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Public transport & cycling

Archives for March 2015

Brent cross - oyster card
Is there anywhere at Brent Cross shopping center where you can get an oystercard. We want to take the kids to London zoo and I was planning to park at Brent Cross and get the bus from there to the tube station and the get the tube down to the zoo. I know you can get the cards at tube stations but I need the card for the…
Finally, a solution to one of the main cycling problems
Obviously it's a frequent complaint on this forum about being unable to find any cycling clothing that allows you to carry concealed weaponry but the good news is there's finally a solution on the way:…
European train travel
Which rail site is likely to give the most accurate price? Looked at rail Europe which is quoting £60 but the country's own rail site says nearer £30. Would the countries own site be more likely to be correct? I just want a ball park figure as we won't decide until the day if we're travelling or not, but am slightly…
Halfords may have broke my bike!?
My wife has a foldable electric bike that has a little battery that kicks in when you pedal. She has owned the bike about 2-3 years and uses it to commute to work. It was in full working order but the chain was starting to rust so I took it to Halfords to have it replaced. They said I needed a Silver service at £50 plus…
loss of tfl annual oyster card (London specific issue)
i have lost my tfl oyster annual travel card however i bought a new one expecting that i can transfer the contents of my lost card to the new card. when i phoned up the oyster help line they said that because there is 10 months left they need to post out a new one. Why is this ? why cant i just go touch in at a station and…
Volvo 'LifePaint' - anyone tried it?
I saw a video about Volvo's new idea - to spraypaint cyclists so we're nice and reflective :) Anyone been lucky enough to get a free can and give it a go? Here's a bit about it: http://creativity-online.com/work/volvo-life-paint/40192 I'd happily spray my bag and bike up. Although you'd have to remember to refresh it…
Train rant
A return journey from Worcester to Manchester, travelling late evenings (i.e. when the M6 isn't completely stationary) Absolute cheapest (off-peak only, selected trains) return train ticket: £58.80. Includes a change in Birmingham, and takes 2hrs 35min each way. Also would require a bicycle to be taken on the train, if…
Any thoughts on the bike brand 'Giant'?
I'm looking to by a bike for my 9 year old and have found what seems a good deal on a Giant XTC Jr. The rrp is £249 (and online they all seem to be marketed at this amount) but they have it in a local bike shop for £186. I don't want to spend a huge amount on a child's bike and haven't found much second hand so would…
Cashback on rail tickets: eBookers?
I have just noticed that eBookers are currently offering 2 per cent cashback on UK rail tickets via TopCashBack. Does anyone know whether they offer the same selection of relatively cheap fares as the TOCs themselves? If so, this would seem to be a fairly good deal.
Hi-viz bike panniers (with reliable bungee clip for off-road use)?
I'm looking at getting some rear panniers for my mountain bike, so I can bring the shopping home more easily. As usual... I know what kind of panniers I want... but it seems like they don't exist. Can anyone help?! Half my riding is on the road, but half is off-road, so I want some panniers that will grip on REALLY tight…
Getting return cab fare for price of single, or a little bit more?
Hi All, The following situation occurred to me and I wanted to ask people's opinions on it. I want to take a cab to an airport, meet someone, and have the same cab bring us back. From the cab's workload perspective this isn't any different from just sending a cab from my town to collect my friend and bringing them here.…
thameslink : under 5 travel
Travelling overseas this Friday 10am, I am buying a return ticket from London blackfriars to luton airport. On the thameslink website, you get to choose how many adults and children. Do under-5s travel for free? Do I put 0 in number of children?
insistence on use of pink validator when not needed
I quite frequently change from London overground to the Victoria Line at Blackhorse Rd. More recently there have been staff members checking whether passengers touch in on the pink validator. I don't need to because I have a gold card for zones 1-3 so I usually just ignore them and walk past. Today I was stopped and they…
Cycle carrier for the car - let down by Halfords
I have a Mazda5 people carrier. I went to Halfords earlier this week and asked if they could fit a carrier to it. I opted for the more expensive version and it was to be fitted today. I went to the store and they then decided it wouldn't fit. Something about the size of the boot / door. They said they could do the cheaper…
London underground prices
I think I know the answer but am not 100% sure. Say I want to travel from Waterloo to Seven Sisters and back, am I correct in thinking that it would simply be two single fares, even though there is a change required? Changing lines is part of a fare, isn't it? In so much that you only pay again when you leave a particular…
Your favourite bike and most used bike?
For some people I realise that their favourite and most used bike may be the same but given the mix of people on the forum I thought it would be interesting to see what bikes people favour. My most used bike is my hybrid, a 2010 Trek Soho Deluxe which I chose to start cycling with again a few years ago when I wanted to…
Bike stuff in Lidl
Loads of very cheap bike bits in Lidl at the moment. Just got myself a workstand for £25! :)
Megabus - Cardiff to London
Hi! I'm looking to book travel to and from London in mid-May using Megabus Gold and am seeing the following results:* Cardiff to London shows dates to 3 May * London to Cardiff shows dates to 16 May * London to Cardiff only shows one 'Gold' option on the date I'm looking at (previously this has been 4) Are they stopping /…
London Train fare oddity
I couldn't see this posted elsewhere so apologies if it has already been discussed but I recently noticed something strange with off peak train fares. My parents were due to travel to London so I checked the fares for them. From Sidcup is works out at £11.00 return but from Dartford it's only £9.20 despite the fact that…
Injured on the train
I was sitting on the train, moved my legs back as someone was trying to get out at the next stop and my calf touched the heater underneath my seat. This heater was metal and had no insulation or protection on it. It must have been malfunctioning as it burned my calf. I found the train guard who checked the heater, said it…

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Public transport & cycling

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