Cycle to work and choosing a bike

[Woden]

So, basically the cycle to work scheme starts tomorrow, just in time for winter. I can choose a bike up to £1000 and pay for it over 12 months at 0% finance and it comes out of my wage before tax, so overall I would pay about £680, spread out over the year. Not bad at all and after a recent health scare, I really need to get back into being active.


I haven't ridden a bike since I cycled to school at 16 but I would like to cycle to work (about 15 min walk but it would mean once I am a bit fitter I can move to a nicer, cheaper area further afield) and do some just for fun at weekends. Joining my brother would be mostly paved trails but some will be gravel, stony, grass etc but nothing too drastic.


Thing is I don't know where to start. When I last had a bike it was either a BMX or a mountain bike and neither would suit me now. I am assuming Hybrid? What are decent quality brands? Again things have moved on from Raleigh/Townsend being basically the only options.


So any suggestions/tips? Lie I said I can spend up to £100, but anything that will be a solid start for me and I am happy. And if I spend less, I can include helmet/lights in that too instead of paying for those up-front.

 

[AKAK]

The cheaper bikes are called hybrids and have flat bars, the more expensive are gravel/adventure with drop bars.

Are you limited on what shop it comes from?

 

[Woden]

The cheaper bikes are called hybrids and have flat bars, the more expensive are gravel/adventure with drop bars.

Are you limited on what shop it comes from?

I have to go through cycle solutions

 

[Jonny ///M]

Local shops can use Cycle Solutions vouchers in store, it's hidden away a bit but you can.

We certainly can but they often have discounts listed on the customer side of the site to make you go with them. £1k bike on a £1k voucher is fine but when they have that bike at £800 from £1000rrp a local shop might need to add on more as they are taking a hit on the the retail price and the voucher is worth about 12% less too.

 

[AKAK]

You can use cycle solutions in a lot of places.

The top brands are trek, specialized, Cannondale. You tend to get better specs from lesser brands like cube, pinnacle.

This will stretch your budget but hydraulic discs are significantly better than cable discs.

 

[MrFunex]

I was in the same position as you a few months ago. Have a look at the Cube LTD Pro. If you’re after a hardtail mountain bike, it’s quite a good option.

 

[Woden]

Actually placed my order yesterday. Ordered a Cannondale Quick CX3. Just waiting on HR to sort everything on there end now.

 

[Tobes]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I'm looking into the scheme myself and I'm confused. What's the point in extending an agreement for 36 months? Why can't I just say "keep my deposit and the bike is now mine"?

https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/help/faqs#end

 

[AKAK]

Well the point is lost somewhere in the distinction between buying a thing cheaply and hiring it until its value has lapsed to nil. Overall the scheme is barely worth it if you have access to cash or credit. Smaller retailers will expect you to pay the scheme fees as well, some shops will not honour sale prices on the scheme.

 

[MrFunex]

Well the point is lost somewhere in the distinction between buying a thing cheaply and hiring it until its value has lapsed to nil. Overall the scheme is barely worth it if you have access to cash or credit. Smaller retailers will expect you to pay the scheme fees as well, some shops will not honour sale prices on the scheme.

Barely worth it? Getting a £1000 bike (or the first £1k of a more expensive bike) for £650 (higher rate tax payer) doesn’t seem that bad a deal, IMO...

Some retailers won’t let you have a bike at the sale price if you’re buying using the cycle scheme as the fees they pay to the scheme are 10-15%, and they can’t afford to discount twice.

If you have a personal recommendation of any other scheme that will save me 35% on a purchase, let’s hear it!

 

[AKAK]

Depends entirely on the circumstances...you could save 30% in the end of model year sale, you could save in that region buying direct from manufacturers like Canyon. You also have the delay of 4-6 weeks in getting the bike (typically?) And having to deal with HR/payroll.

So okay certainly worth it for some people. I have one but don't reckon on saving more than 10% and not being higher rate don't expect I will get another voucher when time allows.

 

[rhysduck]

Take us less than a few days to be approved for the scheme and then it's just a case of handing the voucher to a local bike shop and voila, bike in hand.

