Bicycle Dilemma

nheather

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The Cycle2Work scheme will be starting at work soon and I'm thinking of getting a hybrid.

The aim is to use it for general exercise. In particular where I'd normally jump in the car to go into town or to friends will take the bike instead.

So what's my dilemma.

I would want something decent. In the scheme we have to use Halfords (unfortunately) but fortunately the Boardman Hybrids are pretty good. I can afford a nice bike so I am looking at two models priced at £750 and £1000.

But I'm worried about security. If I take it to town and lock it n a cycle rack will it till be there when I get back. Particularly as many of the components are quick release and can be removed in seconds.

Am I being paranoid. Do you have his fer or any experience, good or bad.

A cheaper bike would be less attractive but I don't want one of those.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Last year I was biking to work and got a puncture about a 10 min walk from work, so I struggled to the bus route that I could use to get home, and locked bike up next to a set of traffic lights. This was at about 6.50 AM, came back at 11.30 am, no bike :(

I'd also taken the seat off as it was quick release. So basically, between 7-11am, someone had robbed a bike with no seat and a puncture, oh and it wasn't an expensive bike at all, think it was £120, although it was in quite a bad area :(

on the contrary, I'd lokced a bike up at work a lot before this and a lot after this with no problems soo :(
 
Get rid of the QR on the sadlle. The lock should go through the frame and rear wheel. Front wheels alone aren't that desirable but you can always get a second cable lock to secure the front wheel to the lock.

Hybrids are less desirable (the trade off being they're less fun to ride). Of course as mentioned above some people will nick anything.
 
Get a good lock or two. Be sensible about where you leave it. Secure it properly. Register the bike on immobilise. Make sure it's covered on your insurance and enjoy.

I've got the boardman team and use one of these and while it weighs a ton to carry round it's quite secure and not too expensive.

Unfortunately bike theft is still prevalent but some simple security tips can help you become far less likely to be targeted.
 
Change all quick release to bolt through and spend good money on an insurance approved lock and you should be OK.

I've heard that cheaper bikes are more attractive to low lifes due to being easier to sell on.
 
Yeah get a decent lock (some, like the Kryptonite, have their own insurance with them) and make sure it's covered on your home insurance and don't worry about it.
 
Yeah get a decent lock (some, like the Kryptonite, have their own insurance with them) and make sure it's covered on your home insurance and don't worry about it.

The Kryptonite insurance is more of a sales pitch it has many conditions including that you have to send them back the compromised lock.
 
My company also use Halfords for their cycle to work scheme but when I checked out the small print they have a selection of Indy shops where you can buy the bike from.You have to contact Halfords regarding the purchase and they deal with the purchase it also states you need to pay the full rrp.
 
I'm worried about security. If I take it to town and lock it n a cycle rack will it till be there when I get back. Particularly as many of the components are quick release and can be removed in seconds.

Am I being paranoid.

I ride custom rigs.. And I'm very aggressive on them.. Security around Birmingham is a joke.. I was leaving work and 6 lads were just waiting for me, the fat ring leader needed taking out first, luckily a mean stare sorted this time, otherwise I'd of been in trouble.. iv been chased by up to ten teenagers from cannon hill on their own bikes..

I never leave my bike anywhere. Iv taken it inside Tesco and put it next to the security guard... I guess I'm lucky cos I don't go in wearing lycra lol! Plus the bikes are 'cool' lol! I stand outside offies or newsagents and ask them kindly for any needs..

Learn routes that are quicker on bike.. I cut through parks, unis.. Some roads are just impossible during rush hour.. I would never leave it anywhere.. Even take it into my parent's house and every work place :)
 
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Too paranoid to leave mine anywhere to be honest but I'm in London where I've crime is rife. I leave mine in the corridor and indoors at work, don't think I've locked it outside ever. I had one nicked from my yard before so am a sensitive about my latest bike.

