cycle to work

alynponty

hi guys, looks like my dad is gonna do the scheme for me as my manager wreckens they wont do it until ive been there 2 years(sounds like b.s. to me but hey ho), just wondering when they say accessories what exactly can you get, planning on bike,helmet, some pads possibly, but just wondering what else i can get i.e. clothing shoes,tools, work stand, bike rack, etc

rockmonkeysc

Depends entirely on the shop you buy from but basically you can buy any accessories including clothing, tools, protective kit etc.
Your employer can refuse to offer you cycle to work for two years if that's their company policy.
Just remember, you don't own the bike until the final payment is made, your are just renting it.

Rookie1986

Your employer can refuse the cycle-2-work request if you choose silly accessories. My brother had his rejected because he selected a bike rack, the reasoning was, why should they supply him a bike rack for his car if he's planning on "cycling-2-work" his manager said it "didn't add up and was abuse of the scheme" - so don't just assume that you will be able to get anything and everything through it.

I would say get a decent hydration pack, pads, helmet and shoes as these are expensive items and won't be refused by your employer. Add the smaller "cheap" items yourself

The Rookie

You (and more importantly he?) are aware your father will be guilty of tax evasion if found out?

You are aware that it is a lease scheme for 12 months with then either an extension of the lease (until the bike has no 'value') or a purchase at 50% of the original price depending on the scheme?

penguin_of_death

From the Cycle to Work website:

Available

cycle helmets which conform to European standard EN 1078, bells, bulb horns, lights including dynamo packs, mirrors and mudguards to ensure the riders visibility is not impaired, cycle clips, dress guards, panniers, luggage carriers and straps to ensure luggage is carried safely, locks and chains to ensure cycle can be safely secured, pumps, puncture repair kits, tool kits and tyre sealant to allow for minor repairs, reflective clothing, white front reflectors, and spoke reflectors, child seats

Not available

Forks
Frames
Sat Navs
Cycle computers
Go pro camera
Turbo trainers
Cycle racks

This is not to say that the shop won't let you take a satnav or cycle rack, but that they may (and technically should) not

alynponty

had a word with general manager today and he will put the scheme through for me so been looking at a few bikes, cant really decide what to do i.e. do i get a more expensive bike and just a helmet or a cheaper bike and more extras, im not worried about buying bits as i go along so im edging towards a better bike. i know i can shop at tredz.co.uk and evans cycles so been looking there. have come across a lapierre that i like what are your thoughts
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/lapierre/raid-fx-2015-mountain-bike-ec102754
also any recommendations from these sites, i havent included any other links as there is such a selection its impossible for me as a beginner to pick out value for money and a good spec.
it will be used for mainly mountain riding, not full on dh but would like a bike that can take a thrashing , cheers guys.

The Rookie

Dreadful, it has the same fork as a £340 Carrera Vulcan.

What scheme does the company use? It may restrict your choices.

alynponty

cyclescheme, ive read good things about lapierre but thats why i asked on here to get 2nd opinion, is the fork that bad then, as things like that can be upgraded when needed, i just want a solid base

The Rookie

The fork is that bad - its the minimum acceptable for an MTB and seen on £300 hardtails, that price point is just about OK for getting a decent FS, but for a decent Lapierre you need 50% more money, like most big names their low end offerings are big on name and low on performance.

Do you want an FS? What sort of riding will you do?

For an FS at this price point, this http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-720s-full-suspension-mountain-bike-275-id_8326408.html#anchor_ComponentProductTechnicalInformation blows the Lapierre into the weeds, the Fork alone has an RRP of about 2.5 times the price of the one on the front of the Lapierre, lighter, better controlled (damping) and stiffer.

alynponty

to be honest with you i dont mind what i get, fs or harrdtail will be using it up bike park wales and some leisurely rides with kids, iused a rigid bike when i was younger on quite harsh trails and never really bothered me as ive never ridden a fs so cant compare, but just want a solid bike that can take a beating, must be from evans cycles though

The Rookie

Why must it be from Evans if you are using cyclescheme? Decathlon take cyclescheme vouchers, as do lots of other places.

Evans is not the best place for decent bikes at this price point.

alynponty

because on the site i have to use through work it only offers evans

cooldad

This is the Cyclescheme site.

http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/

So what scheme are you actually on?

