March 7th – A short visit to Telford again today. A foul commute to Shenstone first thing; heavy rain and a thankfully assisting wind made for a damp, miserable start to the day. Leaving Mid-afternoon, I emerged blinking into a sunny, if breezy afternoon. I took an Arriva train back to New Street. Thankfully, it was one of the refurbished 158 sets. Old 158’s (and their siblings, 153 ‘dogboxes’) are possibly the worst trains to get bikes on and off, with a narrow bike bay that is almost impossible to get an adult bike into. The refurbished units have made the best of a bad job by opening the bay out, fitting it with wheel bender racks and a curious seatbelt securing arrangement that actually works quite well. The solution is still cramped, however, and the doors make these trains challenging. 
I was also taken with the clearly well used and loved ladies Dawes already in the rack; almost a Mixte frame, but not quite, that seems like an unusual arrangement at the back triangle. Love the panniers though, and the clip for the bar-basket. I never came into contact with the owner, sadly. It looks like a fun bike to ride. 

Author: BrownhillsBob

I told the truth - but told it bent. Wandering around bemused and ranty since 2007. View all posts by BrownhillsBob