Bikes on national express & megabus's

Anybody had any experience with national express and bikes?
their web blurb mentions a £10 single £15 return cost for outsize luggage (anything over 1m and/or 23kg).

But the route I'm taking (lakedistrict > london) is often almost empty (10peeps on a 60seater), tried ringing them and their response was it was upto the driver on the day.
Problem is, really can't stretch the extra £15. the whole point in me taking a bike to london is to avoid having to pay TFL anything atall over the 3days, but 3days minimum usage = £15 making the bike pointless, and me sweaty and irratable :p

Anybody had recent experience with whats acceptable?
I'm thinking roll up at bus stop, pillage some cardboard from a nearby bin, tape cardboard and wheels either side of the frame and claim is as luggage?

try putting it in a bike bag then they can't complain. Get a folding one if you need t ocarry it on the bike.

yurp. MY other plan was taking a sportsbag instead of a backpack, and just taping the bike to the bag (with wheels off) and calling it luggage.

I'm pretty confident that heading southbound ther won't be a problem inserting entire bike into cavenous bus hold, its a small town and the bus just stops at the side of the road. Heading north out of victoria though, the legisation nazi's will probably get involved :/

Ive had a bike on National Express before, just threw it in the luggage cabin at the bottom of the coach.

I think its totally at the discretion of the driver. But I cant see many not allowing you if there is ample space in there.

Dredging this as it's the only megabus related thread on here.

Anyone gone Glasgow-London or vice versa with a Brommy in a megabus?

Thinking that in a Dimpa it should be fine right? Maybe be an idea to try and disguise what it is? Black bag inside the dimpa?

Is a Brompton classified as luggage mostly, so no problem? Last Megabus I got was a third party coach going Midlands to London. Friendly driver, it was a better service than National Express give. Big suitcases and bags went on there.

That’s the thing, do I just pretend like it’s luggage and there’s nothing to see here or am I best declaring/making it obvious what it is?

On the train I’m sure it’d be fine as you’d just walk on with it but megabus is probably a tenth of the cost of the train/gets in at arguable a better time too.

The more you can make it look like random luggage the better probably. Like square, generic object. Yeah I like coach vs train if you can afford the extra time and it goes relatively smoothly.