Road Bikes for 40% off...

marathonic

I'm currently working in the North and have been giving the opportunity (through some tax scheme) to purchase a bike for 40% less than retail.

The catch is that it must be purchased in one of the following two places:

• http://www.bikedock.com/posit/shop/index.php?category=17&group=34
• http://www.halfords.com

I purchased a Giant OCR3 last August but, to be honest, I've only been out in it 3 times - although I do intend in taking it a bit more seriously this year.

Anyway, as I'm a newbie, what do you think of the bikes in the two places above? Which bike would you consider to be a reasonable upgrade from the Giant OCR3?

Morgan

Do you really need a new bike? 40% is a great saving but you can save 100% by sticking with the OCR3.

marathonic

True... I could stick with my current bike but I just thought that 40% is a big saving to pass up - as well as the fact that I would be paying for it through 12 monthly installments coming out of my salary.

However, the advantages of the offer are partially negated by the fact that the bike must be purchased in one of the two outlets listed as their range of bikes seem to be quite poor - and I wouldn't dream of buying a bike in halfords :eek:

I've just emailed the accountant at my company asking him if the scheme could not be set up with www.mcconveycycles.com... If that were the case, I definately wouldn't pass up the offer of something like a Giant SCR 1.0 for £510 (€765)

RainyDay

Just curious - what kind of employer is offering this facility - public sector or private? big or small?

daymobrew

Is it part of the Ride2Work - it is described on Evan Cycles, which will have a better range, though McConveys is probably considerably more convenient.

Mucco

RainyDay wrote:

what kind of employer is offering this facility

Gordon Brown.
It's a government scheme, though they don't really shout about it. The bike is paid from from gross income, before national insurance. The proviso is that it's used to commute to work.

M

milod

Mucco wrote:

The proviso is that it's used to commute to work. M

How would you prove that?! though in Dublin, I suppose maybe a few receipts for replacement saddles/buckled wheels and other damage while chained to the railing outside work would suffice...

Civilian_Target

Yep - the catch is you don't get it if you have a parking space at work, or any sort of company vehicle contributions. Believe it or not, my uncle has his bike registered as his company vehicle, he gets the 40% plus tax free repairs! (He doesn't own a car...)

hunnymonster

great scheme. Have they ever talked about introducing anything similar here. I remember having something similar when I worked in the Netherlands in the early 90's.

Zonko

Does this work for everyone in the North? I'm looking for a roadbike, preferably somewhere in the North so I can try it for size first, plus I don't want to shod up putting it together. Don't have a car either, do you have a link?

Morgan

I assume you'd be eligible, being in the North.

The cycle scheme is a government initiative, you can read more about it here:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_susttravel/documents/page/dft_susttravel_038228.hcsp

There are several companies which run these scheme and act as a third party - your company may choose to use a company like this or to do it directly (sorting out VAT and so on themselves).
Some bike shops take a dim view of these people:
http://www.velorution.biz/?p=1291


http://www.ridetaxfree.com
http://www.EvansCycles.com/Ride2Work
http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk
http://www.chevincyclescheme.co.uk
http://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/