Cycle to work scheme with £500 is it worth it ??

rusty656

I bought a MTB with last years C2W scheme i spent about £700 and having caught the cycling bug was looking at a road bike for this year but work have put a £500 limit due to the recession (boo hiss !!), is it worth doing ?? can a get a decent bike for £500 ??

I have looked at the the entry level Spesh, Trek and Giant and they seem ok am i just getting it for the sake of it or would i be better off waiting 12 months and seeing if they put the limit back up tio £1000 ?

Also has anybody been able to top up the loan with their own money, not sure if this can be done ??

I await your answers

alfablue

You might have to spend about £600-£650 for a decent entry level bike from the mainstream brands (Trek 1.2 for example). They are good, and although you will hanker after better if you get the road cycling bug, they are definitely good enough for many miles of fun at speed!

You are not supposed to top up the voucher but if you are using a scheme that uses LBS's (maybe Cyclescheme) you can probably do so discretely direct with the shop - agree with them before hand, pay say £150 deposit, then the voucher for £500 secures the bike. Everyone's happy.

williamwasp

The only problem with adding to the voucher is that you will be paying with money that has had tax and NI deducted.

Butterd2

I was able to Top Up (substantially) with Evans although Halfords were having none of it potentially costing them the sale of a £1500 Boardman.

sroberson

Ha ha ha - Halfords haven't got a clue!

I think the UK government should take a look at the Dutch cycle scheme, where you can top up to any amount and recieve the 1st 750 euros tax-free inclusive of work bonuses.

But lets face it - a hell of a lot more people in the Netherlands cycle to work. Not surewhat the figure is, but I ride 5 miles to work and probably see 100+.

carlstone

Keep an eye out for sale bikes, you should be able to get something decent for £500.

At Evans for £449.99



The problem with topping up is that the bike doesn't actually belong to you until the end of the payments and you have bought the bike back off your company. This isn't a problem if you trust the company you work for or if you don't think they will have a change of heart during the life of the scheme.

JohnCleland

What about a fixed gear bike, something like the Felt Dispatch or Specialized Langster.

rusty656

Thanks for the answers looks like i will have to approach my LBS and speak nicely, been looking at the Spesh Allez or the Trek so only topping up a bit !

Kieran_88

I got a ridgeback velocity just for commuting for 225euro on the cycle to work scheme and i must say i'm delighted with it

Kieran from Losing Belly Fat

cw42

Can highly recommend the spez allez for £500. Had mine for a year now and it's been a blast. Looking to upgrade once my term is finished in 6 months time, and will be keeping it for a winter bike.