Cycle2Work scheme comes to work!

Wrath Rob

Finally, after 2 years of asking we've finally got the C2W scheme here. It looks like they've done a good job of it too, with vouchers form £250 to £1000 and a choice of either Evans or Cyclescheme, and we can officially top up the voucher. Hurrah!

Obviously I don't need a £1000 bike for the commute but I've already rationalised the decision by thinking:

1 - The Boardman is over 2 years old now
2 - It needs a service and is likely to not be cheap, i.e. around £200
3 - Therefore by getting a bike through the scheme I'm therefore getting a £1000 bike for £300

So, with the head battle already one (and the wife's happy too as she understands that I do around 3.5k miles a year and it won't sit unused in the shed), I need to select a bike and a supplier. Can anyone recommend a LBS near EC1 or SW18 where I can go and try a few out and get sized properly? There's a list of valid shops here that I can select from.

Any recommendations for a bike would be gratefully received too!

londonbairn

Started here too, sounds like you may work for the same company or similiar that uses the same benefits scheme

Apparently if you go via Evans, they will honour their sale prices. I am personally going through Planet X

rolf_f

Granted a new bike is obviously needed, what are you doing with the Boardman? It will still need a service whether or not you buy a new one unless you bin it which would be a terrible mistake.

Why not service it yourself, let the LBS do any remaining bits you aren't confident with (my LBS charges about £80 for a full service so not sure where £200 comes from unless there are many new parts needed) and use the B2W scheme to get a nice roadbike.

2 years old is nothing.

Wrath Rob

Rolf F wrote:

Granted a new bike is obviously needed, what are you doing with the Boardman? It will still need a service whether or not you buy a new one unless you bin it which would be a terrible mistake.

Why not service it yourself, let the LBS do any remaining bits you aren't confident with (my LBS charges about £80 for a full service so not sure where £200 comes from unless there are many new parts needed) and use the B2W scheme to get a nice roadbike.

2 years old is nothing.

I wondered if someone was going to post something along those lines

The last service was £60 plus a new rear cassette, new chain, new pads 2 cables and new tape, totalling around £160. This time I think it will need the same, minus the tape and pads but in addition I'm getting some ominous noises from the BB and a rattle from the headset. I think the latter is just a little tightening that's needed but its the former that's more concerning! I've also replaced the wheels once as both hubs in the originals started rattling and I still havn't gotten around to fixing them

As to what I was going to do with it, I've not decided. I've already got a MTB and a single speed and I don't really ride much at the weekend so keeping it isn't really an option. Its not a good enough frame to build into another bike. Its still a very good, serviceable bike that's carried me for over 10k miles and providing its serviced will certainly be capable of many more. I'll most likely eBay it and let someone else have the joy

Canny Jock

Condor is not too far away, on Grays Inn Road just west of the City.

Wrath Rob

Thanks Jock, I've got them on the site and will have a look.

Any more suggestions as to where I can go, try out a bike or 3 and also have it set up properly for me?

rolf_f

Wrath Rob wrote:

The last service was £60 plus a new rear cassette, new chain, new pads 2 cables and new tape, totalling around £160. This time I think it will need the same, minus the tape and pads but in addition I'm getting some ominous noises from the BB and a rattle from the headset. I think the latter is just a little tightening that's needed but its the former that's more concerning! I've also replaced the wheels once as both hubs in the originals started rattling and I still havn't gotten around to fixing them

BB? I had one replaced on my Dawes - about £25 fitted. I think the part was about £15 - regarded as consumables these days. And you should learn to do some stuff yourself because it just keeps everything running much more nicely between services.

£100 for those parts sounds a bit pricey but binning a bike for the cost of a cassette and BB is like binning a car because the battery is knackered.

To put it another way, if you want a new bike, get a new bike but don't blame it on the old one

Wrath Rob

Rolf F wrote:

BB? I had one replaced on my Dawes - about £25 fitted. I think the part was about £15 - regarded as consumables these days. And you should learn to do some stuff yourself because it just keeps everything running much more nicely between services.

I'm happy to replace cables, pads, rear cassettes, chains, set up brakes, index gears etc, but head-sets and BB's are beyond my tool chest ATM.

Rolf F wrote:

To put it another way, if you want a new bike, get a new bike but don't blame it on the old one

Point taken, but I don't think it is a matter of blame, more I'm in the lucky position to be able to upgrade cheaply and one thing to consider is the cost of keeping the current machine running, offset against the cost of a new one. And the wife would go spare if I kept 4 bikes around the house

londonbairn

I'd be concerned that you're having to replace those parts regulary.

My girlfriend is doing the scheme and getting herself a pink Planet X, even with the £100 admin fee it's great deal.

Roastie

Wrath Rob wrote:

Finally, after 2 years of asking we've finally got the C2W scheme here...!

Yo Wrath, who do you work for - not a certain power company?

Ours was also finally came through today ... would be quite a conincidence

Wrath Rob

No mate, I work for a bank. I think most of these points based schemes are run by external companies hence the similarities. Ours seems very similar to other banks, and itself is very similar to a scheme I had for a large, enterprise software company I worked for several years ago.

Roastie

Wrath Rob wrote:

No mate, I work for a bank. I think most of these points based schemes are run by external companies hence the similarities. Ours seems very similar to other banks, and itself is very similar to a scheme I had for a large, enterprise software company I worked for several years ago.

Yeah sure, it was just a bit curious when I'd just got the mail announcing our long awaited scheme, 2 years in the making and then saw your post. Coincidence no doubt.

londonbairn

Is it DB?

thelawnet

My LBS charged me £30 for a service. Did a good job too. Even replaced the stripped bolt I couldn't remove myself (and I didn't mention it to them).

mroli

If you're going to sell your boardman - you should do it in the classifieds on here - you won't get charged the fees by ebay, it will go to a fellow member of the bike radar community and everyone is happy!

Just remember to include pics!

Wrath Rob

Londonbairn, it is indeed. Where are you? I'm in 20FC

Lawnet, I'm having mixed results with Holdsworths in Putney but haven't tried them for a service

Mroli, good point and something I'll definitely bear in mind.