Buying a bike - advice

Mr._OCaz

My employer has recently started a cycle to work scheme where you they pay for a bike and deduct it from your wages before tax and NI. Anyway I thought I would take advantage of it as looking to use bike to add to my fitness regime and may consider riding to work if weather is alright.

Under the scheme I have to get it from Halfords

Halford's bikes

Anyway I am a bit overwhelmed with the choice of bikes considering last time I had a bike was over 10 years ago. I don't want to spending loads on it and was thinking of something like spending £150-£300 as it will mostly be a weekend thing going on odd trail and then cycle on a morning mainly through streets and parks for a bit of fitness.

Any advice appreciated

photome

Forget £150 but if you only want to spend £300 you cant go wrong with the Carrerra vulcan

this is the disc spec

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_518255_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

It is £300 at mo but is often around the £250 mark

V brake spec is cheaper

You will get more advice on this forum http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/

rev_henry

Halfords is not a good place to buy a bike from in general but you obviously have no choice. The carrera range is good, don't go anywhere near a cheap and nasty Apollo though.

yorkie2

Mr._OCaz wrote: »

I don't want to spending loads on it and was thinking of something like spending £150-£300 as it will mostly be a weekend thing going on odd trail and then cycle on a morning mainly through streets and parks for a bit of fitness.

Then you are not eligible to benefit from the scheme. You should cycle to work at least 50% of the time.

A £150ish bike won't be a pleasure to ride at all... but if £150-£300 is what you can spend then you can actually get a bike costing up to around £450 as the price you pay is less than the cost of the bike due to the tax benefits of the scheme.

Carerra bikes are okay, I would get the best you can possibly afford and bear in mind with many bikes the pedals and saddles they provide are basic and should be replaced with higher spec models. Also don't forget to allow for accessories such as mudguards and lights. These can also be included on the cycle to work scheme.

A cheap bike isn't worth bothering with.

Mind_the_Gap

yorkie2 wrote: »

Then you are not eligible to benefit from the scheme. You should cycle to work at least 50% of the time.

A £150ish bike won't be a pleasure to ride at all... but if £150-£300 is what you can spend then you can actually get a bike costing up to around £450 as the price you pay is less than the cost of the bike due to the tax benefits of the scheme.

Carerra bikes are okay, I would get the best you can possibly afford and bear in mind with many bikes the pedals and saddles they provide are basic and should be replaced with higher spec models. Also don't forget to allow for accessories such as mudguards and lights. These can also be included on the cycle to work scheme.

A cheap bike isn't worth bothering with.

Er... I cannot think it is the case that the Bicycle Police will be out there secretly filming OP's journeys to work and dobbing him in to the Cycling Tsar if he uses the bike for other journeys instead. :eek:

My understanding of the scheme is that is is intended to promote cycling generally and thus better health in employees, also it's a very welcome and rare tax break for those of us who don't have the opportunity to get tax-free bonuses, Caribbean mini-breaks, shares, golf-club membership etc.

I write as someone who benefited from this scheme - I went for the maximum I could (£1000), salary sacrifice over 3 years and got a Giant - it's amazing. I did not intend to cycle to work on it originally (and made that clear to my employers, who didn't care), but owing to the fact it has about a million gears and I can manage the whacking great hills in the Dales, I do now!

As far as OP is concerned, I'd say good for you. Get the best one you can afford and enjoy it!

Mind_the_Gap

Mr._OCaz wrote: »

Under the scheme I have to get it from Halfords

Any advice appreciated

Are you sure you have to get it from Halfords?

I got one and Halfords was vigorously promoted by my employer, but there are plenty of smaller independent retailers who participate in the scheme and they are much better at advising you about the right bike for you. I got mine from the local bike shop in the end, but still using the CTWS:

http://www.bike2workscheme.co.uk/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=cycle%2Bto%2Bwork%2Bscheme&utm_campaign=Bike%2B2%2BWork%2BScheme

SteveJW

I work for one of the largest local authorities in the UK, they operate the scheme and have tied themselves in with Halfords.

Appears to be at odds with some of the statements they make in the local press saying they are promoting local shops

I take this not to mean a large chain that happens to have an outlet in the area

Mrs_Arcanum

You may find by the time you come to order your bike the choice will not be as overwhelming as you think. You will need a deposit to actually reserve the bike you want as it takes some time from requesting a bike on the scheme and actually being able to cycle away.

Tucker

From the description of the type of riding you want, you definitely DO NOT want to get a mountain bike.

Sooooo many people just buy a mountain bike and have no intention of using it for the terrain it is for. It's as though they are the only type of bike available or something.

The big fat nobbly tyres are no good on cycle paths and roads.

You sound ideal for a hybrid bike.

photome

Tucker wrote: »

From the description of the type of riding you want, you definitely DO NOT want to get a mountain bike.

Sooooo many people just buy a mountain bike and have no intention of using it for the terrain it is for. It's as though they are the only type of bike available or something.

The big fat nobbly tyres are no good on cycle paths and roads.

You sound ideal for a hybrid bike.

I was going to post similar, but I think the OP would be better with a MB if going on trails as he suggests.

I also think he should go to the website I suggested for more advice.

Its also possible he will never return here to let us know either way:D

sebdangerfield

One benefit of the Halfords scheme is that leisure lakes accept their vouchers so you don't need to actually go to Halfords at all!