It's a wrap - getting a bike on a train.



W

wafflycat

Guest
Article in today's Times

See

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-2142266,00.html

"A CYCLIST left stranded by a train company's ban on carrying bicycles has
found a loophole that allows him and his mount through the ticket barriers.
Angus Macfadyen discovered that a few sheets of wrapping paper miraculously
transformed his bike into a "parcel". He was waved through by station staff
at London Bridge even though the handlebars were poking out from an
unmistakably bicycle-shaped present."

Cheers, helen s




--

~~
you may need to remove dependence
on fame & fortune from organisation
to get correct email address
~Noodliness is Good~
 
"wafflycat" <w*a*ff£y£cat*@£btco*nn£ect.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Article in today's Times
>
> See
>
> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-2142266,00.html
>
> "A CYCLIST left stranded by a train company's ban on carrying bicycles has
> found a loophole that allows him and his mount through the ticket
> barriers.
> Angus Macfadyen discovered that a few sheets of wrapping paper
> miraculously transformed his bike into a "parcel". He was waved through by
> station staff at London Bridge even though the handlebars were poking out
> from an unmistakably bicycle-shaped present."
>
> Cheers, helen s

This item was picked up by Radio 2 earlier this morning ...... and, it seems
to me that there may be a market for a simple bike-bag made from something
like thin nylon to cover the "pack a bike as a parcel" option. Such a bag
would fold to nothing, probably little bigger than a rolled up
windshell-jacket.

You can see it now, cyclist arrives at the station, unfurls nylon bag,
wheels bike into bag, ties it up closed, dons shoulder strap and marches
onto the train. Result!

RG
 
On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 08:42:32 +0100, RG wrote:

> You can see it now, cyclist arrives at the station, unfurls nylon bag,
> wheels bike into bag, ties it up closed, dons shoulder strap and marches
> onto the train. Result!

As long as the bag is made of a nice colourful cloth and has a big red
ribbon tied to it :)
 
Seriously does anyone know where you can buy two strong plastic or
polythene bags? One that would accommodate the frame with perhaps the
saddle out of the down tube and the handlebars turned in. The other to
take the wheels.

This assumes a 'racing' bike with no racks and QR's for quick
dismantling.

Builders merchants spring to mind but I have never asked at any.
 
"citizen142" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Seriously does anyone know where you can buy two strong plastic or
> polythene bags? One that would accommodate the frame with perhaps the
> saddle out of the down tube and the handlebars turned in. The other to
> take the wheels.
>
> This assumes a 'racing' bike with no racks and QR's for quick
> dismantling.
>
> Builders merchants spring to mind but I have never asked at any.
>
>

I think that the CTC sells a large bike-sized polybag ... and possibly
British Airways.

RG
 
"citizen142" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Seriously does anyone know where you can buy two strong plastic or
> polythene bags? One that would accommodate the frame with perhaps the
> saddle out of the down tube and the handlebars turned in. The other to
> take the wheels.
>
> This assumes a 'racing' bike with no racks and QR's for quick
> dismantling.
>
> Builders merchants spring to mind but I have never asked at any.
>

If I was in the position of having to attempt to get a full-size bike on a
train regularly, I'd be considering getting some heavy duty but lightweight
cloth of some sort, a strong zip of suitable length, the sewing machine out
of the attic & running up some sort of cheapo bike bag with carrying handles
that can be folded up small when not in use and then swiftly unfurled when
needed to cover my steed with, one that could be used to have bike in
without having to take things like wheels off the bike...

Cheers, helen s
 
"wafflycat" <w*a*ff£y£cat*@£btco*nn£ect.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "citizen142" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Seriously does anyone know where you can buy two strong plastic or
>> polythene bags? One that would accommodate the frame with perhaps the
>> saddle out of the down tube and the handlebars turned in. The other to
>> take the wheels.
>>
>> This assumes a 'racing' bike with no racks and QR's for quick
>> dismantling.
>>
>> Builders merchants spring to mind but I have never asked at any.
>>
>
> If I was in the position of having to attempt to get a full-size bike on a
> train regularly, I'd be considering getting some heavy duty but
> lightweight cloth of some sort, a strong zip of suitable length, the
> sewing machine out of the attic & running up some sort of cheapo bike bag
> with carrying handles that can be folded up small when not in use and then
> swiftly unfurled when needed to cover my steed with, one that could be
> used to have bike in without having to take things like wheels off the
> bike...
>
> Cheers, helen s
>

Hey, Helen ... we gotta product there ... rip-stop nylon is the stuff to use
...... you do the manufacturing, I'll do the sales marketing!

Rob (Tall Bloke)
 
RG wrote:

> I think that the CTC sells a large bike-sized polybag ... and possibly
> British Airways.

Would that be delivered air freight? What would the postage be?

R.
 
"RG" <nochance> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Hey, Helen ... we gotta product there ... rip-stop nylon is the stuff to
> use ..... you do the manufacturing, I'll do the sales marketing!
>
> Rob (Tall Bloke)
>

[Looks up]

You could be correct, Tall Bloke!!

