in the end of one of the carriages. Given the obviously recent
installation of the racks on the 225, I would expect them to be common to
all sets now.

Trikers *may* have to compromise more, or more often. We used my
Windcheetah as the test case, but I pointed out to the GNER train guard that
many trikes were a bit wider than mine, and many were a bit shorter. When
it comes down to 20cm here, 15cm there, it might make all the difference, or
it might not. It was suggested that booking two bike spaces for a trike
might be the way to go. The issue with the vertical racks on a 125 means
that just about all trikes - if they're hung from the back wheel - may well
hit the floor with the chainrings. GNER suggested making up a sort of hook
to fit around the trike's crossbeam and hook onto the rack. If the trike's
back wheel sits on the floor, that's at least preferable to damaging your
chainrings. Whether it borders on H&S regs probably remains at the
discretion of the guard.

The BHPC might have a thought or two about chainring protection. Health and
Safety regs could mean that spiky walk-intoable bits of recumbents have to
be protected somehow. That would be advisable for the trikers anyway.

And it was just a typo, but mine's a Speedmachine. It looks very long but
in fact it's only 3 inches longer than the Paseo. However, 3 inches might
be all it takes to make the bike "too long" - hopefully not!

Becky

 

[David Hansen]

On 28 Sep 2006 09:20:42 -0700 someone who may be "LaidBack"
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>In the old days bikes were just leant against sides of van. Nowadays
>H&S demands
>that they are located so they don't get thrown about and leave a clear
>corridor through coach and to ladders. Can't really argue

I do.

The equally obstructive cases, rucksacks, prams and tea trolleys are
not treated the same way. Only bikes are selected for special
treatment.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54