New wheel or new bike shop?Also query re Bike to Work Scheme

mtbcommuter

History - I have a Scott mtb which I have been commuting on for a while now (increasingly so this year) I was using 26 x 1.6 tyres which had smooth centre line knobbly sides (can't recall what they're called) I had them running at around 55-60 psi. Around two weeks ago I noticed a broken spoke and wheel running out of true so I took it to the LBS. Spoke replaced and wheel straightened £9.50

This co-incided with me changing front and rear tyres to slicks as I don't use bike off road (as advised in another thread) I opted for Conti Sports 26 x 1.3 and as the advice was between 75-85 psi I opted for 80 psi.

This morning found another broken spoke and wheel slightly out of true so I took it back to same LBS. He said that the wheel was obviously unable to stay straight and was damaging spokes and then warping. He stated that 26 x 1.3's were fine for the front wheel but I should be using 26 x 1.6's on rear. He said that due to me being large (6' 2" tall 18 stone, although that's 13lbs down from Jan thanks to cycling and reducing every week) there wasn't enough give in the tyre walls of the 1.3 and also I should replace the wheel for a new one.

His first recomendation was a good quality wheel for £80 + a new 1.6 tyre for £20 + fitting etc.total around £110.
His second recomendation was for a basic wheel, same tyre + fitting £60

I told him that due to my employer expecting to start the Bike to Work Scheme that I would be buying a new machine in 2 months and didn't want to spend over a £100 now.

Problem is after I decided to have him supply the new wheel he told me that the Bike to Work Scheme isn't what it's cracked up to be. He had heard lots of reports that it was a con and that "they" ended up paying the same for the bike anyway and it was only the employers who benefitted. This seems to me to go against everything I've read here and other places so now I'm querying whether he's telling me the truth re the wheel.

I also asked if it was possible to swap the wheel round to the one on my other bike (an older Scott MTB which never gets used) He said that due to the other one having a rear mech with 7 gears compared to the 8 gears on the new one it wouldn't be possible (something about he could fit the 7 speed to the hub of the 8 speed hub using a spacer but not the other way round)

(The last time the rear wheel was in for repair I actually stuck this wheel on my bike and although some of the gears missed slightly due to the missing cog it fittted/worked fine)

Q. 1 - taking my size & use into account should I be using a 1.6 on the rear?
Q. 2 - Is it likely that the wheel needs replacing or did he simply b@lls up the repair and cause the wheel to buckle again
Q. 3 - Is the Bike to Work Scheme as good as I've read or is it a big government sponsored con to rip off cyclists who they can't get through road tax?

el_presidente

1) I am 6'1 and have used a 1.3 for ages; so you should be OK in theory. But his logic does make sense and if you have a rough riding style a 1.6 could have merit

2) He is right that wheels will reach a natural end, I have had two that have suffered broken spokes - you can repair but they will go again sooner rather than later

3) Bike to Work will give you savings but possibly not as much as advertised when you take into account any costs from your employee, costs at the end of the period etc. Check details with your employer and do the sums carefully.

Re the 7 speed / 8 speed wheel - he is right in theory here as well though as you have found out it will bodge short term. I don't think anything he has told you is wrong per se but it does seem to be a little one-sided and biased to his point of view

vanquished

re Bike2Work

I got a £550 Letter of Collection, over 18 months, which works out as c£30/month salary sacrifice. My actual net pay will be less than £30/month less (if you follow) under the scheme, because I don't pay NI/Tax on the reduction bit.

At the end of the 18 months, I then pay 5% of the LoC value to buy the bike.

What's ironic about Cycle2Work is that because it's a tax wheeze, those earning most get the best deal out of it (because they're skipping paying a higher rate of tax) whereas, somewhat perversely, people on minimum wage can't enter the scheme because it would be illegal to opt for a salary sacrifice, since this would result in the applicant being paid less than the minimum wage.

cee

vanquished wrote:

What's ironic about Cycle2Work is that because it's a tax wheeze, those earning most get the best deal out of it (because they're skipping paying a higher rate of tax) whereas, somewhat perversely, people on minimum wage can't enter the scheme because it would be illegal to opt for a salary sacrifice, since this would result in the applicant being paid less than the minimum wage.

naah! if you are over the tax bracket by as little as £1000, you are more likely to arrange your contract around lowering the salary by the grand, then adding on some other benefits to make up the difference.

