I'm Back and here's my (long) Trip Report

(posted to urc and ur as I posted to both originally.)

THE OUTWARD LEG

Got off to a bad start as my wife waved goodbye to the children
earlier than planned and phoned to offer me lunch and a lift to Soton
Cntrl if I came home. So I cycled home with the weekend's camping gear
that I'd, 5 hours before, lugged *to* the office. So I skipped the
first leg of my journey and started from Southampton.

The Virgin 1610 to The North turned up at about 1630 and timings went
downhill from there. But I wasn't worried; having read here about the
long catch up time built into the timetable and content with a 20
minute change at Sheffield.

The bike racks on the Voyager were fine. Mine was the only bike at
Soton and the only bike at Sheffield. I didn't get the impression the
spaces were in much demand. Seeing as the crew were also using the
area as a handy place to store the bin bags of rubbish, they must be
used to not having to worry about bikes cluttering up the bike store.

Lifting the bike up to hang it was manageable for me. I dithered about
locking and plumped for loose locking wheel to frame rather than bike
to train. I had a fear that I'd lose the key and be totally stuffed.

It's a long walk to first class and not a chance of keeping an eye on
the bike so I settled into a good book and trusted to human nature.

The FC catering on Virgin is very basic. I liked their FC overall but
unless you're willing and able to trek the length of the train to buy
real food, you'll starve. I worked through 3 of their complementary
'snack packs' and felt I'd barely eaten. Coffee was vile as well.

Unfortunately, as the journey progressed timings got worse and I ended
up at 2040 in Sheffield having missed my connection to Hope. I was a
bit miffed but had deliberately planned that I'd have a fall back last
train out in case this happened.

On the off chance, I asked the Midland Mainline staff if there was
another train that I didn't know about. I was amazed by what happened
next. First they asked if a through train would put in an extra stop;
I didn't realise they could do that! It couldn't, as it was also late
so they called a taxi and sent my bike to catch me up on the first
train on Saturday.

10/10 for gold standard customer service; friendly, helpful and very,
very effective. And all to save me 2 hours waiting for the next train.

THE CYCLING AND HOW MY NEW BIKE & I COPED

Did I mention it was a stag weekend? So the cycling consisted of pub
hopping. We covered about 15 miles between Hope, Ladybower Reservoir
and Hathersage(?). There were more contour lines involved than I'm
used to here on the coastal plain but, suprisingly, I survived.

My arm did not like uphill one bit; the slightest pull on the
handlebars resulted in lots of Anglo Saxon vocab. At the first stop, I
really was considering bailing out after only 5 miles. But I stuck
with it and it seemed we'd done most of the "up" so I could get away
with long stretches of one-handed cycling.

I was also pleased that my hub geared bike could just about hang in
with the spinners on lower geared bikes. Most of the time we rode at
the pace of the slowest but when we did go at our natural speed, I was
a long way off the back. In the main, I think this was due to my lack
of fitness; especially compared to the others on the trip.

Despite the lousy weather, there were an awful lot of bikes around. As
so often, in many places it seemed that more people had arrived by
bike than by car yet very few pubs or shops offered even the most
rudimentary bike parking. Oddly though, the public loo in Hope
appeared to have 6 sheffield stands of its own.

A ROAD BY ESCHER

On the road from Hope to Haversedge I was convinced I was going
downhill; I had that feeling that only cyclists get. The love of the
here-and-now downhill combined with the realisation that you'll be
coming back *up* in a couple of hours.

I can't quite explain, therefore, how the return journey was also
*downhill*. Wierd.

THE RETURN JOURNEY

Sometimes you can be grateful for late trains. I certainly was this
morning when we pitched up at 1040 for the 1047 to Sheffield that I
confidently remembered. It turned out to be the 1029 to Sheffield
that, luckily, was running 15 mins late.

Apart from that, not a hitch.

The only downside with taking bikes is that it makes a mockery of
having an Open ticket. It was really hard getting onto an earlier than
booked train. Of course, if I didn't have the bike with me I'd have
just boarded. With the bike, you end up negotiating with Virgin
Central and the train manager.

I'll try and get those Virgin Value tickets next time.

VERDICT

Voyagers - I like them. OK, you don't get the eerie silent magic
carpet motion that you get in an old fashioned InterCity 125 (or
whatever they're really called) but they're comfy.

