Cycle to work scheme

coffeedog

Hooray! My employer went for cyclescheme! NOw to choose a bike What happens now, i have my employers code. Will the bike shop help me put a request in through cyclescheme?

Yorkie1

Don't know if it's the same as when I did a cycle scheme through work, but I went to the bike shop, got a quote for everything I wanted to buy (included things like jacket, lights, tool kit, helmet etc), then applied for the scheme through the details obtained at work.

I then got a voucher for the amount I'd applied for, and took it to the shop to buy the bike etc.

The shop didn't have any particular role other than providing the quote & selling me the bike. They did have behind the scenes paperwork to do once I'd brought my voucher in, but didn't apply for the voucher on my behalf.

sickparrot

coffeedog wrote: »

Hooray! My employer went for cyclescheme! NOw to choose a bike What happens now, i have my employers code. Will the bike shop help me put a request in through cyclescheme?

Go to the cyclescheme.co.uk website and find a decent local bike shop which sells the model you want, go there and get them to fill in a cyclescheme quote (they'll have a pad for it) with all the stuff you want, the important bit is the shop code, you'll also need your employer details as well as your own.

Go back home, on the cyclescheme home page, put the employer code in the little red box in the calculator section, this should change the box in the bottom left to your employer specific one (you may have to go through the palarver of calculating the savings to change the home page but I can't remember).

You can now put in all your details to start the application, you don't need to talk to your employer at all, it's all done through the website.

coffeedog

Thanks - that's a lot clearer. SO excited about getting a new bike and a bargain too

sickparrot

Update number 2: My voucher has now arrived, 23 days after the initial application which isn't bad but it could have come a bit sooner if it hadn't got entangled in our company mail system. Oh well, now to go get my new bike:D

rsj

Hi all,
quick query, what did ,those of you who have a bike thru the c2w scheme, get with your bike as your safety accesories? ie lights, lock, puncture repair.... Did anyone get panniers or better grips, Ive chanced my arm on these as technically they arent safety equip, but they are still there to make the ride to work more comfortable and feasible (lugging uniform etc). Think they will refuse my voucher for these??
I really want my bike!!!! lol

sheslookinhot

rsj wrote: »

Hi all,
quick query, what did ,those of you who have a bike thru the c2w scheme, get with your bike as your safety accesories? ie lights, lock, puncture repair.... Did anyone get panniers or better grips, Ive chanced my arm on these as technically they arent safety equip, but they are still there to make the ride to work more comfortable and feasible (lugging uniform etc). Think they will refuse my voucher for these??
I really want my bike!!!! lol

This time I used all the value to buy the bike.

Last time I bought a MTB, with panniers, panniers bags, lights, pump, mud guard and lock.

Altarf

sickparrot wrote: »

I've read on another forum that the Inland Revenue are starting to ask employers to charge a proper market value for the bike at the end of the scheme, not just the usual 5%. If this is the case I won't bother again, it removes the money-saving incentive to it.

Correct - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/eim21667a.htm

At the end of year 1, the "Acceptable disposal value percentage" for a bike costing under £500 is 18%, and for a bike over £500 is 25%.

And it appears to apply to existing schemes.

Yorkie1

rsj wrote: »

Hi all,
quick query, what did ,those of you who have a bike thru the c2w scheme, get with your bike as your safety accesories? ie lights, lock, puncture repair.... Did anyone get panniers or better grips, Ive chanced my arm on these as technically they arent safety equip, but they are still there to make the ride to work more comfortable and feasible (lugging uniform etc). Think they will refuse my voucher for these??
I really want my bike!!!! lol

I got the lights, tools for servicing it, a jacket, helmet, respray (I wanted it bright red!), a lock. Can't see you'll have any difficulty with panniers or grips. In any event, I didn't have to show the breakdown of the total invoice to my employers.

alexlyne

I have heard that many bike shops affiliated with a c2w scheme are generally charged up to 12% of the cost of a bike by the scheme administrators (where they make their money). And this is probably why folding bikes (at least) prices have been going up up up the last couple of years?

Anyone reckon that if you're buying a bike without one of these schemes then there's room for price negotiation on the bike and/or freebies?