That said you should be ok if you do it right, I'd get at least two locks as well as one of those metal ties that goes thought the seat. Have a look at some video tutorials as well as the correct way to actually use locks as many people get good locks and simply don't fit them appropriately, sometimes thieves twist the entire bike and D-locks often just pop off, sometime people lock on sign posts with tiny signs on the top of a 10ft pole without thinking all they need it a ladder and they can lift the bike straight off the the top. Worst is when you see a wheel with all the spokes clipped a lonely figure and the rest of the bike has gone, I can't believe people actually do that.

Not something I'm prepared to do but I know a lot of people like to tape up their bikes to look less valuable than they are.

Lastly you can actually buy GPS trackers that can be hidden inside the bike which you can then tracks with a smart phone.
 
You'll never be able to stop someone from nicking your bike, it's just about deterrent esp if leaving for a decent period of time.

If leaving my road bike anywhere, I've always used two D type locks (Kryptonite, one small, one medium) to lock the frame and each wheel to an immovable object. I also use a long cable lock (just loops to hook round one of the D locks to secure through the rails of the seat).

Make sure it's in a busy pedestrian area so people will be less likely to attempt to nick it, esp once they see its locked up properly.

Google "Sheldon Locking Method" to get some great advice from the bike guru.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.

I must admit, I was expecting to be told that I was worrying too much because I know I can be a bit pessemistic sometimes.

But instead you have scared me even more. Not sure I'm going to bother now.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
I just got one of these a few weeks ago

Trek 7.5 FX 2013 Hybrid Bike | Evans Cycles

Got computer, lights, helmet and lock etc with it for £1,000 which is costing me £60 a month for ten payments

Done about 40 miles on it so far and head and shoulders better than the cheap bikes i have always had in the past
 
i use one lock that goes through each wheel and the frame, locking itself to itself kinda thing, and then another lock that goes through either the back or front wheel and the cycle post i am locking it to.
 
Got computer, lights, helmet and lock etc with it for £1,000 which is costing me £60 a month for ten payments

What does your employer charge you for the bike at the end of the scheme?

Under the scheme rules, the employer owns the bike and doesn't have to offer it to you but usually does. Some charge and some don't. Not sure what my employer does.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Where I work it used to be between 5-10 % of the original value was charged to pass ownership.However, in August 2010, HMRC introduced an increase in the deduction to 18% for a bike originally valued at £499.99 or less and 25% for a bike valued at £500 or over.

These figures cancelled any benefits of the scheme.

They now issue a P11D which you should include on a tax return.This means you only pay your marginal rate of tax on the benefit.

Example : original bike price £1000 HMRC end of hire valuation 25% = £250.So assuming your tax rate is 20% then the tax liability is only £50 on the benefit.Makes the scheme more attractive again.
 
Example : original bike price £1000 HMRC end of hire valuation 25% = £250.So assuming your tax rate is 20% then the tax liability is only £50 on the benefit.Makes the scheme more attractive again.

Yes I shall be looking closely at that. For my scheme there are a few negatives

1 - You have to use Halfords. This limits the range and although you may be able to get Halfords to bring in something else you will have to pay full RRP and Halfords also add a build charge.

2 - In the scheme available for me you get charged full RRP. For example the Boardman bikes are on offer at the moment. If I went into the store as Joe PUblic I would be charged £675 but under the scheme I am charged £750

3 - In the scheme available to me it is mandatory that it is financed using a Halfords loan so there is interest on top.

4 - And then there is the buy back price at the end. I don't know what my employer charges.


Personally I don't understand how the Cycle2Work websites including the official one, can make headline claims on their home page that you can save upto 42% off the price of a bike and accessories, when you aren't buying the bike and must pay the employer a sum at the end to take ownership.


If you are not on 40% tax rate I can't see how the scheme is worth it. Even on 40% tax rate I will have to look closely at the scheme because I don't think it is going to work out much (any) cheaper than buying privately.

Assuming the buy-back was 25% this is what the £750 bike would cost me

Total cost including loan interest (assume 10%) = £825
Tax and NI savings on £825 = (£346.50)
Buy Back (assume 25%) = 187.50

TOTAL = £666

As a member of Joe Public I could walk in to Halfords and buy the same bike for £675

So saving = £9

Cheers,

Nigel

Cheers,

Nigel
 
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What are your aims for the bike?

