A little birdy told me just the other day that the time will soon come when “normal bikes” will no longer be allowed on Oxfordshire trains.

In light of the recent spending on improvements to cycle/train modes of travelling it seemed daft to me but he was adamant it will come into force in the near future. Anyone carrying a non-folding bike will be turned away from the train as the space will no longer be provided for bikes as it is needed for more passengers.

There is certainly a squeeze on bike spaces already happening, but a total ban? Taking this news with a pinch of salt, I watched as the little birdy invested in his second Brompton for his Son and threatened a third purchase the next month to get his wife on one as well, this is not the behaviour of someone making up stories rather someone preparing for the folding future.

I have the experience of taking both folding and non-folding bikes on trains.

A Brompton really is the only thing handy enough to whiz to the station on, jump on in a flash, not annoying everyone around you including the station staff, by holding up the train.

Folding nicely into the ample luggage racks on the London bound trains the Brompton will patiently wait until you jump off at your destination and then amuse you as it unfolds in less than 15 seconds as other brands of folding bikes around you are still waking up like they hadn’t had their morning coffee yet.

The Brompton is also such a familiar sight on your commute back through Oxford you can’t get embarrassed anymore for riding a small wheeled bike as everyone around you is also utilising them.

The only problem is the price tag but what can you expect with such quality.

But what if you were going away and needed a touring bike? What if you were off to grind up some country off-road and wanted to utilise the train network? Will this no longer be allowed in the future? I have to admit you stick out like a sore thumb travelling with a non-folding bike, I once travelled on a three train connected journey to the coast with another person. We each had a big bike and a trailer and we also threw in a dog.

We could see the look of pain in the station master’s eyes as we wheeled our convoy onto the platform. No one could tell us where the bike carriage would be before the train arrived we were forced to run the length of the platform, fold trailers, pack in bikes, pick up the dog and then make our way to another carriage to sit down.

It’s a wonder no one complained about our party that day, we could certainly be blamed for causing chaos to the train schedule. If the birdie’s news is correct, sales of folding bikes will fly in the future, but what of holidays by train and bike?

Sometimes you really need your big wheels. It’s a good thing demand for train journeys is increasing and more space for people is opening up, but with the freedom your bike brings you the other end sometimes you really don’t want to leave it behind. Perhaps big bikes won’t get grounded, only time will tell and I predict that’s one press release that won’t go down well with cyclists.