Cycling is good for everyone! (But WE know that already!)

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  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Wow, thats a very positive article. Though the cynic in me thinks its a shame that an activity that so many people enjoy for its own sake needs this kind of economic and enviro-ethical justification. :)
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  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,741
    good innit - maybe all bikes and components should be zero rated for VAT, that would be a better shot in the arm for the industry as a whole and would be a lot more efficient than the cycle-to-work schemes...

    it's good to see the LSE providing the numbers, makes it harder for the clarksonites to ignore :-)
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  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    well its good to know that doing something you enjoy is benefiting everyone! :)
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  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    edhornby wrote:
    it's good to see the LSE providing the numbers, makes it harder for the clarksonites to ignore :-)

    Nah, the LSE clearly have an agenda here...

    ;)
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  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    Zero VAT would be a fine idea, I'm sure there's an argument that an increase in numbers and resulting benefit to the economy would more than offset the lost revenue.
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  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    i like the zero VAT idea too...but it might have to be limited value bikes...say £1000 (per VAT?) :twisted:

    not so blue: are you running for PM or local MP anytime soon? ;)
    Boardman Hybrid Commuter Workhorse
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Caught this on the news this morning, when I saw the initial intro for it and it mentioned "safety needs improving" I thought it was going to start harping on about helmets. Thankfully they avoided that but did mention about safer infrastructure which is a much bigger point IMHO :-)
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  • thefilbertfox
    thefilbertfox Posts: 91
    Some interesting comments in the Independant story covering the same subject:
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/wheels-of-fortune-how-cycling-became-a-1633bnayear-industry-2341657.html
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  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    It found that each of the UK's 13million cyclists generated an annual "gross cycling product" of £230
    :lol:
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  • gilesjuk
    gilesjuk Posts: 340
    Bassjunkieuk wrote:
    I thought it was going to start harping on about helmets. Thankfully they avoided that but did mention about safer infrastructure which is a much bigger point IMHO :-)

    I wouldn't mind them mentioning helmets if it was in the context of making them actually worth wearing. As it stands they're pretty useless in many cases.

    Someone died at the weekend falling off their bike on a steep descent. The helmet didn't save them. Now I don't know the full details, it may have been a face first crash which would require a full face helmet to survive.

    More R&D and higher standards are required for helmets if they are truly going to save lives.

    Countries with the highest number of cyclists have the lowest cycling casualty rates due to the safety in number effect, better facilities and greater awareness of cyclists. They also don't wear helmets.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    This was a continuous thread on the BBC breafast show this morning.....

    Not sure of the value of zero rating for VAT of this, it may be a £2.4B industry (in terms of sales) but as nearly all the sales is of imported goods I'm really not sure what benefit you predict from it's growth, we need to encourage the growth of industries where we can be net exporters!

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • jds_1981
    jds_1981 Posts: 1,858
    gilesjuk wrote:
    Someone died at the weekend falling off their bike on a steep descent. The helmet didn't save them. Now I don't know the full details, it may have been a face first crash which would require a full face helmet to survive.

    What rankled me on that story is a couple of news sites said "despite wearing a helmet".
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  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    The Beginner wrote:
    This was a continuous thread on the BBC breafast show this morning.....

    Not sure of the value of zero rating for VAT of this, it may be a £2.4B industry (in terms of sales) but as nearly all the sales is of imported goods I'm really not sure what benefit you predict from it's growth, we need to encourage the growth of industries where we can be net exporters!

    Simon

    If VAT being dropped means that sales go up then that at the very least should = more jobs in bike shops. Better than nothing in the current climate, especially given the knock on benefits and savings (health, congestion etc) of cycling.
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  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    I think its interesting they're suggesting that further growth may be limited by the infrastructure.
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  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    gilesjuk wrote:
    Bassjunkieuk wrote:
    I thought it was going to start harping on about helmets. Thankfully they avoided that but did mention about safer infrastructure which is a much bigger point IMHO :-)

    I wouldn't mind them mentioning helmets if it was in the context of making them actually worth wearing. As it stands they're pretty useless in many cases.

