London to Brighton 2005

Tumbleweed Wrote:
"Ianmel" wrote in
message
...

Did anyone use the BHF lorry/coach service back to London from
Brighton
after the London to Brighton ride this year?

Was it a frequent service or did they only leave at a certain time
of
the day? Thinking of using it next year and then using SWT from
London
to get back to Portsmouth.

One things for sure i won't be attempting to go back to Pompey from
Brighton by train again!

Thanks for any advise
Ian


--
Ianmel

As Martin says, cycle a few miles West and just get a train direct. I
did
read that they were preventing anyone with a bike going into the
station
including people with valid bookings for trains not going into london,
which
were carrying bikes, were you caught by that?

--
Tumbleweed

Trouble is they were banning bikes on ALL parts of the Southern region.
Yes i did get caught up with it. I had a ticket and bike reservation
with Wessex Trains, but the boneheads outside the station wouldn't let
me through. It wasn't until i went to see the manager (who was in
hiding) that we were let through and onto a train home. It was very
stressful and something i don't want to repeat next year.


--
Ianmel

Trouble is they were banning bikes on ALL parts of the Southern
region.

Yes on paper that is true, although I saw a group of about 15 get on a
train from Victoria to Clapham Jcn(bless!) with no problems. I think
most guards are accommodating; they are always very pleasant when I
take mine into London every morning on a new no-guard's van train. But
if you want to guarantee getting back the lorry might be the ticket.

BTW cycling back along the A23 last year there seemed to be an awful
lot more cars than previous years, so presumably a lot less took the
lorry back than had taken the train in previous years.