My stupid employers and their stupid ideas

DonDaddyD

Cycle to work is coming back to the employees, only this year my employers have chosen not to go with Cyclescheme - which nearly gives tax free access to the complete and utter network of LBS around England. My empoyers have chosen to go with Cycle Solutions a scheme seemingly and solely tied to www.wheelies.co.uk

So! What does this mean?

Well according to a chap at Wheelies they don't do Kuota bikes and I can't add my own money to top up the voucher, so no Kuota or Giant TCR Advanced 3 2009 either.

So there goes my immediate dreams of wrapping sweet carbon between my thighs. There goes my immediate aspirations of tamming a savage ravenous beast. There goes my immediate dreams of laying a strip of passionate furious destruction along THAT road in London and thus returns my endless wanton desire for a bike that can withstand all the frustrated power I have within me. I'll have those dreams again but at a later date.

In the mean time, presuming I can out pedal the recession, obtain a cycle solution voucher and its near the £1000 mark these are the bikes on offer to me: http://www.wheelies.co.uk/productlist.a ... Road+bikes

(I'm thinking Bianchi or Specialized Allez Elite)

gtvlusso

The b*stards!

They did that at our place with Hellfrauds....But Hellfrauds will do special orders and if you go in-store, they will let you "top-up" - although it is against the idea of the scheme as; technically, you lease the bike!

Phone them and see if they will order in for you....!

May also be worth checking that the web prices are the actual price you will pay or on special offer - special offers won't count with a voucher purchase, I don't think...anyway!

DonDaddyD

gtvlusso wrote:

The b*stards!

They did that at our place with Hellfrauds....But Hellfrauds will do special orders and if you go in-store, they will let you "top-up" - although it is against the idea of the scheme as; technically, you lease the bike!

Phone them and see if they will order in for you....!

Have done, but without the ability to top up and not supplying Kuota I'm stuffed for options to be honest... I could ask for just a frame mind, slap my Fulcrums on and burn the credit card/savings on a groupset and finishing kit... but I'm sure you have to buy a complete bike on the scheme.

gtvlusso

I think you are right - the bike has to be complete and "road legal".....I think Hellfrauds have even cottoned onto people buying track bikes.....

I say that we should create a new superhero, like pieman, to go and pie these employers that mess with our cycling fun and ruin our dreams....I know, how about a pieman!?!

patchy

i think you should get this one.

http://www.wheelies.co.uk/products-Tric ... _20247.htm

DonDaddyD

gtvlusso wrote:

I think you are right - the bike has to be complete and "road legal".....I think Hellfrauds have even cottoned onto people buying track bikes.....

I say that we should create a new superhero, like pieman, to go and pie these employers that mess with our cycling fun and ruin our dreams....I know, how about a pieman!?!

We actually save more money with this scheme, I just don't think its enough to justify the lossing the scope of the cycle scheme network. Also Don't get me wrong I can see why they refuse top ups on vouchers, realistically not many people commute on bikes in excess of £1000 (checks to see how much a Brompton or Dahon costs...). But it takes the piss.

gtvlusso

Must admit that I thought you were civil service - i.e. your employer would always go with the government approved, full on, cyclescheme.....Seems to be a few of these "local" schemes cropping up - great for local LBS's, support that, but not so great for an employee who enjoys crank spinning and feels restricted by the range offered or the fact that the LBS is online only or in a distant part of town....

il_principe

Feckers! My advice, steer clear of your scheme and find somewhere that will sell you a bike on interest free credit instead. There's a few out there, including Wheelbase, who stock Wilier.

http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/shop/124/

DonDaddyD

gtvlusso wrote:

Must admit that I thought you were civil service - i.e. your employer would always go with the government approved, full on, cyclescheme.....Seems to be a few of these "local" schemes cropping up - great for local LBS's, support that, but not so great for an employee who enjoys crank spinning and feels restricted by the range offered or the fact that the LBS is online only or in a distant part of town....

N.H.S.....

Having read into the Wheelies deal it seems that they would follow up on getting their bikes back or 5% at the end of the hire period. Also seems that I can't spend over a £1000 so bye bye Bianchi...

