Cycle to work scheme - any point?

Skeeter said:
That looks pretty smart.
Click to expand...

It is a beauty and AmigaFan put me onto the bike - Trek 7.5 FX which cost £750.
This bike is every bit as good as my Forme Longcliffe racing bike but with straight handlebars which I feel safer on.
It is also very light compared to an 'Off the shelf' model and today I rode it to work and back with the battery off.
 
Whilst a tad non compliant if you found a shop that was willing to let you buy the conversion kit that is on the scheme you could get it passed through. I take this snippet from cyclescheme rules:

I already own a bike; can I obtain just safety equipment and accessories through Cyclescheme?

Yes. Your Cyclescheme application can include safety equipment and accessories without the need to include a bike in your request.

If you were to find a shop, obtain the value you need to claim for, say £800, then you just submit through your employer a list of accessories you make up for £800 that are allowed on the list, i.e. helmets, clothes, locks, panniers bla bla. No one knows what happens between you and the shop. This is how some people even get two bikes. They submit for a £1k voucher and walk out the shop with two £500 bikes. That is entirely down to the shop / customer relationship though and nothing to do with what gets submitted through the employer.
 
I will add I only know that has happened as eventually a few things got back to me through hearsay at work how some had taken special advantage of the scheme in that way. I was of course none the wiser, I just saw a claim for X bike at a value of £1000.

Now the system has been centralised you don't even put down which bike or type you want. You literally just say I want a £xxx voucher. Then as I said it comes down to entirely what you have managed to arrange between you and the bike shop.
 
Yeah I've known plenty of people who have bought bits not covered by the scheme by just getting the shop to list it as a helmet or lights or something.

In fact, I think my application just said "accessories" to a total that brought the voucher up to £500. I didn't actually chose the extras I bought until I went to pick my bike up.
 
Yeh, I imagine there's a bit more wriggle room with an indie bike shop, as opposed to somewhere like Halfords who seem to be the standard retailer that accepts the scheme.
 
Skeeter is right. The likes of Halfords and Evans run their own scheme (or did, unsure if they still do) but cyclescheme makes us of all the indy cycle shops. That's why I chose to use them over any other scheme for the company I work for as there was much more variety to choose from.

When I run the scheme I would look at the accessories applied for to ensure nothing was being applied for that wasn't on the allowed list. Now it has been centralised though you can get away with anything as all you ask for is a voucher for X amount. No bike name and no accessories list / details to be provided. My company have taken the stance that the bike shops should be compliant and putting the onus onto them.
 
UPDATE

cyclescheme2.jpg
 
This has reminded me that my scheme ran out in July - last payment was taken and I haven't heard anything from Halfords who did our scheme.

Oh well they know where the bike is if they want it but I would have just paid the extra 3/4 year hire option and I believe after that they aren't interested anymore
 
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