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Cycle parking at Marylebone

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Colin McKenzie

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Jul 5, 2009, 10:47:52 AM7/5/09
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I'd like to leave my bike at Marylebone while I go away for a weekend.

But Chiltern Railways' website says that the cycle parking is only
available for season ticket holders.

Does anyone know if this is strictly enforced?

If this is an absolute restriction, is there anywhere else? It needs to be
close to Baker St or Marylebone, and popular enough over the weekend for
my bike to have a good chance of still being there on the monday.

Thanks

Colin McKenzie


--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at the
population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

Neil Williams

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Jul 5, 2009, 10:56:31 AM7/5/09
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On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:47:52 +0100, "Colin McKenzie"
<ne...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:

>If this is an absolute restriction, is there anywhere else? It needs to be
>close to Baker St or Marylebone, and popular enough over the weekend for
>my bike to have a good chance of still being there on the monday.

Since the new racks were installed, Euston has tons and is a short bus
ride (or walk) away, but I don't know about how often bikes get nicked
from there as they're outside unlike at Marylebone where they are
inside the ticket barriers.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

Mizter T

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Jul 6, 2009, 9:37:25 AM7/6/09
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On Jul 5, 3:47 pm, "Colin McKenzie" <n...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:
> I'd like to leave my bike at Marylebone while I go away for a weekend.
>
> But Chiltern Railways' website says that the cycle parking is only  
> available for season ticket holders.
>
> Does anyone know if this is strictly enforced?

I recall reading something about how Chiltern are conscientious about
managing cycle parking at Marylebone - removing abandoned bicycles
with regularity etc - which perhaps indicates they might enforce it
strictly. But I don't have any personal experience of trying to park
my bike there. Might possibly be ok for the weekend - then again I
dare say many of the bikes live in London whilst their owners live in
commuterville, so the racks might be fairly full anyway.

>
> If this is an absolute restriction, is there anywhere else? It needs to be  
> close to Baker St or Marylebone, and popular enough over the weekend for  
> my bike to have a good chance of still being there on the monday.

My expectation would be for there to be cycle stands somewhere just
outside the station, which is a fairly busy area. Or else another on
street stand at somewhere like next to Great Portland Street or Baker
Street stations, or somewhere within the well to do parts of
Marylebone such as Portland Square or Marylebone High Street. Sorry to
not be able to offer anything specific. I guess in part it depends on
just how nickable your bike is/ looks.

MIG

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Jul 6, 2009, 11:54:40 AM7/6/09
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I wondered if the season ticket thing was to do with being inside the
barriers. Anyone without a season ticket might assume that they could
get to the parking space otherwise, and be disappointed. Only someone
with a season ticket could be guaranteed to get through the barriers
at any time.

Mr Thant

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Jul 6, 2009, 12:26:58 PM7/6/09
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On 5 July, 15:47, "Colin McKenzie" <n...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:
> I'd like to leave my bike at Marylebone while I go away for a weekend.
>
> But Chiltern Railways' website says that the cycle parking is only  
> available for season ticket holders.
>
> Does anyone know if this is strictly enforced?

Bikes stored there need to be labelled, and you can only get a label
if you have a season ticket. No idea how often they clear out
unlabelled bikes, or what they do with them.

(and surprised this isn't mentioned anywhere on Chiltern's website)

U

Colin McKenzie

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Jul 6, 2009, 5:27:04 PM7/6/09
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On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:56:31 +0100, Neil Williams
<wensl...@pacersplace.org.uk> wrote:
> On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:47:52 +0100, "Colin McKenzie"
> <ne...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:
>> If this is an absolute restriction, is there anywhere else? It needs to
>> be close to Baker St or Marylebone, and popular enough over the weekend
>> for
>> my bike to have a good chance of still being there on the monday.
>
> Since the new racks were installed, Euston has tons and is a short bus
> ride (or walk) away, but I don't know about how often bikes get nicked
> from there as they're outside unlike at Marylebone where they are
> inside the ticket barriers.
>
Thanks for this and other replies.

Looks like the only reliable option is Euston - other than leaving the
bike at home. At least I'm returning to Euston - but it's on the outward
trip that I'll be short of time.

Pip Ryder

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Jul 6, 2009, 8:08:46 PM7/6/09
to
Neil Williams wrote:
> On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:47:52 +0100, "Colin McKenzie"
> <ne...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Since the new racks were installed, Euston has tons and is a short bus
> ride (or walk) away, but I don't know about how often bikes get nicked
> from there as they're outside unlike at Marylebone where they are
> inside the ticket barriers.

Would Paddington would be a better option? There's tons between Platform
8 and 9. Although they're not behind any ticket barriers, they are inside.

tim.....

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Jul 10, 2009, 4:59:00 AM7/10/09
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"Mr Thant" <maha.thray.s...@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:4a380b4b-1a4d-49a7...@j32g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presumably all this malarkey is because most of the bikes are stored for use
at the end of an inbound commute and will thus be there for all overnights,
weekends and holidays, rather than one that is stored at the start of a
commute and will thus only be there 7:00-19:00 M-F.

tim


Neil Williams

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Jul 10, 2009, 5:08:39 AM7/10/09
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On Jul 10, 9:59 am, "tim....." <tims_new_h...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Presumably all this malarkey is because most of the bikes are stored for use
> at the end of an inbound commute and will thus be there for all overnights,
> weekends and holidays, rather than one that is stored at the start of a
> commute and will thus only be there 7:00-19:00 M-F.