Tarty McTartson wrote:

Feckers! My advice, steer clear of your scheme and find somewhere that will sell you a bike on interest free credit instead. There's a few out there, including Wheelbase, who stock Wilier.

http://www.wheelbase.co.uk/shop/124/

I have a credit rating similar to that of a small African Village.... Not sure how or why. Methinks its time to test the resolve of the lenders they must be eager for money now, surely.

gtvlusso

DonDaddyD wrote:

I have a credit rating similar to that of a small African Village.... Not sure how or why. Methinks its time to test the resolve of the lenders they must be eager for money now, surely.

Brilliant, does that mean you can swap hippo's and chickens for a bike?!

Down here in Somerset it tends to be greased pigs and cider....Although, I believe the going rate is; a barrel of Exhibition cider (14%), 2 cows, a copy of "Trouble over Bridgewater" by the Wurzels, 2 milk maids and a haystack to one Kuoto road bike.

A high price, but worth paying - the only reluctance being the milk maids, would miss their heaving bosums and rosie cheeks.

Sewinman

I am suprised they won't top up. We are with Evans and they don't have a problem with it. They also don't seem to care what you spend the voucher on.

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

Having read into the Wheelies deal it seems that they would follow up on getting their bikes back or 5% at the end of the hire period. Also seems that I can't spend over a £1000 so bye bye Bianchi...

Tarty McTartson wrote:

Oi!

gtvlusso wrote:

Down here in Somerset it tends to be greased pigs and cider....

Is there a reason the pigs come pre-greased? Or is Brizzle and Pigs like Wales and sheep? :shock:

roger_merriman

plenty of sheep in the mendips too....

cee

my compnay runs its own scheme, so no voucher. just go round the shop with the company credit card in hand and spend the £1000.

the shop i spoke to did offer to give a discount seeing as they would get the full grand (unlike the voucher schemes where the voucher issuer keeps 10% for admin fees)....

But we are also not allowed to buy parts of bikes, or top up.

homercles

The good news is Condor look like they will accept your voucher, and you can bet your bottom dollar they will let you top it up too.

http://www.condorcycles.com/ourbicycles.html

I know they do with Halfords vouchers and I've heard the guys in there saying the same is true for other vouchers too. Worth a call/ visit.

gtvlusso

jashburnham wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Having read into the Wheelies deal it seems that they would follow up on getting their bikes back or 5% at the end of the hire period. Also seems that I can't spend over a £1000 so bye bye Bianchi...

Tarty McTartson wrote:

Oi!

gtvlusso wrote:

Down here in Somerset it tends to be greased pigs and cider....

Is there a reason the pigs come pre-greased? Or is Brizzle and Pigs like Wales and sheep? :shock:

I would not go down the greased pigs and Brizzle statement in certain areas of Brizzle, however, Somerset is fair game!

DonDaddyD

homercles wrote:

The good news is Condor look like they will accept your voucher, and you can bet your bottom dollar they will let you top it up too.

http://www.condorcycles.com/ourbicycles.html

I know they do with Halfords vouchers and I've heard the guys in there saying the same is true for other vouchers too. Worth a call/ visit.

Thank god for that... I was about to apply for a bank loan...

andy83

feel for you

sometimes i just wished someone setting up the scheme was actually into cycling

took me 7 months for them to agree to it now over a week since they said they would send the agreement for me to sign. only plus side is they do cyclescheme and the shop i have found is very lets say relaxed on what i spend the money on

the main reaction i have had from people where i work is why wont they pay my bus fare, why wont they help towards a car, can i just have the money lol

glad it looks like you can get a bkie you want

im off to the shop again tomo to add a few more parts to my quote, new pedals shoes etc, my works fault for not sending me the code to enter my valuation cert online

navt

Apparently £1K cap is due to credit licensing requirements. In rolling out the C2W scheme, government pre-approved credit as already pointed out, this is a lease agreement.

Fortunately, my company is in possession of a credit license so no cap for me. Woo hoo! Pity then that OH is in full control of my finances. Sob

minus9ine

I'm going through a similar thing with my employer's scheme. I work at a university who have set up their own, using local suppliers. My number one choice of bike was a condor fratello but I wanted a 10-speed build, all of which are over £1K.

