Bikes on trains worries..

[shouldbworking]

Riding the SDW this weekend and will be relying on trains to get to / from the endpoints. Reading guidelines and speaking to train company, there are no guarantees regarding getting the bikes on to the trains - we are avoiding the peak times restrictions, but the train company can't guarantee space. Anyone had any experiences that might prove reassuring?

two full size bikes, two people.

Best to have a backup plan I guess. Swinley forest is available for that, if a bit lame for a whole weekend.

[ewenm]

I'd have thought you'd be fine at the weekend. It's the commuter trains that ae the difficult ones with bikes.

[walm]

I use South West Trains fairly regularly and I have never seen any problem with space for bikes during the weekends.
The white trains have dedicated space for bikes with no fold down seats - so those a perfect.
The blue trains have dedicated space but it has fold down seats there so you may have to ask someone to move or face hopping up and down to move your stuff so people can get in and out.

[donfisher]

Did L2B a the weekend before last.
Didn't book any tickets up front and just turned up at Brighton Station (about 13:00ish on the Sunday) one train going to London Bridge had 5 people plus bikes, the one I was on to Victora had 2 people + bikes. No problem at all. We just used the bit by the bogs with the folding seats and inertia reel straps and sat near them.

We just missed a train and so were first on the next one 30 mins later so had the pick of the carriages.