Chosing a bike from Cycle To Work Scheme (Beginner)

Zamora

Hi I am pretty much a total beginner and I do not currently cycle at all.

However I am thinking of getting a bike due to my companies Cycle To Work Scheme. My Daily commute would be about 4.5 miles each way. I would possibly ride it a bit further on the odd weekend but this would probably be only occasionally.

I have a budget of £1000, and I have to buy my bike from
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/
I would prefer the bike not to cost the full £1000 so I can get a few accessories and I have to but the bike online, so I cannot try the bike before purchassing.

So far I am thinking that I would prefer an upright riding position and am thinking of the Hybrid bikes.

I know absolutely nothing about bikes but so far from doing some research and talking to colleagues I am thinking of the following and would appreciate any input;

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/specialized ... duct/40781
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/giant-escap ... duct/46482
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/specialized ... duct/46068

Thanks for reading!!
Zamora.

craker

I wouldn't spend £1000 and I probably wouldn't bother with cyclescheme. A hybrid from one of the bigger brands is probably a smart place to start though, make sure it can take mudguards if you want to commute throughout the winter. Others may suggest getting a rack to carry your luggage but I'm not too fussed about using a rucksack.

Most importantly, make sure you're comfortable on the bike. Get something that fits well, spend some money on decent cycling clothes - padded gloves, padded shorts, waterproof / windproof jacket and waterproof overshoes even. There's nothing more grim than wearing the wrong clothes on a wet day on the bike, even if you are riding like Bradley Wiggins.

pdw

Any of the above look like reasonable options. The one recommendation I would make is get something with both rack and mudguard mounts. You may choose to use neither, but for a commuting bike it's very good to have the option, and not something that you can change easily after the fact.

I'd recommend having a shop around, and understanding fully what you will save by using your company cycle to work scheme. With some schemes, the scheme operator takes a cut from the retailer, meaning you won't get the best deal. Some schemes offer decent savings overall, others do not.

I'd also recommend not spending too much: if you get into it, you're likely to want to upgrade to a "proper" road bike before too long, and if you don't, you'll be happy enough having not spent too much on a bike that you just use to get from A to B.

matt@theforce

Personally I would look to keep the price of the bike around £300-£400 which leaves you a little under the £500 for clothing/lock/lights/helmet etc. Don't go above the £500, this way your final purchase price (should you intend to keep it) will be a lower percentage than over £500. I managed this last year and used my bike for around 34miles per day commute so there is no need to spend the full £1000 if your not 100% sure on the bike & if you will be commuting all year round etc.

Just because you have to buy online doesn't mean you can't try the bike 1st. Make your shortlist then look around your local bike shops to see if they have any in your shortlist then go and have a look and get a feel for the bike/s.

gaz79

I think it would be a good idea to borrow a suitable bike from a friend if possible, and give the commute a trial for a week or two.This would provide an introduction to cycling and give you some idea of what your daily commute involves and whether your likely to stick at it. I think it would be unwise to spend anywhere near your full budget when you don't currently cycle at all.

Or maybe consider something second hand initially, you can always get a better bike later on if you catch the bug. You'll also have a better idea of what sort of bike you really want.

joelsim

Why would you advise against Cycle To Work? It's tax free!

joelsim

I's go for this personally. Great equipment on it in every sense.

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/cube-sl-cro ... duct/46858

craker

Joelsim wrote:

Why would you advise against Cycle To Work? It's tax free!

'cos you pay over the odds for a bike and then have to pay a settlement fee at the end of the first year (and the bike isn't technically yours for another four after that). I don't want to scaremonger here, it's a good deal, just not a great one and there are plenty of other ways of getting good value on a bike purchase.

pdw

Depends entirely on the scheme. Some use middle-man companies like Cyclescheme who take a cut from the retailer, restricting where you can buy from and meaning the retailer may not give you the best deals.

Similarly, some schemes recoup the full cost of the bike during the tax-free hire period, and charge you an additional final transfer fee. Others reduce the amount you pay during the first year, in anticipation of a final transfer fee. Others just allow you to defer the transfer until the tax man agrees that the bike is worthless.

So, as I said above, find out exactly what you will save on your particular scheme.

matt@theforce

My settlement fee was for full ownership of the bike (although others maybe different) I did also have the option to lease the bike for another 1 or 3 years, with my tax deductions & final settlement fee I paid around £300 for my £500 bike, plus £100 in parts to run it for a year then with the £600 I saved in fuel/parking costs leaves me about £200 in profit & I own the bike

As others have said, check what Cyclescheme your employer is offering as they are all different & have different settlement options.

dombo6

Agree with craker. Unless you are in the 40-45% tax bracket the scheme isn't worth it, and even then it's a hassle. £1000 is a lot to spend on a bike that's likely only to be used for commuting 9 miles a day and possibly little else. There are plenty of other bike shops with plenty of deals around the £300 mark, reduced from 350-400. Advantage is the bike's yours from day one and you can try them out for fit etc. Specialized, Trek, Fuji, Giant etc all do decent bikes in that range.
Or better still, get a knowledgeable friend to advise you and go secondhand - even more bargains to be had.

terryhughes

I did this in Feb with Halfords. I got the Voodoo Hoodo 12.13 frame after reading the reviews for the best MTB for £500. I have since put slicks on it and always have the forks locked out so it's a heavy Hybrid doing over 300 miles a month.

I pay around £24 a month for this bike after tax. I bought it when it was reduced to £450 and then took advantage of 10% discount by ordering online and picking it up in store. Down to £410. I then got £50 of accessories for free and could use the £90 saved on my vouchers for accessories too. Accessories were on 3 for 2 so I filled my boots.

All in all I walked out of there with around £700 of kit and I pay £24 a month for 12 months which I save in fuel within 2 weeks of the months so this is beyond cost neutral. Cycle for work is the only way to buy a bike IMO and I can't wait until feb to get a Hybrid.

kennygalbraith

I just finished the cycle scheme after a year, unfortunately our company didn't give the option to extend it beyond a year. Personally I don't think you save much with the scheme, better waiting for sales and buying one.You're doing under 5 miles each way, you may be better getting a second hand bike or a loan of one and see if you like it.