Is there a shortage of space there, so they need to regulate its use
to make sure there is enough for regular users?

Neil

Mizter T

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Jul 10, 2009, 10:29:21 AM7/10/09
to

The impression I get, from something I read elsewhere, is that space
is a bit short. TBH cycle storage space often seems to be a bit short
at many London termini stations, hence Adonis' recent comments and
promise of modest funding for improvements. I'll endeavour to keep my
eyes open at weekends and in the evenings should I have a moment when
at London terminus stations... and probably therefore fall under
suspicion for being a bike thief!

Colin McKenzie

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Jul 13, 2009, 5:13:06 PM7/13/09
to
On Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:26:58 +0100, Mr Thant
<maha.thray.s...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> On 5 July, 15:47, "Colin McKenzie" <n...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:
>> I'd like to leave my bike at Marylebone while I go away for a weekend.
>> But Chiltern Railways' website says that the cycle parking is only ᅵ

>> available for season ticket holders.
>>
>> Does anyone know if this is strictly enforced?
>
> Bikes stored there need to be labelled, and you can only get a label
> if you have a season ticket. No idea how often they clear out
> unlabelled bikes, or what they do with them.

Turned out there were lots of racks, with 2-3 bikes on each. Most of the
bikes seemed to have tags on them. So I'd have had trouble finding space
even if I'd been allowed to.

Two cycle stands and some railings in front of the station seemed to be
the only alternatives.

Euston has spare capacity, with new double-decker racks in front of the
west end of the station (some of them under an overhang). The racks do
offer a usefully-positioned bar to lock to.

Neil Williams

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Jul 13, 2009, 5:39:28 PM7/13/09
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On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:13:06 +0100, "Colin McKenzie"
<ne...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:

>Euston has spare capacity, with new double-decker racks in front of the
>west end of the station (some of them under an overhang). The racks do
>offer a usefully-positioned bar to lock to.

But one that looks to me like it could be removed using a hex key,
complete with bike. I hope this isn't true and that there are further
devices holding it on that aren't visible.

Colin McKenzie

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Jul 13, 2009, 6:07:01 PM7/13/09
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On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:39:28 +0100, Neil Williams
<wensl...@pacersplace.org.uk> wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:13:06 +0100, "Colin McKenzie"
> <ne...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:
>> Euston has spare capacity, with new double-decker racks in front of the
>> west end of the station (some of them under an overhang). The racks do
>> offer a usefully-positioned bar to lock to.
> But one that looks to me like it could be removed using a hex key,
> complete with bike. I hope this isn't true and that there are further
> devices holding it on that aren't visible.

I knew I should have looked more closely at how the bar was fixed on - but
it only occurred to me when I was halfway home on the tube! Maybe someone
else can have a look when passing?

If the racks are good, they would be useful elsewhere. If not, we need to
discourage their further use.

Mizter T

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Jul 13, 2009, 7:13:58 PM7/13/09
to

On Jul 13, 10:13 pm, "Colin McKenzie" <n...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:

> On Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:26:58 +0100, Mr Thant  
> <maha.thray.sithu.u.th...@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > On 5 July, 15:47, "Colin McKenzie" <n...@proof-read.co.uk> wrote:
> >> I'd like to leave my bike at Marylebone while I go away for a weekend.
> >> But Chiltern Railways' website says that the cycle parking is only  

> >> available for season ticket holders.
>
> >> Does anyone know if this is strictly enforced?
>
> > Bikes stored there need to be labelled, and you can only get a label
> > if you have a season ticket. No idea how often they clear out
> > unlabelled bikes, or what they do with them.
>
> Turned out there were lots of racks, with 2-3 bikes on each. Most of the  
> bikes seemed to have tags on them. So I'd have had trouble finding space  
> even if I'd been allowed to.
>
> Two cycle stands and some railings in front of the station seemed to be  
> the only alternatives.
>
> Euston has spare capacity, with new double-decker racks in front of the  
> west end of the station (some of them under an overhang). The racks do  
> offer a usefully-positioned bar to lock to.

I take it from your later comments downthread that you locked it up at
Euston.

(I also presume you arrived at Marylebone with bike on train, right?
Just a little curious as to your movements, nosey so-and-so that I am!)

Chris

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Jul 14, 2009, 5:34:52 AM7/14/09
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On 10 July, 15:29, Mizter T <mizte...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The impression I get, from something I read elsewhere, is that space
> is a bit short. TBH cycle storage space often seems to be a bit short
> at many London termini stations, hence Adonis' recent comments and
> promise of modest funding for improvements. I'll endeavour to keep my
> eyes open at weekends and in the evenings should I have a moment when
> at London terminus stations... and probably therefore fall under
> suspicion for being a bike thief!

Space is extremely short at MYB, even though the racks stretch for 40
yards or so towards platforms 4-6.....and the assumtpion that cycles
stored there are for the daily commute from MYB to office is also
correct, meaning the racks are at their busiest in the evening &
weekends - hence the registration scheme. I believe the tags are
examined regularly, with any cycles missing them given one chance to
get tagged up by leaving a suitable note attached, then removed to
storage for which a fee is charged for its recovery.

THere are suitable signs warning cyclists of these regulations.....

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