[/Looks up]

Cheers, helen s
 
RG wrote:

> Hey, Helen ... we gotta product there ... rip-stop nylon is the stuff to use

Up to a point, Lord Copper. While ripstop has excellent tear strength
it's abrasion resistance is Not Great. I'd guess a better way to go
about it would be a tougher fabric (Cordura's a possible, but you could
get away with lighter) around the wear points (base and where pedals
etc. touch), most of the basic non-load bearing cover in ripstop and
pretty heavy duty nylon webbing for the handles attached all the way
down to the base.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
RG wrote:
>
> Hey, Helen ... we gotta product there ... rip-stop nylon is the stuff to use
> ...... you do the manufacturing, I'll do the sales marketing!
>

All you need now is rip-stop with a gift wrap pattern printed on it.


--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham
 
"Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> RG wrote:
>
>> Hey, Helen ... we gotta product there ... rip-stop nylon is the stuff to
>> use
>
> Up to a point, Lord Copper. While ripstop has excellent tear strength
> it's abrasion resistance is Not Great. I'd guess a better way to go about
> it would be a tougher fabric (Cordura's a possible, but you could get away
> with lighter) around the wear points (base and where pedals etc. touch),
> most of the basic non-load bearing cover in ripstop and pretty heavy duty
> nylon webbing for the handles attached all the way down to the base.
>
> Pete.
>

Key issue here is the balance between weight/portability of the bag when
riding against functionality and strength when packed with a bike ....
Cordura type stuff would be too stiff, even in thinner fabric, to roll up
easily - and expensive.

It may be that expensive East Anglian labour in the shape (!) of Helen may
have to be replaced by Chinese seamstresses to get a suitably priced product
that could be used for a limited number of journeys - rather than try and
create a "Carradice, hand it on to our grand-children" product.

..... and who's "Lord Copper" ?

RG
 
Peter Clinch <[email protected]> wrote:

> Up to a point, Lord Copper. While ripstop has excellent tear strength
> it's abrasion resistance is Not Great. I'd guess a better way to go
> about it would be a tougher fabric (Cordura's a possible, but you could
> get away with lighter) around the wear points (base and where pedals
> etc. touch), most of the basic non-load bearing cover in ripstop and
> pretty heavy duty nylon webbing for the handles attached all the way
> down to the base.
>

What about Tyvek ? Probably heavier than ripstop, but easily available
(builders merchants) and less transparent.

Ripstop, by the way, is available off the roll from kite suppliers.

-adrian
 
RG wrote:

> Key issue here is the balance between weight/portability of the bag when
> riding against functionality and strength when packed with a bike ....
> Cordura type stuff would be too stiff, even in thinner fabric, to roll up
> easily - and expensive.

My original thoughts were a load-bearing bag, but I was
over-engineering. A nylon cover with a hole for your hand to grab the
top-tube is all you'd need. Wouldn't even need to be ripstop, which
would bring the price down further.

> .... and who's "Lord Copper" ?

See "Scoop", by Evelyn Waugh.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email protected] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
Peter Clinch wrote:
> RG wrote:
>
>> Key issue here is the balance between weight/portability of the bag
>> when riding against functionality and strength when packed with a bike
>> .... Cordura type stuff would be too stiff, even in thinner fabric, to
>> roll up easily - and expensive.
>
> My original thoughts were a load-bearing bag, but I was
> over-engineering. A nylon cover with a hole for your hand to grab the
> top-tube is all you'd need. Wouldn't even need to be ripstop, which
> would bring the price down further.


Bach do one, 60 euro's
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl
 
Tony Raven wrote:

> RG wrote:
> >
> > ... rip-stop nylon is the stuff to use
> > ...... you do the manufacturing, I'll do the sales marketing!
> >
>
> All you need now is rip-stop with a gift wrap pattern printed on it.

Don't forget the pretty bows, or you'll be ejected by the Guard at the first
stop.

John B
 
"John B" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Tony Raven wrote:
>
>> RG wrote:
>> >
>> > ... rip-stop nylon is the stuff to use
>> > ...... you do the manufacturing, I'll do the sales marketing!
>> >
>>
>> All you need now is rip-stop with a gift wrap pattern printed on it.
>
> Don't forget the pretty bows, or you'll be ejected by the Guard at the
> first
> stop.
>
> John B
>

No, no - some lateral thinking here ... print a British Rail logo on the bag
(you know, the sign that implies they don't know which way they are going)
and it will look "official" :))

RG
 
citizen142 wrote:
> Seriously does anyone know where you can buy two strong plastic or
> polythene bags? One that would accommodate the frame with perhaps the
> saddle out of the down tube and the handlebars turned in. The other to
> take the wheels.
>
> This assumes a 'racing' bike with no racks and QR's for quick
> dismantling.
>
> Builders merchants spring to mind but I have never asked at any.

Visit a farmers co-op. Ask for a silage bag. They're pretty cheap,
plenty big and tough enough and will keep your bike fresh until a cow
eats it...

JimP

--
Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to
grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after
all. - DNA
 
Peter Clinch <[email protected]> writes:

>My original thoughts were a load-bearing bag, but I was
>over-engineering. A nylon cover with a hole for your hand to grab the
>top-tube is all you'd need. Wouldn't even need to be ripstop, which
>would bring the price down further.

Wouldn't that be called a "poncho"? :)

Roos
 
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