Bike Lock Up - Ped Gate A

[stopwn1981]

As I'm staying off site his year I will be biking to and from the festival each day and using the cycle park at pedestrian gate A. Does anyone have any experience of using this facility?  Do you have to pre-book? Is there a lock-up for storing helmets, lights etc? Thanks

[popps]

Yes, it's great.  No need to pre book.  Drop your bike off.  You get a wrist band that matches one tagged on your bike and only you can pick it up again.  I'd be comfortable leaving my kit on it as the place is attended 24 hours but there's no-where to leave valuables aside from the normal on-site lockups.

[simian_mobile_mushrooms]

1 hour ago, popps said:

Yes, it's great.  No need to pre book.  Drop your bike off.  You get a wrist band that matches one tagged on your bike and only you can pick it up again.  I'd be comfortable leaving my kit on it as the place is attended 24 hours but there's no-where to leave valuables aside from the normal on-site lockups.

That sounds good. How far is the gate from the bike lock up and can you pick it up 24 hours? My dad is also thinking of cycling in every day from a campsite down the road 

[popps]

Really close if it's the same as previous years.  It's staffed 24 hours and run by lovely people.  

[Crazyfool01]

you can also leave bikes in any of the lockups that are dotted all over the site we have done previously  ... might be easier just might save a bit of walking and get you more central before you leave your bike ... don't forget the charity donation if you choose to use them

[stopwn1981]

And do you get priority queuing for wristbands over car users at Gate A on Wednesday morning?

[incident]

8 minutes ago, stopwn1981 said:

And do you get priority queuing for wristbands over car users at Gate A on Wednesday morning?

Effectively yes, as you're not really in a queue. The 2 queues come from the North of the gate (Coach Station), and the South (Car Parks). But in 2016 at least the cycle store area was immediately adjacent to the gate itself between without any real queueing system or obstacles in between other than a road to cross. I doubt the numbers involved are high enough to make it worthwhile implementing something.

[stopwn1981]

Just a little bump on this question in light of security update from the festival. For those who have used Ped Gate A and know it well - would it even be logistically possible for security to tell cyclists coming out of the lock up (directly opposite Ped Gate A) to go and join the back of the car park queue?

[Crazyfool01]

im a little different and want to get my stuff on site via gate A in my bike trailer is this going to help me cut the queue much ?

[kevin0410]

9 hours ago, crazyfool1 said:

im a little different and want to get my stuff on site via gate A in my bike trailer is this going to help me cut the queue much ?

No. You will need to join the main queue as you are taking your bike through the gate.

I have done the bike trailer thing for the past two years - it's such a great way to bag a great camping spot!

[Crazyfool01]

2 hours ago, kevin0410 said:

No. You will need to join the main queue as you are taking your bike through the gate.

I have done the bike trailer thing for the past two years - it's such a great way to bag a great camping spot!

ok so I will join the queue with the bus travellers if I cycle in gate A?  , I'm sure this queue moves faster than the one that comes directly from the car parks and into gate A which is the option we have done in the past  ?

[kevin0410]

17 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

ok so I will join the queue with the bus travellers if I cycle in gate A?  , I'm sure this queue moves faster than the one that comes directly from the car parks and into gate A which is the option we have done in the past  ?

Technically, you would not be allowed to join the bus queue, as it will be obvious you haven't arrived by bus. It's likely you will be pointed in the direction of the main queue.

You could arrive at the bike lockup at gate A and try to blag you way in with your bike that way.

Edited June 7, 2017 by kevin0410

[stopwn1981]

1 minute ago, kevin0410 said:

 

You could arrive at the bike lockup at gate A and try to blag you way in with your bike that way.

So if you are genuinely using the bike lockup (i.e. Arrive in one, leave it in the bike lockup) then you join the bus queue, rather than being sent to the back of the car queue?

[kevin0410]

Just now, stopwn1981 said:

So if you are genuinely using the bike lockup (i.e. Arrive in one, leave it in the bike lockup) then you join the bus queue, rather than being sent to the back of the car queue?

TBH I'm not 100% sure on that one but I think you're correct. 

[Crazyfool01]

not sure about this as there inso way that you could be sent to the back of the long main queue from carparks , past the chicken shed zig zag and back into the fields ... will try it and find out ..