Cycle 2 work

[PumpeDuse]

any one use it? is it worth doing, seems a good way onto a new bike for me, as I want to start commuting via bike in the summer, rather than train. Also would like to use the bike in an evening and weekend for longer rides.

[heresmo]

There have been a few threads on this on here. The biggest disadvantage is getting dusty and sweaty so might need shower facilities or some means of cleaning self up once getting to work.

There was much ado a couple of years ago about parents not driving kids to school so bought son a bike. Unfortunately he would have needed a pack horse for all his gear Plus it's pretty dangerous around here if you start to wobble whilst going uphill.

My thought would be to buy one for social use, but might not get money's worth for work use, depending on the journey you have to make. Plus consider nickability and cost/small print of any insurance cover. Hope this helps.

Mo

[Royston]

Our work ran a scheme last year and I signed up. There are a few different types of scheme, and Halfords run a big corporate scheme which a lot of lazy companies like mine sign up to as it doesn't require much work from them.

basically, on the Halfraud's scheme, you choose which bike you want and price up the accessories, then apply for a voucher through work. A supervisor has to sign to say that you will only use the bike for commuting, then wait for the voucher.

You don't pay VAT on the bike, and you get a discount on some of your NI payments. It works out at roughly 35% off the cost of the bike. The payments come out of your wages for 12 months, so in effect it's like a discounted bike with 12 months interest free credit.

I went for a Chris Boardman Hybrid Pro and some accessories. To be truthful though I haven't used the bike that much.

['daiking']

Just go through the actual payment figures before you commit

My company has run 2 campaigns for this and running through the figures there was a sizable fixed finance charge on our scheme. So if you were a lower rate tax payer and only spent £200-300 on a bike you wouldn't actually save much.

Whereas if you were spending near the maximum (£1000) or a higher rate tax payer it worked out much better and was worht it.

Seeing as I live 17 miles from work and don't cycle recreationally, I didn't bother...

[Terry G]

I thought the contract stated that you were required to cycle to work 50% of time? (Who would police this anyway?!!)

Plus max value you could buy was £1000 inc accesories etc?

If so and you want to max out deal (yes the higher tax bracket you are in, the better) don't spend all on bike.. make sure you get decent clothing etc too.

That said.. my company don't offer this scheme, so boo sucks to the rest:P:D

[Brimma]

I looked at projected figures for this last year and nearly took it up.

Could have got a bike worth nearly £1000 for just under £600 at higher tax rate, with 12 months interest free credit, and option to buy at the end of the period.

Not a bad deal.

['daiking']

I thought the contract stated that you were required to cycle to work 50% of time? (Who would police this anyway?!!)

Its a joke clause and just to clarify I think its at least 50% of the use of the bike must be for work not that you must cycle to work half the time (which I expect is what you meant as well). I can't see why on earth they'd go to the trouble of proving how little you used your cycle for work.

Also the final payment to keep the bike is in the region of 5% IIRC

[SuomiSkoda.fi]

You should'nt need to get paid to ride a push bike into work....

I cycle from my block to my place of work every day, rain snow sleet or shine.

keeps me fit and I feel like I can do more in a day.

[Brimma]

You should'nt need to get paid to ride a push bike into work....

I cycle from my block to my place of work every day, rain snow sleet or shine.

keeps me fit and I feel like I can do more in a day.

You're not disqualified are you ?

[SuomiSkoda.fi]

haha Nope im not

just can be more enjoyable sometimes to feel the benifits from cycling to work.

[Brimma]

haha Nope im not

just can be more enjoyable sometimes to feel the benifits from cycling to work.

I was only joking.

I'm 2.5 miles away from work and it's often quicker biking in, bashing down the outside of the queues than it is in the car. Doesn't do the car that much good doing those journeys either.

I'll normally bike unless it's pouring with rain in the morning (we don't have shower facilities). Doesn't matter too much if it rains on the way home.

[SuomiSkoda.fi]

no shower facilities? bit terrible isnt it?

haha yes I know it was a joke haha

Every one should cycle would do the world a greater good.

and no.. im not Greenpeace haha

[The Ors]

Also the final payment to keep the bike is in the region of 5% IIRC

I think this depends on your employer. We pay £1.

I have bought two bikes over the last three years on this scheme. I think it's an excellent way to do it. Initially I bought in order to force me to do some exercise. At first I cycled 3 days out of 4 (shifts) & it was a chore. Now I cycle 4/4 because I enjoy it so much.