Don't see how it can take 4-6 weeks?

 

[Tobes]

If after 1 year I just had to pay 7% to own the bike then it's a good deal. However if I have to pay 25 - 30 % to own the bike then it's not really worth the hassle. I'm currently emailing someone in the company to see whats what. Im looking at an ebike which is over 2k so really I want to own it after 1 year so if I do want to sell it I can. I mean I guess theres nothing stopping me anyway. Just trying to think of worst case scenarios. Maybe the company that is doing the scheme on behalf of goes bust and then assets need to be paid for or recovered. Technically my bike would be theirs to claim.

 

[MrFunex]

If after 1 year I just had to pay 7% to own the bike then it's a good deal. However if I have to pay 25 - 30 % to own the bike then it's not really worth the hassle. I'm currently emailing someone in the company to see whats what. Im looking at an ebike which is over 2k so really I want to own it after 1 year so if I do want to sell it I can. I mean I guess theres nothing stopping me anyway. Just trying to think of worst case scenarios. Maybe the company that is doing the scheme on behalf of goes bust and then assets need to be paid for or recovered. Technically my bike would be theirs to claim.

Then elect for the 4 year option at the end of year one.

They won’t claim the bike back as theirs. Ever.

 

[Woden]

If after 1 year I just had to pay 7% to own the bike then it's a good deal. However if I have to pay 25 - 30 % to own the bike then it's not really worth the hassle. I'm currently emailing someone in the company to see whats what. Im looking at an ebike which is over 2k so really I want to own it after 1 year so if I do want to sell it I can. I mean I guess theres nothing stopping me anyway. Just trying to think of worst case scenarios. Maybe the company that is doing the scheme on behalf of goes bust and then assets need to be paid for or recovered. Technically my bike would be theirs to claim.

I’m paying over 1 year. But then get 4 years hire agreement for free at which point the bike is mine.

 

[Tobes]

Gah been having massive problems with the scheme my employer is signed up with cycleplus.

My employed said in advance that I can top up the voucher with cash. So I can buy a bike more than £1000. Contacted Tredz who said that I couldn't use a discount code and scheme voucher(why? They are still getting the full amount?) and also informed me that I can't top up with cycleplus. Gave cycleplus a call today and they confirmed I can't.

So now working with my employer to cancel the contract as I have been paying in it for 3 months. Luckily they will pay me back.

Now leaves me either having to pay the full amount upfront with the full amount being more than what I was intending to spend. I can't knock the scheme but the cycleplus one sucks.

 

[prj1865]

From what i’ve seen most places exclude special offers and discounts off cycle scheme purchases. I guess it is because the overhead in admin has a cost to them?

Technically you can’t top them up...however try a few local bike shops to see what they say. You don’t have to buy a whole bike through the scheme so could buy a £1000 frame and pay cash to the cycle shop directly for the rest of the components...

 

[Jonny ///M]

Most schemes take a cut from the £1000 voucher.

So many schemes but roughly what they pay the shop.

Halfords £850
Cyclescheme £900
Cyclesolutions £880
Bike2work £880

So a shop can't usually do a big discount and take the hit on the voucher too.

A local shop should be able to do a better deal for you compared to the bigger companies who have to toe the line. It isn't meant to happen but it does.

Say a bike you want on cyclescheme at £1500 gets reduced to £1200, that is what the shop wants in the bank account so to get £1200 they need voucher £1000 which would pay them £900 so you'd have a £300 balance.

 

[grahamjenks]

I got a bike through wiggle on on cycle2work through cyclescheme, it was discounted to £1440 from a list price around £1900. My employer can issue vouchers up to £2000 so it was all covered by voucher. Wiggle were absolutely fine selling me a bike in at the discounted price. Prehaps a bit different with such a big retailer but didn’t seem to be any problem for them.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

I opted for a reduced cost bike last year and had a 1k voucher
The bike was reduced to 979 iirc but as a sale bike rutland charged a 10% fee - they happily accepted this as payment from me.