    Someone died at the weekend falling off their bike on a steep descent. The helmet didn't save them. Now I don't know the full details, it may have been a face first crash which would require a full face helmet to survive.

    More R&D and higher standards are required for helmets if they are truly going to save lives.

    Countries with the highest number of cyclists have the lowest cycling casualty rates due to the safety in number effect, better facilities and greater awareness of cyclists. They also don't wear helmets.

    It's ridiculous isn't it? I also believe someone died in a car crash over the weekend and they were wearing a seatbelt. Just goes to show they're a waste of time too.
  • jds_1981
    jds_1981 Posts: 1,858
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    It's ridiculous isn't it? I also believe someone died in a car crash over the weekend and they were wearing a seatbelt. Just goes to show they're a waste of time too.

    Potentially an argument for five point seat belts at least.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    notsoblue wrote:
    I think its interesting they're suggesting that further growth may be limited by the infrastructure.

    *ahem*

    Who'd have thought it eh?
    _
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    notsoblue wrote:
    I think its interesting they're suggesting that further growth may be limited by the infrastructure.

    *ahem*

    Who'd have thought it eh?

    Well its interesting because its a link to what the LCC are saying about Blackfriars bridge to a £3bn boost to the British economy.
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  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Since we've implemented our new HR system where I work I've been able to look back over my sickness record. In the 4 years I've been cycle commuting I've had a total of 8 days off, not bad over a 4 year period but then 5 of them where caused directly by cycling as it was time off after a bit of a serious accident ;-)

    Also as I'm entitled to claim back any travel expenses from my employer (lucky me eh!) I'm saving them a ton of money by not using public transport and I dread to think how much it would cost working in London if I used my car, one colleague who was covering a site a couple of weeks back said it cost £170 in mileage, parking and congestion charge :-)
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  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    bails87 wrote:
    The Beginner wrote:
    This was a continuous thread on the BBC breafast show this morning.....

    Not sure of the value of zero rating for VAT of this, it may be a £2.4B industry (in terms of sales) but as nearly all the sales is of imported goods I'm really not sure what benefit you predict from it's growth, we need to encourage the growth of industries where we can be net exporters!

    Simon

    If VAT being dropped means that sales go up then that at the very least should = more jobs in bike shops. Better than nothing in the current climate, especially given the knock on benefits and savings (health, congestion etc) of cycling.
    In which case you have a selective argument as the same could be argued for any sports goods as well as gym membership for example, the country can't afford that, so have you a workable idea instead?

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    The Beginner wrote:
    bails87 wrote:
    The Beginner wrote:
    This was a continuous thread on the BBC breafast show this morning.....

    Not sure of the value of zero rating for VAT of this, it may be a £2.4B industry (in terms of sales) but as nearly all the sales is of imported goods I'm really not sure what benefit you predict from it's growth, we need to encourage the growth of industries where we can be net exporters!

    Simon

    If VAT being dropped means that sales go up then that at the very least should = more jobs in bike shops. Better than nothing in the current climate, especially given the knock on benefits and savings (health, congestion etc) of cycling.
    In which case you have a selective argument as the same could be argued for any sports goods as well as gym membership for example, the country can't afford that, so have you a workable idea instead?

    Simon

    The country could afford to cancel the planned petrol price rises. It can afford C2W, why can't it afford this?

    But everyone knows that people join the gym in January, go once, and then forget about it, so that's completely different to repeated bike use :wink:

    Edit: Actually, if cutting £10 of tax in one place will save the government more than £10 of spending somewhere else then I'd actually say it's a good thing. So why not cut tax on gym membership and cycling stuff? That way the gov't ends up being better off. So if we're strapped for cash then it seems like the obvious thing to do, it'll make the gov't better off won't it?
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