To the O.P. Check out your employers scheme; if it's any good - DO IT!

[WW_VRS]

I'd love to cycle to work, and in Oxford it is a good idea. However 50 miles to work in the car works out at nearly double that going the backroads with the bike instead of A34/M4 :P

Also I don't mind cycling, used to cycle loads, but the fact I got knocked over by a drunk (or just *rseh*le) driver years ago has put me off cycling where there are no cycle paths in the UK - which is pretty much in most places around here unfortunately.

As I'm currently without a car I would have liked to have had a bike at the moment to nip to the shops quickly. Walking there is a good half hour and you cant really carry all that much over that distance without a backpack or similar.

In Holland I used to cycle around 40 miles to school (yeah it was far), later reduced to 30 miles (different school) and at uni it was like 5 miles instead. Double that for daily distance. I was a lot fitter then, but in Holland there are proper cycle paths, plus people are just used to bikes.

Oxford is also pretty decent for cycling, in all fairness, but commuting just is not practical for me

[Tom_vRS]

50 mile cycle to school :eek: Even at a brisk 12mph average thats 4hrs each way... :confused:

[WW_VRS]

not 50, 40 - but yeah, and my avg speed was a lot higher than 12mph

[*tim*]

I looked into our cycle2work scheme early last year when it was last running. Ours is run by Halfords, and we would have to purchase it from them at full RRP. They could order most bikes in if required.

In the end I opted out for the following reason. I didn't fancy a Halfords Saturday lad building up my bike , paying full RRP and only paying 20% tax doesn't allow much of a saving, I was nearing / above the maximum spend on most bikes I wanted, its a lot of hassle getting HR etc to sign off forms, waiting 4 -5 weeks for a voucher to arrive to purchase a bike... must be more reasons.

If you do go for it, choose the bike you want, make sure they can get it in stock in the size you want, and then buy the vouchers for the price of the bike plus a bit more for accessories and the like. I genuinely think its a good deal for 'most' people.

As to cycling to work, yep go for it - just watch out for those pesky bus drivers, the amount of times I've almost gone under one is not worth thinking about :(

[richie]

If i lived closer to work, then I would cycle. 24 miles up hill to the 2nd highest point in Kent at 0530 does loose its appeal rather quickly............................ :P

[sms]

you could always drive mopst of the way there, park around the corner then cycle the last bit

['daiking']

I think this depends on your employer. We pay £1.

I have bought two bikes over the last three years on this scheme. I think it's an excellent way to do it. Initially I bought in order to force me to do some exercise. At first I cycled 3 days out of 4 (shifts) & it was a chore. Now I cycle 4/4 because I enjoy it so much.

To the O.P. Check out your employers scheme; if it's any good - DO IT!

So not only is my work screwing me on the finance, I'm also being screwed on the settlement fee too? :lol: employee benefit my :moon:

[The Ors]

So not only is my work screwing me on the finance, I'm also being screwed on the settlement fee too? :lol: employee benefit my :moon:

To be fair to them your employer is lending you the money so I guess they can charge whatever 'interest' they want. My employer couldn't/wouldn't actually tell us what the settlement fee was going to be when we first started the scheme :( so it came as quite a pleasant suprise a year later to be told it was £1, especially as they are not normally a generous employer.

[The Ors]

Ours is run by Halfords, and we would have to purchase it from them at full RRP.

Ours is from Evans & their prices seem quite good to start with. I think how 'good' the R2W scheme is depends a lot on who your employer is. i.e. How they handle the paperwork & which vendor they choose.

['daiking']

To be fair to them your employer is lending you the money so I guess they can charge whatever 'interest' they want. My employer couldn't/wouldn't actually tell us what the settlement fee was going to be when we first started the scheme :( so it came as quite a pleasant suprise a year later to be told it was £1, especially as they are not normally a generous employer.

Considering they're saving also 11% NI contributions on what they would 'lend' me, I think they can afford it.

They wouldn't pay the VAT you get knocked off anyway.

[richie]

you could always drive mopst of the way there, park around the corner then cycle the last bit

Errrrmmmmmm...................................................................................... no :P

[*tim*]

Ours is from Evans

If that's the case for the OP then I'd go for it. Evans are competitively priced and have knowledgeable and friendly staff