Virgin Food - could do better. In fact *must* do better; it really
detracts from an otherwise good train and travel experience.

The Peaks - I've not cycled there before. But I'll be back.

Carrera Subway 8 - if it can hack the Peaks, it's good enough for
anything *I* can throw at it.

Me on a bike - as long as I avoid hills, I'll be OK to work on
rebuilding fitness. This weekend was a revelation and I'm very, very
happy.

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 21:07:22 +0100, "[Not Responding]"
wrote:

Me on a bike - as long as I avoid hills, I'll be OK to work on
rebuilding fitness. This weekend was a revelation and I'm very, very
happy.


Good news indeed. Well done. What's the next target, steady progress
to the IoW next May?
--

Cheers,

Al

[Not Responding] wrote:

It's a long walk to first class and not a chance of keeping an eye on
the bike...

You just can't make this kind of thing up!

Great report BTW.

--
Chris Game

"It's not a good idea to look too hard at the words, they
resent it." -- T. Pratchet, "Mort".

[Not Responding] wrote:

On the road from Hope to Haversedge I was convinced I was going
downhill; I had that feeling that only cyclists get. The love of the
here-and-now downhill combined with the realisation that you'll be
coming back *up* in a couple of hours.

Hathersage? That road has weird perspective.

Did you do the Winnats? ;-)

R.

"[Not Responding]" wrote:

Virgin Food - could do better. In fact *must* do better; it really
detracts from an otherwise good train and travel experience.

Yeah. Virgin used to do nice (if expensive) sarnies. Last time I used them
they were horrid, soggy, uninspiring and really rather inedible.

Unfortunately, as the journey progressed timings got worse and I ended
up at 2040 in Sheffield having missed my connection to Hope. I was a
bit miffed but had deliberately planned that I'd have a fall back last
train out in case this happened.

On the off chance, I asked the Midland Mainline staff if there was
another train that I didn't know about. I was amazed by what happened
next. First they asked if a through train would put in an extra stop;
I didn't realise they could do that! It couldn't, as it was also late
so they called a taxi and sent my bike to catch me up on the first
train on Saturday.

They sent your bike? You mean they arranged for a FNW conductor
to take your bike unaccompanied?

I am impressed.

Charlie

[Not Responding] wrote:

Carrera Subway 8 - if it can hack the Peaks, it's good enough for
anything *I* can throw at it.

I rode my wife's Subway 8 up a 1 in 6 on Saturday. I've ordered a 38T
chainring to make a 26" bottom gear, which is what I need on the
(lighter) Nomad around here. She really needs to come round to the idea
of SPDs too - they make climbing so much more tolerable.

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 11:15:58 +0100, Charlie Hulme
wrote:


Unfortunately, as the journey progressed timings got worse and I ended
up at 2040 in Sheffield having missed my connection to Hope. I was a
bit miffed but had deliberately planned that I'd have a fall back last
train out in case this happened.

On the off chance, I asked the Midland Mainline staff if there was
another train that I didn't know about. I was amazed by what happened
next. First they asked if a through train would put in an extra stop;
I didn't realise they could do that! It couldn't, as it was also late
so they called a taxi and sent my bike to catch me up on the first
train on Saturday.

They sent your bike? You mean they arranged for a FNW conductor
to take your bike unaccompanied?

Yup. The station manager let me wheel the bike into his office. While
he did the paperwork for my taxi I took off the panniers and agreed to
be at Hope station for the first train out the next day. Sure enough,
conductor hands me my bike.

I am impressed.

So was I.

I didn't even put up a hard luck story. They just sorted it all out
without question.

Charlie

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 21:42:37 +0100, Al C-F
m wrote:

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 21:07:22 +0100, "[Not Responding]"
wrote:

Me on a bike - as long as I avoid hills, I'll be OK to work on
rebuilding fitness. This weekend was a revelation and I'm very, very
happy.


Good news indeed. Well done. What's the next target, steady progress
to the IoW next May?

Right now, 100 miles sounds an awfully long way. But May 05's a long
way off; plenty of time to fix arm and put a bit of muscle back on. An
appealing target to aim for.

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 22:09:07 +0100, Chris Game
wrote:

[Not Responding] wrote:

It's a long walk to first class and not a chance of keeping an eye on
the bike...

You just can't make this kind of thing up!

What?

Great report BTW.