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Cycling to work - government incentive scheme to buy tax free bikes!

Sporty StuSporty Stu Posts: 7
in General Chat
Good call Stu, I believe its a voucher system that comes around every six months or so. Ive been pushing the company I work for to get involved but they were having problems getting involved.

I too would be grateful for any info that anyone has.

Comments

  • Sporty StuSporty Stu Posts: 7
    Apparently the government have launched a new scheme to encourage people to cycle to work to reduce the amount of cars and pollution on the roads as well as getting people fitter.



    I would love to buy a bike to cycle to work (wouldn't want to use my tri bike to cycle to work on roads but would I probably buy a sports hybrid) I've heard you can get about 50% off the normal SRP of a bike as the government and the govenrment are going to be building more cycling lanes and other essential safety features for cyclists.



    I can't seem to find much info about the scheme on the internet and would be really greateful if anyone knows anymore... [:)]
  • Sporty StuSporty Stu Posts: 7
    Thanks hound dog!



    I got some info off another forum about how the scheme works here:



    [color=#800080]www.cyclesolutions.co.uk[/color]



    [color=#800080]www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/cycling/cycletoworkschemeimplementat5732[/color]
  • LuckyLucky Posts: 137
    It's called the Ride2Work scheme, Evans have a website calculator which tells you your savings and other info



    Ride2Work
  • NickNick Posts: 66
    hi all. the cycle to work scheme has been going for some while. halfords also has info on it. check out planet x website as well, you can get a fully carbon/ultegra road bike through the scheme if run through halfords. will say one thing though if any one of you work for the nhs forget it, they ran the scheme for a while but no more with no plans to recomence!! i'm well ticked off about that!!
  • Sporty StuSporty Stu Posts: 7
    Just found this info... kinda scary what we do to the environment but good to know a little pedal power can help! [;)]



    Cycling England analysed the carbon commutes of the 6.6 million employees who use cars or buses to travel less than five miles to work, as part of its campaign to promote Bike Week (16-24 June).

    Staggeringly, if each of these target commuters were to cycle during the five working days of Bike Week, they would save over 44,000 tonnes of CO2, pocketing around £61 million in the process through economising on fuel and fare costs.

    A week’s pedal power would save the equivalent carbon generated by more than 102 million kWh of electricity. To put this into perspective, over six million people freewheeling during just one week saves enough CO2 to:

    · offset the domestic emissions generated by heating more than 16,700 houses for a year

    · balance out the emissions generated by more than 205 million standard light bulbs in just one day

    · ill 8,800 hot air balloons

    At the moment, 78 per cent of all commuters drive or are driven to work, generating a weekly CO2 footprint of more than 341,000 tonnes. However, Cycling England predicts that more “carbon-conscious commuters” will begin to consider cycling to work, with many testing out their wheels over Bike Week. 600,000 people already cycle to work, saving a weekly tally of almost 5,250 tonnes.

    More than 6.6 million people make work-based journeys of under five miles, and these short-distance commuters are the target for the government organisation’s new campaign, as their journeys could most easily be switched from car/bus to bicycle, saving them almost £500 a year in the process.

  • toadtoad Posts: 104
    I talked to someone about the scheme .... apparently you have to be an employee , if your self employed you cant get any tax relief
  • LuckyLucky Posts: 137
    Just ordered my new bike, was going for a Felt S22 but in the end opted for a Bianchi C2C 928 as I thought I'd get more use out of it, maybe a Felt next year ;-)



    Just need to stick on some tri-bars and then go and have fun / do some training...
  • TTX PROTTX PRO Posts: 225
    it depends on how much your limit is to what bike you can get and how much you willing to pay every month
  • pigletpiglet Posts: 86
    Interesting scheme- pity my work doesn't provide showers/locker facilities etc. I work at a provincial airport - you'd think there would be shower facilities there- but no!! In New Zealand I biked to and from work every day for 8 years. My brother has been doing it for 8 years- and he lives in the windiest city ontop of a hill! OK- he is slightly mad. But the thing is that the national psyche is more geared up to it and companies are given incentives to provide staff with ways to be fitter (many have gym membership included as salary package and flexi time to attend lunchtime gym classes).

    These schemes are great but only if there is back up by companies in providing shower facilities at work and locker storage for gear you can't lug around on a bike each day. How good are your work places?

    Great stats about carbon emission reductions SportSTu. On top of those environmental benefits are the benefits to the country and NHS long term of more people being fitter/ healthier.[:D]

  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Hi,not really a reply about the scheme but more in response to Piglets not having any bike storage facility or showers/changing rooms.I too work at a regional airport and would suggest speaking to either the refuellers or airport fire department as health and safety requirements mean that they have to have shower facilities available.I have to store my pride and joy in my own office as we to have no lockable facilites.
  • BarbsaramaBarbsarama Posts: 73
    I'd rather store my pride and joy in the office than in the bike shed where people with big clunky mountain bikes that are heavy and hardier than my nimble (and expensive) little Once let their bikes fall on mine and scratch it. Not to mention I have to fight with the facilities department for a shower. They have two showers. A men's and a unisex. Hmmm fair?
  • pigletpiglet Posts: 86
    Hi Jon E good idea re refuellers- but they are based at the other side of the airport- can't see AirTC letting me bike across the runway!!

    Going home (NZ) for a few months so will tackle the powers that be next year. Hmm Barbs- can see you being popular in the mens or unisex showers- suddenly all these guys will "need" to shower when you do. Good luck!
  • BarbsaramaBarbsarama Posts: 73
    heh heh well they do seem to take longer than the girls in the shower... heh
  • SamutriSamutri Posts: 143
    Hey everyone,

    Not sure if this has been mentioned in this thread...under the rules of the scheme, the bike is hired by the employee and is not owned by them and although the employer can sell you the bike at the end of the period for 'a fair market price' they are under no obligation to do so and, in fact, are banned from mentioning the sale of the bike at all.

    So, if you fancy renting a bike for a very decent cost, this is the scheme for you. If you want to buy one...have a quiet word with your boss and do it 'unofficially' !!
  • TimoteiTimotei Posts: 50
    this website gives you all the information you need



    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/CustomerServices/cycle2work.aspx



    or go to:



    www.cyclescheme.co.uk
  • Sporty StuSporty Stu Posts: 7
    I'm about to buy a bike through the Cycle Solutions scheme to cycle to work - can anyone recommend the best value for money hybrid bike I should go for bearing in mind the max value of the bike can be up to £1000?

    (I already have a good mountain bike but don't fancy riding that on the roads to work...)

    Thanks [:)]
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