Though the condor site implies you can use any cycle2work scheme, that's not the case in practice unfortunately so I'd definitely ring them (or email - I got a phone call back within minutes of emailing them last week!). If they do take your voucher, they will let you top up - it seems the way to do it is to pay the extra as a deposit when ordering the bike so the remaining balance is £1K.

(edit to add: now I see the cycle solutions icon, so you're all set with them!)

DonDaddyD

Condor are great bikes and all but if I can go through another bike shop and breach the £1000 barrier I'd rather a Kuota as that is what my heart is set on.

Does anyone know any other bike shops that support cycle solutions?

Failing that, I'll probably go with a Bianchi C2C 105 or Veloce - if its available on the scheme. If not then maybe a Specialized Allez Elite, though I'm not overly keen.... on that

bigmat

That scheme sucks! Are you sure you don't have access to the same bikes as Halfords' scheme? That was the one I ended up with, and they dealt with Wheelies I think. You could then get a Boardman or Viner with carbon frame and better than 105 groupset and upgrade the other bits at your own pace.

Also, did you check out the hybrids? You could get a lot of hybrid for £1,000. A lovely shiny new hybrid with big chunky wheels!

UnworthyPapaLazaru

MatHammond wrote:

That scheme sucks! Are you sure you don't have access to the same bikes as Halfords' scheme?

They all suck. Well, most of them do as they have some restrictions in choice. I was hopeful of using a local shop but got halfords instead. My local shop had a Wilier Mortirolo 08 for 999. I ask halfords about getting this but as it was a sale price it was a no go. The SRP had to be £1000 or under.

In the end I have decided to go for the Boardman Team Carbon with SRAM Rival. It is the end of my dream of Italian bike with campag, but I am getting what is now regarded as the best £1000 carbon bike with an incredible spec and which recently got 10/10 in cycling weekly. Its hard to be dissapointed when I calculate I will end up pay maybe £700 tops for this.

Ive made a compramise, but Im going to get an excellent bike regardless.

bigmat

UnworthyPapaLazaru wrote:

It is the end of my dream of Italian bike with campag

Or you could have got a Viner Gladius, with Campag Centaur - Italian bike, Italian groupset, Italian everything in fact (oh OK, the frame is made in Taiwan). A few weeks of customising later and it weighs in at under 17lbs, handles like a dream and I reckon my overall outlay stands at under £800.

UnworthyPapaLazaru

Centuar? For £1000 SRP, are you sure?

Must admit Im not all that keen on Viner, not half as good looking as Wilier.

bigmat

Well its not full Centaur - you get front / rear mech (carbon), carbon brake levers (08 shape), cable set, then the bb / crankset / wheels / calipers are all Miche (also Italian). Finishing kit is Deda (Italian). Not sure about Viner vs. Wilier but for £1,000 and Campag it was either that or some Alu job from Condor with Veloce if I was lucky.

Boardman looks a nice bike, I'd have gone for that if I didn't already have Campag kit.

UnworthyPapaLazaru

When was this. Sounds like a good deal so suggests it was a year or two ago??

grayo59

Do not equate Brizzle with Zummerset - or Gloster. We bist our very own City and County and we bist varrrrry proud of it!

Except when we want to adopt Concorde as our own (when it is of course from Filton, Gloucestershire) or when we want to talk about the Bristol Channel (the only sea around Britain named after an English City) when in actuality it separates Zummerset from Wales.

cyberknight

We have just had the cycle to work kick off again at work but if you had 1 last year you cant do it this year because the new one starts before last years has ended and you cannot have 2 at the same time..

Numpties i wanted to upgrade as well

Eau Rouge

I've noticed some very nice new shiny bikes in our bike sheds as the annual cycle to work scheme vouchers arrived a couple of weeks ago. It's nice to have a little look at what people are buying.
I'm also ridiculously jealous of them all and their shiny new bikes. Silly supplier sent the LBS the wrong spec bike, so I've got to wait until "sometime next week" before I can get mine. :roll:

cyberknight

Al those shiney bikes........

Last year we had 4 stolen in 1 day even though there`s a camera the security guards are not supposed to challenge anyone