A View from the Handlebars: On the buses
Getting out into the countryside for a bike ride doesn’t have to be a slog. EYMS’s new bike-friendly buses potentially bring the beauty spots of the East Riding within easy reach for cyclists of all ages and abilities. But does the reality match the hype? Guest blogger, Steve N, boarded the X46 at Hull Interchange to find out just how friendly EYMS’s bike-friendly buses really are.
First of all, having tried this out, my conclusions are: bike-friendly buses do live up to their name. So, if you’re thinking of giving it a try, I’d recommend that you do. Not that I can guarantee that every trip will go as smoothly as ours, or that we can claim everything went without a hitch, but despite this, on the whole, it was a great day out!
I was a little apprehensive about how easy it would be to get on board. How would the other passengers react? Buses can get very crowded. What if there’s not enough room? The space may already be taken up with push chairs, walking frames, luggage or shopping trollies. Will it be difficult to wheel the bike on, hold the bike up and buy a ticket at the same time?
If you’re having similar thoughts, I can assure you there’s no need to feel concerned. The other passengers were ever so friendly and seemed to find the novelty of seeing bicycles on the bus a bit of fun. The bikes lifted on with no trouble whatsoever, it was easy to hold the bike and purchase a ticket. There was ample room down the aisle, in fact, it felt incredibly spacious and the bikes fitted in effortlessly.
Wheels on the bus: spot the restraining straps.
There are some steel bars which you lower down that rest on the floor that your bicycle wheel slots into. Then, there are some inertia straps, a bit like seat belts that pull out and wrap around the bike frames to secure them in place. Now here comes the hitch, though there were some clear instructions, these straps were a bit hard to spot. There was no sign, and we couldn’t quite see where the straps pulled out from. Eventually, we spotted them, mounted on the side, just below window height.
On the whole though it was all stress-free. The journey seemed to go very quickly. The X46 has a bit of an express feel about it, for a bus anyway, and goes via the A1079 Beverley bypass, that is, rather than the winding Hull Road through Dunswell and Woodmansey. We got off at Beverley Race Course and soon found a peaceful picnic spot not far away, adjacent to Oak Wood.
Trunk route: Enjoying lunch at Beverley Westwood
It was an absolutely beautiful day and well worth the trip out. It was so nice to hear the birds singing and feel the warmth of the sun, especially after the long drawn-out winter. I even spotted what I am sure was a kestrel. Steve and I were both glad we’d made the effort. After enjoying our sandwiches, we cycled into Beverley for a coffee.
On the journey back, when I got on the bus, there was someone with a mobility walking frame sitting in the bike space. Straight away the bus driver intervened and asked the person if they could move it. I felt a bit guilty asking them to move, but they didn’t seem to mind at all. They invited us to sit down next to them and we had a good chat on the way home. Everyone was very friendly and helpful.
So what are the conclusions? Well, if you want to get out into the countryside with your bicycle, I’d say don’t be apprehensive and take advantage of the friendly ‘bicycle friendly’ buses. It’ll take you straight to the heart of the countryside saving you the time and trouble of cycling through urban areas to get there.
We bought Hull Country Zone ticket for £6.40. It’s a rover ticket that is inclusive of Beverley Westwood and it lasts 24 hours from when you activate it. However, this ticket is only available on the East Yorkshire Bus App. Alternatively, you can buy a return to Beverley Race Course. You can then get back on at any stop on the X46 route between Beverley Race Course and Hull.
If you wish to go further afield, you can buy a more extensive rover type ticket either from the driver on the bus or via the app for £12.50. From the driver it’s called a Go Anywhere Ticket and lasts for the whole day. (On the app it’s called Access all Areas and lasts 24 hours from when you activate it.) With these tickets you can travel right across the East Yorkshire Bus Network. This means you’d be able to get off at places like Pocklington without having to cycle 26 miles to get there, leaving plenty of energy to enjoy a good cycle ride around Millington Pastures or any of the other splendid routes in the area. Altogether, it makes the bicycle, which is already a very versatile machine anyway, even handier.
So far, East Yorkshire Buses have introduced this service on the X46 that runs between Hull and York and also the 45 which runs between York and Bridlington. Having chatted to them on East Yorkshire BusLine, we are told they are intending to introduce this service to even more routes.
Useful information
Bike friendly buses article: https://www.eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk/new-bike-friendly-buses
Enquiries East Yorkshire Buses: Telephone BusLine 01482 59 29 29
Cycle routes around the Wolds: https://www.yorkshirewoldscycleroute.co.uk/the-route
National Cycle Network: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network
All information was up-to-date at the time of publication. Please check details before you set out via BusLine.