When I was a penniless student oaf, the Uni cycling club
would meet up on a Sunday morning, decide where we
wanted to go, ride to the appropriate station, get on the
train, go to the green and pleasant countryside, ride around
the place and return. Nowadays this would not be possible.

Why not? Almost all the TOCs take cycles free off peak
(and it's off peak all day on Sundays). Some long distance
journeys 'require' pre-booking, but on MML and GNER if
you turn up with a bike and they've got space in the goods
section they'll take the bike even if you don't have a
reservation (the GNER Mallards have nice new yellow
bike racks built in). MML don't even require reservations
on Meridian trains.

See: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/cycling.htm


Matt Ashby
www.mattashby.com