The Rookie

Probably http://www.evanscycles.com/ride-to-work as that is Evans in house scheme and to be honest one of the worst an employer could pick.

cooldad

Rebas, XT bits and SLX brakes. About the best they have under a grand.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/ramin-five-2015-mountain-bike-ec071316

Chunkers1980

^^ That's pretty decent that.

alynponty

ive emailed work to find out exactly what scheme it is, but i know when i signed up through our benefits site it took me to evans site where i had to fill out a form direct to them and if its the worst scheme available would sound about right for this lot lol, ive got a list of the ones i like will post them soon

alynponty

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/elite-87-2014-mountain-bike-ec042079
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/rockhopper-expert-evo-2015-650b-mountain-bike-ec070633
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/rockhopper-pro-evo-2015-650b-mountain-bike-ec070632
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/scott/scale-960-2015-mountain-bike-ec075441
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/x-caliber-9-2015-mountain-bike-ec070992
did look at that pinnacle but not fussed on the look of it, might sound daft but i want it to look good too, depends what sort of deal evans will do, as i will definately need a helmet but other bits im not concerned about, or i go for a cheaper bike and get a few extra accessories

The Rookie

The Elite 8.7 is the only one that comes close to the Pinnacle, the Rockhopper evo 'expert' (expert at making a rip off bike?) is the stand out duffer from that group!

You can't even see a bike when riding it, let alone have time to worry about what it looks like, it doesn't sound daft, it is daft.

We asked the scheme as it was important, be worth finding out for definite which scheme it actually is!

alynponty

trouble im having is when i was into cycling the brands i knew then, now seem to be classed as rip offs, ive never even heard of half of these makes, and i dont know which scheme it is as work has its own dedicated benefit site ive emailed to ask. and i dont think looks are daft, you wouldnt buy a smart car just because rolls royce made it would you, looks are important as well as perfomance i do like the look of the pinnacle mind, but between that and the trek it doesnt leave much room for a helmet

rockmonkeysc

Big brands become reasonable value for bikes from £1500 upwards. Below that it's generally own brands like Evans Pinnacle bikes, Decathlons Rockriders and the various Halfords brands.
All the frames are made by the same factories as the big brands, none of them actually make anything, they just bolt bits together. As an example, Specialized and Carrera frames come off the same production lines yet the Carreras are loads cheaper because they don't have the big names and they are sold direct by the importer rather than having several people all put on their mark up before its sold to you.
I would forget about looks, they all look the same when plastered in mud and you can't see it when you're on it. Don't compromise quality and performance for aesthetics.

Chunkers1980

A brand is just the frame and selector (not maker) of most parts.

Frames tend to be made is a few (mainly one) factory for these types of bikes.

Brand means very little these days.

cooldad

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19627548#p19627548]alynponty[/url] wrote:

trouble im having is when i was into cycling the brands i knew then, now seem to be classed as rip offs, ive never even heard of half of these makes, and i dont know which scheme it is as work has its own dedicated benefit site ive emailed to ask. and i dont think looks are daft, you wouldnt buy a smart car just because rolls royce made it would you, looks are important as well as perfomance i do like the look of the pinnacle mind, but between that and the trek it doesnt leave much room for a helmet

Decent helmet (Bell, Giro and the like) can be had for around £20 on Ebay.

cooldad

And sometimes just ignoring the scheme makes more sense.

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/bikes/mountain-bikes/full-suspension/product/review-boardman-fs-team-650b-15-49524/

The Rookie

Most of the good value brands in this country and made in Merida owned factories, Carrera, Voodoo, Boardman, Pinnacle etc, Merida own a large percentage of Specialized and make most the cheaper end bike that are branded as Specialized.

Looks really are not that important, think of it like shagging an ugly bird (apologies for the reference) they are often grateful and a great lay, the good looking bird probably wont put out and if she does doesn't expect to make an effort, that's your job to show your gratitude. I'd rather have a good to ride bike that diodnt look so pretty (before it was brown with mud) than d rubbish one that looks nice.

On a recent club ride we had two newcommers on Rockhoppers, the women was really struggling due to the weight of her bike, I lifted it over a sty for her and almost put my back out, it must have weighed 16Kg (My FS weighs in at 10.1Kg) at least, probably more!

alynponty

fair point, ive just been reading some reviews now as i dont know anything about pinnacle, the trek xcaliber 8 has a great review 4.5/5 on this site and is 200 cheaper than the ramin 5, which didtn get very good reviews 3/5, these any good? did notice evans has them advertised with an xc30 fork but it actually comes with an xc32 if that makes a difference. sorry for going on guys but want to make the right choice as id never be able to afford one without this scheme.

The Rookie

Read the review and understand why it's marked down and see if that is relevant to you or not.

alynponty

read both and to be honest im now edging towards the xcaliber 9 same as 8 but with a better fork apprently