Storing bike at train station

Chomeur
Chomeur Posts: 2,128 Forumite
First Anniversary First Post
in Public transport & cycling
Is it viable to store a bike long term at a train station? I see that there is an incredible number of bikes locked up at stations so I guess some people must be doing this. I'm thinking King's Cross or Euston. For a number of reasons it would suit me better to do this than keep it at home.

Thanks.
«1

Comments

  • Pound
    Pound Posts: 2,784 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    No, the station eventually remove bikes if they're in the same place for long periods. I've seen bikes with notices left on them warning that will happen.

    Not sure about London but my local area has lockable bike sheds that can be rented for £60/year. Perhaps look into that?
  • Nasqueron
    Nasqueron Posts: 8,785 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Presumably if you are riding it regularly and have good locks it should be ok though I would think that storing it there unridden is asking for it to be vandalised or taken away
  • boliston
    boliston Posts: 3,012 Forumite
    First Anniversary Photogenic First Post Combo Breaker
    surely bikes parked at a station would have been ridden from the owners home in order to catch a train and then ridden home again in the evening.

    i'm not sure why someone who want to leave a bike long term at a station unless it was at the "work" end of their daily train journey, and even then it would be only overnight and at weekends.
  • Mr_Singleton
    Mr_Singleton Posts: 1,891 Forumite
    Chomeur wrote: »
    Is it viable to store a bike long term at a train station?

    Left a bike at Kings Cross for about 3/4 months..... never had any issue but that's not to say you won't. It was a pretty decent bike and didn't look a wreck which might have helped.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Mr_Singleton wrote: »
    Left a bike at Kings Cross for about 3/4 months..... never had any issue but that's not to say you won't. It was a pretty decent bike and didn't look a wreck which might have helped.

    Wow! Out here (just outside the M25), I've seen bikes that have been left for a few hours that have had wheels deliberately bent or stolen -- and these are rusty old bikes that can't be worth more than £50.

    There's no way I'd leave a bike at a station (even for a few hours) unless it was in one of those fully-enclosed individual bike lockers.

    Maybe there's "safety in numbers" if there are lots of bikes parked nearby.
  • elverson
    elverson Posts: 808 Forumite
    If it's an outdoor rack exposed to the rain it won't do the bike much good.

    If you are going to do this, move the bike around the racks every couple of days even if you're not riding to stop it looking abandoned (and thus an easy target for thieves).

    There is long term secure bike parking available e.g. H2 in Soho - https://www.h2bikerun.co.uk/h2-commute/
  • JP08
    JP08 Posts: 851 Forumite
    It probably helps from a theft point of view that at Kings Cross that the bikes are behind the barrier lines.

    This is because most are used daily as the means of the onward commute to and from the place of work once the owner has got into London. From the OP's point of view it would be a problem unless they are doing the same thing - otherwise their bike will be inaccessible without a ticket.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    JP08 wrote: »
    It probably helps from a theft point of view that at Kings Cross that the bikes are behind the barrier lines.

    This is because most are used daily as the means of the onward commute to and from the place of work once the owner has got into London. From the OP's point of view it would be a problem unless they are doing the same thing - otherwise their bike will be inaccessible without a ticket.

    Couldn't you just get a platform ticket?
  • jon81uk
    jon81uk Posts: 3,773 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Combo Breaker
    If doing it from King's Cross and then further into London would it be worth looking at the cyle hire scheme? For £100 a year you can then cycle for 30 minutes for no extra charge and then return the bike without having to worry about locking it up.
  • JP08
    JP08 Posts: 851 Forumite
    esuhl wrote: »
    Couldn't you just get a platform ticket?

    In theory - but as far as I can make out from a quick search on line you'd have to queue up and buy one at the booking office, then they don't work in the barriers so you have to find someone to let you through (ie join the queue of tourists, people with lots of luggage and people with dead tickets), then get your bike then repeat the process to get out of the barriers ...
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.2K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173K Life & Family
  • 247.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards