Bikes and trains are an ideal combination for commuting. Trains deliver you at high speed into the heart of towns and cities, while bikes are a fast and efficient way to get across them. That’s the theory. The reality, if you try it with a full-sized bike rather than a folder, can be stressful and frustrating.

For although the majority of trains will carry full-size bikes and e-bikes – for free! – spaces are strictly limited. Typically only two or three bikes can travel per train; occasionally as many as six. Sometimes bike reservations are compulsory, sometimes you can’t reserve a space and must turn up and hope for the best. Peak hour services into and out of London and other big cities often ban bikes. And if there’s a replacement bus: too bad – your bike isn’t going with you.

It’s hard to generalise beyond that because there are significant differences in train company cycle polices – not just in terms of the number of bikes carried, but also bike length, tyre width, handlebar width and overall weight. The National Rail website has links to the relevant pages on the train company websites, and you can find the same information using the National Rail app (Android or iOS).

There are variations, too, on what constitutes a folding bike that you can carry aboard as luggage. For LNER, it just has to be fully folded and “must fit in the luggage rack”. Avanti requires wheels “under 20in”. Gatwick Express says “small wheels and folds in more than one place”, which could, as written, allow a bike with 24in wheels. Some operators require folding bikes to be bagged.

Which bike?

If you want to take an e-bike on a train, it must be a two-wheeled EAPC (electrically assisted pedal cycle) with a maximum assisted speed of 15.5mph and a motor with a ‘continuous rated power’ no greater than 250 Watts. In short, it must be a legal e-bike. If the train has vertical bike storage, you have to be strong enough to lift your e-bike onto the hook. 

If you’re taking a conventional bike on train, anything that meets the train company’s regulations will do. However, a relatively lightweight bike with a narrower handlebar and tyres under 50mm wide will be easier to hang on vertical storage hooks. It will also more readily slot alongside other bikes in horizontal storage spaces.

There’s no sugar coating the fact that it can be awkward and frustrating to travel by train every day with a full-size bike. A less stressful option is to park and ride. Ride to the station. Lock your bike up. Get on the train without a bike. At the destination station, jump on the bike you leave locked up there (or use a hire bike or public transport). You don’t need special bikes for this; you need cheap ones, in case they’re vandalised or stolen. At the time of writing, the British Transport Police won’t investigate bikes stolen from stations if they’ve been parked there for more than two hours.

The best option for most daily bike-rail commuters is a folder. The super-compact, British-made Brompton is deservedly popular but not the only option. Make sure whichever folder you choose meets the requirements of the train company (or companies) you’ll be using. Typically, that means a bike that has wheels 20in or smaller in diameter and that folds in at least two places. But do check. If the train company’s regulations require a bag or cover for your folding bike, get one; someday you’ll be asked to use it.

Journey planning

Most commuters will be taking the same trains to and from work. So planning really comes down to two things: finding the most suitable times and routes to begin with; and, if you’re travelling with a non-folding bike, planning for your bike.

Routes and times might be obvious. If not, the route maps on the National Rail website are helpful. Some of them show which operators run which routes. In combination with the National Rail journey planner, you can see which options are most time and cost effective.

Planning for your bike entails checking train company cycle policies, then regularly booking reservations if you need to do so. It’s worth noting that, if you need to make a bike reservation at relatively short notice, most train companies allow you to do that by phone call, X (formerly Twitter) or WhatsApp.

Since you’re doing the same daily journeys, there’s less to be gained by using money-saving ticket-buying apps or websites such as TrainSplit or Trainline. An app with live train tracking is invaluable, as it will enable you to adapt your journeys on the go. The National Rail app (Android or iOS) is one option. Railboard (iOS only) is more user-friendly. The Trainline app also offers live tracking, as do the apps of individual train companies. TrainMapper (Android or iOS) and Train Home (iOS) can be handy for commuters, too.

When you’re booking a seat, reserve one close to your bike. You’ll get to know from regular usage which carriage(s) the bike spaces are in, and it’s often listed on the train company cycle-policy pages. When you’re travelling with a folding bike, just book a seat near a luggage rack. These tend to be at the end of carriages, near the toilets, so check the ‘near a toilet’ box when booking your seat.

At the station

First of all: which station? You can sometimes enjoy a nicer and/or quicker ride if you use a different home or destination station from the obvious ones. You might also be able to use a different service entirely, with better bike provision, more convenient train times or cheaper prices.

Whichever station you use, aim to get to the platform 10 minutes early if you’re travelling with a full-size bike. You’ve then got time to ask station staff where to stand for best access to the bike carriage.

If you’re travelling with a folder, a few minutes spare is fine. Don’t fold your bike until you get to where you need to be. Folders are much easier to wheel along as bikes than carry or drag as luggage. You can avoid the risk of a 100-metre dash down the platform lugging a heavy bike in one hand by learning where your carriage always comes to a stop.

When you’re boarding with a full-size bike, you can wait until other passengers have joined the train, safe in the knowledge that there’s a space for it. With a folder, aim to board as soon as is practical and polite. You want to stash your folder in a floor-level luggage rack. Folding bikes are heavier and more awkward to lift than most people’s luggage.

Be nice to the guard whenever you board a train with any bike. The guard has the final say on whether your bike is accepted. This can be important if: the train is overcrowded; the full-sized cycle spaces are already full; your folding bike doesn’t meet the regulations on wheel size.

On the train

When travelling with a full-size bike, you may have to display a reservation on your bike and show a different one to the guard. If the bike space is blocked with luggage or – on trains with flexible space – passengers sitting in fold-down seats, resolve this amicably, pointing to the relevant signage. If there’s a stand-off, wait with your bike and tell the guard when you can. Don’t put your bike in a wheelchair space.

Whether you’re commuting with a full-size bike or a folder, take anything easily removable from the bike with you to your seat – for example, luggage and lights. You’re not allowed to lock your bike to train fixtures but there’s no rule about locking, say, your bike’s rear wheel to its own frame or locking your folding bike to your commuter bag. Keep an eye on your bike at intermediate stations: bikes are sometimes stolen from trains.

Use commuting luggage that comes off your bike quickly and easily, ideally a single bag you can carry in one hand or on your body. Pack a power cable. Lots of trains have power sockets and USB outlets, enabling you to use your train time productively without running down laptop/tablet/phone batteries.

When approaching your station, aim to get to or near your bike before the train comes to a halt. This is important with full-size bikes in locked or difficult-to-access compartments. When alighting, move out of the way of the flow of departing passengers before unfolding your bike or refitting accessories.