I have a 2nd hand Carrera Gryphon Hybrid Bike that i picked up for less than £200 after my old hack/commuter bike was nicked from the garage. I'll happily leave it anywhere in town, on the basis if it gets nicked i'll get another cheapish £200 bike.

I would never leave any bike worth more than £200 out in the public, yes you can carry around 2-3 locks, but locks are heavy, and main difference between a £200 bike and a £800 one is usually the weight. So if your going to lug around 5-6kg of locks around every where, you might as well buy a cheap bike carry one lock and not worry about it :)

If you really want value for money go 2nd hand, I'm current riding/training on a 9 year old Trek Carbon framed road bike. Brand new it would have cost £2500 9 years ago, you can now pick one up for £700-800 off ebay, yes its 9 years old but it rides like a dream (just under 8Kg in weight, full DuraAce group set)..and feels just as nice as my other 18 months old (also 2nd hand) £1300 Trek road bike.

I should add there is world of difference between my Gryphon Hybrid and the two Trek Road bikes in regards to how they ride. The road bikes are simply so much faster, more fun and more comfortable. The hybrid is fine for commuting but I personally cannot manage more than 10 miles on it without getting very uncomfortable. The road bikes offer you lots more riding positions for your hands (down on the drops, on the hoods, on the bars), where as the hybrid you have just one riding position (on the bars).
 
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It does seem your scheme lacks any incentive.

My employers scheme allows us to pick a bike at halfords and reserve at that price until the paperwork comes through.This is at the store manager's discretion.

I'm looking into using the scheme in July when it reopens but from speaking to other workmates who have used the scheme none were charged the ownership transfer fee.
 
I'm looking into using the scheme in July when it reopens but from speaking to other workmates who have used the scheme none were charged the ownership transfer fee.

I suspect my scheme has no transfer fee - I was just using the HRMC guideline as an example because I don't know what they charge.

So should be better off through the schme, just pointing out that it isn't always as great as people think.

I'm probably looking at a £200 saving on a £750 bike which is nice, not the 42% that the scheme brags about. The only thing I will have to watch is that I'm tied to Halfords. So cheaper bikes, more range, or bigger discounts elsewhere aren't available.

Our schme starts on 1st July and runs for one month. Is that normal. Got caught out last year when I found out it only ran for 1 month just 3 days too late.

Cheers

Nigel
 
Buy a rottweiler :D , the scheme is on where I work as well , not sure of the details about it though ...
 
Our schme starts on 1st July and runs for one month. Is that normal. Got caught out last year when I found out it only ran for 1 month just 3 days too late.

Cheers

Nigel
That seems normal, presumably they do this to stagger demand and reduce admin. In our place it's only available at the end of March, June, September and December.
 
What does your employer charge you for the bike at the end of the scheme?

Under the scheme rules, the employer owns the bike and doesn't have to offer it to you but usually does. Some charge and some don't. Not sure what my employer does.

Cheers,

Nigel

Apologies , i missed this. They dont charge me anything.

I should add this is the second time i have done it (have to leave it 3 years between bikes, got the last one for my wife).

I have checked with our HR each time and they confirmed all i pay is the ten monthly payments, my company is a FTSE100 company with a huge HR dept so im comfortable with what they are telling me
 
Apologies , i missed this. They dont charge me anything.

I should add this is the second time i have done it (have to leave it 3 years between bikes, got the last one for my wife).

I have checked with our HR each time and they confirmed all i pay is the ten monthly payments, my company is a FTSE100 company with a huge HR dept so im comfortable with what they are telling me

I think that is fine - I suspect my employer (also FTSE 100) will do the same.

The posts were just pointing out that the bike belongs to the employer but the scheme encourages to make it available at a sensible amount - HMRC suggests 25% - but an employer can choose 0% if they want.

I was just pointing out that if the HMRC recommendations were followed the deal isn't so great.

Cheers,

Nigel
 

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