Thanks very much everyone. Writing now.

Also no-one's addressed how am i meant to pay a big fine - can i do it over a longterm plan?

This might be more appropriate now. Dear Madam/Sir I've been regularly cycling in to work for some years and since recently moving to Barnet had been cycling to and leaving my bike mostly at Finsbury Park or also Alexandra Palace and getting the train from there. The days when I don't cycle I top up with pay as you go. Recently some days I admit that I sometimes didn't touch in on my card from New Barnet and so just travelled on my zone two travelcard. I've done this a several times and I quickly admitted this to the revenue protection officers after they stopped me. I admit I was guilty, I admit I was dishonest - it was a sustained stupidity on my part and I am extremely remorseful and very sorry. I know it's a very serious offence and there's no chance of escaping due punishment. But overwhelmingly I paid the full fare - but my finances are tight with a young family and a massive mortgage. I'm not looking to get away with anything, just saying that this has affected my thinking. When I was questioned I quickly admitted I was wrong and co-operated fully and want to co-operate now because as I realise I have acted foolishly. I don't want to get away with anything - I fully realise I need to pay what is due - but I just want to show my remorse and do whatever I can do to to fully prove I am contrite and want to be helpful. I can assure you that this incident has enabled me to fully appreciate the seriousness of trying to avoid paying the full fare, and I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience I may have caused to the company and the relevant departments. I would respectfully ask that this matter may be concluded by my paying a penalty fare/fine/fare compensation, plus compensation for any administrative costs you may have incurred from my actions. Yours sincerely etc

Yes, I realise most people have jobs and they don't have to do this at all. Was just wondering.

So this bit specifically is key you mean, rebel11?

21 days. Is there any way to bring in the rail experts like to this conversation, as on some other forums, with @name or something, or is it a case of 'you ask the question and wait for them to come'?

This is the letter I'm thinking of writing. Dear Madam/Sir I've been regularly cycling in to work for some years and since recently moving to Barnet had been cycling to and leaving my bike mostly at Finsbury Park or also Alexandra Palace and getting the train from there. The days when I don't cycle I top up with pay as you go. Recently some days I admit that I sometimes didn't touch in on my card from New Barnet and so just travelled on my zone two travelcard. I've done this a several times and I quickly admitted this to the revenue protection officers after they stopped me. I admit I was guilty, I admit I was dishonest - but it was a sustained stupidity on my part and I am extremely remorseful and very sorry. I know it's a very serious offence and there's no chance of avoiding court. But overwhelmingly I paid the full fare - but my finances are tight with a young family and a massive mortgage. I'm not looking to get away with anything, just saying that this has affected my thinking. When I was questioned I quickly admitted I was wrong and co-operated fully and want to co-operate now because as I realise I have acted foolishly. I don't want to get away with anything - I fully realise I need to be punished - but I just want to show my remorse and do whatever I can do to to show I am contrite and want to be helpful. The Revenue Protection officer led me to understand a penalty fare was going to be issued rather than taking me to magistrates court.

The letter said "...your details were taken by rev protection...this letter is to inform you of our intention to take to Mag Ct and the enc letter provides you with opp to tell us what happened from your point of view. Information should be both factual and honest... we always ask court to impose maximum penalty which inc £1000 fine, criminal rec, prison sentence, suspended sent, community serv, compensation, costs. Details of the offence: entering a train for the purpose of travelling without a ticket entitling to travel."

Thanks for that. I'm admitting guilt and am expressing remorse and will sincerely apologize. It was a sustained stupidity on my part, but my finances are tight and I quickly admitted I was wrong when questioned and will co-operate fully because as I recognise I have acted foolishly. Is there anything I can do to mitigate my circumstances? I'm not trying to get away with anything and am fully aware that I need to be punished and do not argue with this, but I just can't afford it. I know this won't avoid me a fine and compensation but just want to do what I can do.

That's a very consumer-action-orientated view @Conniff! There will be compensation as well, but i don't know how much. Very worried about how I'm going to afford it. Do they do payment plans? Serious question. For the larger fines - they threaten up to £1,000. And my compensation will add a bit more to that.

I was caught by the revenue protection squad after travelling from one of the outer London zones on a Zone two oyster pass. I've been cycling in regularly and then getting the train then some days I admit that I neglected to touch in on my card and so just paid for the zone two. i've done this a several times and I admitted it to the revenue protection folk after they checked my card and saw the record. i have bought a range of zones 2, 3 and higher in the past on the card and when I'm not cycling i mostly touch in and out when i travel by train but sometimes forget and admit I sometimes dodge the fare. I received a letter from prosecutions saying they want to take me to Mag.Court and want me to send a letter explaining my side. I know what i did was wrong but i've got a new baby and a crippling mortgage so being skint all the time it felt easier to do what might otherwise have felt definitely wrong. I know I dodged some of the fare but on days I'm not cycling in I generally pay the full fare. What I want to know is how can they calculate a fine? How large the fine may be? And whether it;s in my interests to try and settle or not and how best to do that?