Cycling and Southern

Tim Hall said:

I learnt yesterday that Southern, the nice people who run one of the
railway services in the south east of England, have a ticket called a
DaySave. It seems to be a rather well kept secret, but salient points
are:

# Southern DaySave costs just GBP10 per adult, or in a group (valid
for up to four passengers who must travel together) DaySave costs just
GBP20.
# Accompanied children travel for only £1 each (maxiumum 4 children
per paying adult or group ticket). Southern DaySave is only available
online and must be purchased a minimum of 7 days before travel.
# Southern DaySave offers you unlimited off-peak travel on Southern
services on the day validity, subject to the following restrictions:
# DaySave can be used as follows:
- Anytime on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays
- Not before 1000 Monday to Friday
- Not between 1645 and 1915 Monday to Friday from London stations
(Victoria, London Bridge and Clapham Junction)
- Not valid between Watford and Rugby at any time

See <https://go-ahead-ecommerce.com/sndaysave/TicketDetails.do>

It seems good value compard to a cheap day return, but not being an
expert on railfares I couldn't say.

Cycling content? I heard about it on a Tandem Club ride and we try to
use trains as much as possible when getting to the start of these.

That's pretty good; a bit like the old Network Days (without all the
gricers). But presumably you only get the full discount if there are 4
of you; otherwise CDR with 33% off for a Network/Gold card is cheaper.
Any issues with getting tandemii on the trains? (they seem to have
given up with any enforcement of numbers and times since 7/7)

On 10 Oct 2005 00:59:18 -0700, "MartinM" <[email hidden]> wrote:

<DaySave ticket>

Quoted message said:

That's pretty good; a bit like the old Network Days (without all the
gricers).

Gricers? Wot is gricers?

Quoted message said:

But presumably you only get the full discount if there are 4
of you;

Yes, best value for money is 4 of you for 20 quid, ie a fiver each.

Quoted message said:

otherwise CDR with 33% off for a Network/Gold card is cheaper.

Assuming you have a Network/Gold card in the first place. Network card
is 20 quid IIRC. We used to have one but gave up when they introduced
the 10 quid minimum fare rule.

Quoted message said:

Any issues with getting tandemii on the trains? (they seem to have
given up with any enforcement of numbers and times since 7/7)

Smile sweetly and blag it seems the best way. The shiny new Southern
stock has alleged bike accommodation on the 2nd coach of each unit, I
think. However it depends which way the train is going as to where the
2nd coach is, IYSWIM. What would be really good is a sign sticking
out from the edge of the train, inna morris minor semaphore indicator
stylee, saying "bikes here."

Having an odd loooking bike (Pino) helps. And it's shorter than the
average tandem, so fits into the vestibule if the bike space is full.

Tim

Tim Hall said:

I learnt yesterday that Southern, the nice people who run one of the
railway services in the south east of England, have a ticket called a
DaySave. It seems to be a rather well kept secret, but salient points
are:

snip....

I went to Gloucester last week from Reading. £69 day return if booked
as one ticket. So I booked it in 2 parts - Reading-Didcot return, and
Didcot-Gloucester return. Total came to £23.40. I assume you can make
similar huge savings doing the same with lots of other journeys. So
when I ask for the cheapest price on the web, why doesn't it give me
it?

Tim Hall said:

Gricers? Wot is gricers?

Yoof (and even older) wot go on trains just to do unusual lines or
classes of locomotive; in the 80's it was possible to spend all day on
the Southern Region without going on an electric train. Many's the time
I've arrived back at 3 am after a grice went wrong (or maybe that
should be right, the engine failed and they put a super rare engine on
instead)

Quoted message said:

Assuming you have a Network/Gold card in the first place. Network card
is 20 quid IIRC. We used to have one but gave up when they introduced
the 10 quid minimum fare rule.

I have a Gold Card; free (well not quite it costs nearly 2 grand), and
none of this £10 minimum fare nonsense ;-)

What would be really good is a sign sticking

Quoted message said:

out from the edge of the train, inna morris minor semaphore indicator
stylee, saying "bikes here."

the doors have a red strip on them (presumably as also used by
wheelchairs ( hope that word is still PC)

Just rode the Mid Sussex Hilly under the organisers' 8 day rule, pray
for the same ideal weather (and solid cow s**t on the roads) on
Saturday!

MartinM said:

Tim Hall said:

Gricers? Wot is gricers?

Yoof (and even older) wot go on trains just to do unusual lines or
classes of locomotive; in the 80's it was possible to spend all day on
the Southern Region without going on an electric train. Many's the time
I've arrived back at 3 am after a grice went wrong (or maybe that
should be right, the engine failed and they put a super rare engine on
instead)

<enlightened, I think>

Quoted message said:

the doors have a red strip on them (presumably as also used by
wheelchairs ( hope that word is still PC)

They also have a bike in a circle logo by the door. The trouble with
both these systems is it's hard to see when looking along the length
of the platform, IYSWIM.

Quoted message said:

Just rode the Mid Sussex Hilly under the organisers' 8 day rule, pray
for the same ideal weather (and solid cow s**t on the roads) on
Saturday!

Out in the Ashdown Forest yesterday with the Tandem Club (see separate
RR). Absolutely spot on day. Is Wivelsfield the closest station to
the start for Saturday?

Tim

MartinM said:

Yoof (and even older) wot go on trains just to do unusual lines or
classes of locomotive; in the 80's it was possible to spend all day on
the Southern Region without going on an electric train. Many's the time
I've arrived back at 3 am after a grice went wrong (or maybe that
should be right, the engine failed and they put a super rare engine on
instead)

Interrailing in Yugoslavia back in the 80's they put a steam engine on
when the engine of the train we were on broke down.

Alan Braggins said:

MartinM said:

Yoof (and even older) wot go on trains just to do unusual lines or
classes of locomotive; in the 80's it was possible to spend all day on
the Southern Region without going on an electric train. Many's the time
I've arrived back at 3 am after a grice went wrong (or maybe that
should be right, the engine failed and they put a super rare engine on
instead)

Interrailing in Yugoslavia back in the 80's they put a steam engine on
when the engine of the train we were on broke down.

also Interrailing in Yugoslavia in 1980 the train to Athens I was on
hit a tractor on a level crossing and stopped a few miles down the line
while they cleared up the mess (3 dead apprently); a few tourists used
this as an excuse to sunbathe in the nearby field in the middle of
nowhere, well actually worse than nowhere, Kosovo or thereabouts. 3 hrs
later the train driver got back in his cab, blew the horn and off he
went, most of the sunbathers managed to run and jump on the back of the
train but a few were left behind; I wonder if they are still there?

Tim Hall said:

Out in the Ashdown Forest yesterday with the Tandem Club (see separate
RR). Absolutely spot on day. Is Wivelsfield the closest station to
the start for Saturday?

Yes, from 3 Bridges

Depart 06:00 06:20 06:29 07:15 07:33
Arrive 06:16 06:33 06:44 07:31 07:50
Duration 0:16 0:13 0:15 0:16 0:17
Changes 0 0 0 0 0

go via Wivelsfield Green, fairly benign. Make sure you have a 'phone
(my number on route sheet) as I'm off after all the riders to the first
control and will take the Brevet cards of any late/non starters, you
have plenty of time to get to the control even if late starting.