Kyrotek

I just joined the scheme so haven't made any payments yet but the maths looks pretty good. The sacrifice looks to be about £28 for £400 LoC but after tax it looks like £20. Over the 12 months my company is running the scheme for, I'll have paid only £340/£240 and the company will then offer me the bike for 5% of it's value or £20, whichever is the greater.

Doesn't look like a con but iunderneath the hype, the company gets a tax break for the green issue of providing the scheme to it's workers. Benefits me so I think it's a great way to get a bike.

grancanaria

Q3:

I got a £400 voucher and the maths look pretty good to me too. To be honest even if it doesn't work out amazingly I still think it's great because you don't have to find, say, £400 out of nowhere. I know these are 'credit crunch' times, but how often do you check your monthly salary cheque? Would a £20 difference really make much of a dent? That's not even a round of drinks with mates these days... spose it depends on your priorites.

I also calculated that by the time I've paid half of it, I'm already making money on what was a £2 a day bus ride so it all seems great, really...

hoathy

cee wrote:

vanquished wrote:

What's ironic about Cycle2Work is that because it's a tax wheeze, those earning most get the best deal out of it (because they're skipping paying a higher rate of tax) whereas, somewhat perversely, people on minimum wage can't enter the scheme because it would be illegal to opt for a salary sacrifice, since this would result in the applicant being paid less than the minimum wage.

naah! if you are over the tax bracket by as little as £1000, you are more likely to arrange your contract around lowering the salary by the grand, then adding on some other benefits to make up the difference.

true, but you still get more money off if you are in higher tax brackets. also, if you work for the nhs or alike who cannot reclaim vat, you save less money.

meanwhile

mtbcommuter wrote:

History - I have a Scott mtb which I have been commuting on for a while now (increasingly so this year) I was using 26 x 1.6 tyres which had smooth centre line knobbly sides (can't recall what they're called) I had them running at around 55-60 psi. Around two weeks ago I noticed a broken spoke and wheel running out of true so I took it to the LBS. Spoke replaced and wheel straightened £9.50

This co-incided with me changing front and rear tyres to slicks as I don't use bike off road (as advised in another thread) I opted for Conti Sports 26 x 1.3 and as the advice was between 75-85 psi I opted for 80 psi.

This morning found another broken spoke and wheel slightly out of true so I took it back to same LBS. He said that the wheel was obviously unable to stay straight and was damaging spokes and then warping. He stated that 26 x 1.3's were fine for the front wheel but I should be using 26 x 1.6's on rear. He said that due to me being large (6' 2" tall 18 stone, although that's 13lbs down from Jan thanks to cycling and reducing every week) there wasn't enough give in the tyre walls of the 1.3 and also I should replace the wheel for a new one.

At 18 stone, it sounds like more air is a good idea. However, £80 is a lot for a commuter wheel. Look at the Edinburgh Bike Coop site and ebay; £80 should get you a PAIR of decent wheels. In your shoes I'd put 1.6s on both ends; the guy might have some sort of reason on his side, but I don't know what it is.

His second recomendation was for a basic wheel, same tyre + fitting £60

That's better, but I think you could go cheaper. You're not racing; saving grams doesn't matter, and you won't be jumping.

Problem is after I decided to have him supply the new wheel he told me that the Bike to Work Scheme isn't what it's cracked up to be. He had heard lots of reports that it was a con and that "they" ended up paying the same for the bike anyway and it was only the employers who benefitted.

I've never heard anyone who used the scheme say that, and its hard to see how it could work out that way. You effectively get an interest free loan AND a discount. It's hard to see what can go wrong. A lot of people are very good at believing whatever is in their interest, if B2W drives business to big shops who are better at dealing with paperwork and HR departments, then a lot of small operators will find a reason to be against it.

robhowes

Hello

If you want the full facts on C2W then you see everything here: www.cycletoworknow.com We built the site with complete transparency so everyone can see exactly who benefits and where.

The employer gets a tax break for the capital allowance on the bikes and the employees get a saving on the bikes themselves. C2W is a no brainer for employer and employee.

Take a look at the employee financial here: http://www.cycletoworknow.com/info/fina ... l-examples

The government isn't being altruistic. The cost savings to the NHS of getting people to do even a little exercise are staggering and will more than pay for the tax breaks on offer.

My guess is your bike dealer didn't do C2W. So he's misinforming you about it either from lack of knowledge or other reasons.

Rob