Cycle to work: Budget clampdown

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

There's apparently been many of these salary sacrifices over the years besides buying a bike, I'm aware but don't know any details about buying a pc and buying an (electric?) car.

Any others worth noting, that could potentially save the buyer hundreds or even thousands?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I asked GPT the following: "Find survey data on the usage of the cycle to work scheme in the UK. Particularly any data on the proportion of people who actually used the bike to commute, as opposed to those who simply purchased a bike for leisure."

Interesting - and the numbers are higher than I would have expected

But it is self reported
and as said - people had to say they would - so if someone they didn;t know and sort of might be official started asking them
then maybe some of them would answer in a way that might not be as correct as it might be

but anyway - the results are still higher than my experience implied
maybe I just meet dishonest people!

 

[tom73]

Some council tax workplace parking, and the companies pass the cost on to the employee.

Nottingham got into this early on, a recent study of it showed that the common arguments used by the anti lot just don't happen.
It's been quite a success with the money it generates used to improve and extend Nottinghams tram network.

 

[Psamathe]

So 75% of those that participate use thr bikes as intended. That undermines the government's position straight away.

And a good portion of the other 25% likely use their purchased cycle for recreational rides improving their health, not burning carbon, etc., etc.

 

[CentralCommuter]

I do think the scheme could do with a rethink as it disproportionately benefits high earners,

Who also have to pay more tax and NI. Do they not deserve to save more on the scheme?

 

[DRM]

Nottingham got into this early on, a recent study of it showed that the common arguments used by the anti lot just don't happen.
It's been quite a success with the money it generates used to improve and extend Nottinghams tram network.

Of course when my daughter was at university in Nottingham they would find cars dumped all over the street from commuters that caught the bus in to work, meaning that the residents struggled to get parked when they got home

 

[winjim]

Who also have to pay more tax and NI. Do they not deserve to save more on the scheme?

They don't pay the tax though, do they? That's the point of the scheme. I think the scheme should be biased towards people who are unlikely to be able to afford a bike in the first place. It's an incentive, not a reward. And in any case them paying more tax is kind of an illusion because it's all factored into their pay award anyway.

For all my banging on about how people should be able to get four grand e-cargo bikes, I do think that's astronomically expensive. I remember when I got back into cycling, which was maybe 12-13ish years ago the scheme was capped at £1000. And the general agreement was that you had to spend about that amount to get a reasonably decent bike. That's a mind blowing amount of money, in my current situation I certainly wouldn't be able to afford it.

 

[Dadam]

"people who don't need help to buy a bike to get to work are benefitting from tax breaks and buying nice bikes"
"That's terrible! How dare they, this must stop!!"

Get a grip folks.

 

[steveindenmark]

Do you really need a 4 grand bike to cycle 3 miles to work? Or are you just kicking the arxe out of it?

I was riding 20km to work for years on a bike that cost under 2 grand in all weather, with no problems.

 

[fossyant]

There are some that do push the limit - not usually where there is a physical limit put in by the employer, but I do know people in

There's apparently been many of these salary sacrifices over the years besides buying a bike, I'm aware but don't know any details about buying a pc and buying an (electric?) car.

Any others worth noting, that could potentially save the buyer hundreds or even thousands?

My current employer runs bike to work, childcare vouchers, parking charges, travel tickets and new electric car schemes as a salary sacrifice.

Those getting shiny new cars is a lot different than those wanting a train pass or a bike !

Just looking at Cycle Solutions who operate our scheme, you are looking at £1600 plus for a 700c hybrid e-bike from a 'known' manufacturer. Probably much more if you want specific motors. A cheapo ebike can be had for £700, but it's an unknown make/motor system.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

There are some that do push the limit - not usually where there is a physical limit put in by the employer, but I do know people in


My current employer runs bike to work, childcare vouchers, parking charges, travel tickets and new electric car schemes as a salary sacrifice.

Those getting shiny new cars is a lot different than those wanting a train pass or a bike !

Just looking at Cycle Solutions who operate our scheme, you are looking at £1600 plus for a 700c hybrid e-bike from a 'known' manufacturer. Probably much more if you want specific motors. A cheapo ebike can be had for £700, but it's an unknown make/motor system.

But if you just wander into the local Halfords then you can get a Man's bike for about £300

so why would "the average working man" want to go through a scheme that would save him money for the bike he gets
when he can spend a lot less and get one from Halfords

I mean - yes - I know the bike will be better
but you average Joe who just want a bike to ride across the housing estate and along the road to the factory might well not know or care about the difference
and to the averge family money may well be tight and a salary sacrifice for £700 is too much compared to £300 for a workable bike from Halfords
and Halfords is a name they trust (thanks t o marketing!!)

 

[KneesUp]

If you just want a bike to get to work, you can get one secondhand for not much at all. The world is full of barely used bikes, that will last for ages.

They might need a bit of work, admittedly - but imagine how much economic activity would be generated and how much waste would nbc eliminated if, instead of buying £3k of bike made abroad off Mike Ashley, people spent £100 to £ 250 to get a decent secondhand bike and then took it to their LBS to service it.

My 'nice' bike has just gone in to winter hibernation - it was £150 off eBay. Albeit I've spent another £200-ish on tyres, tubes, cassette, chain and the stuff to change it from 3x8 to 3 x 10 - but I could have done it cheaper by keeping it 3 x 8 and even so, for £350 I've got a very nice bike.

The one I'm using now is a Hoy hybrid which cost me less than £70. Again, chain, cassette, tyres and new pads and it's good to go for not much over £100.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If you just want a bike to get to work, you can get one secondhand for not much at all. The world is full of barely used bikes, that will last for ages.

They might need a bit of work, admittedly

I was going to say this, but I thought everyone would pile on with "you're missing the point".

If I wanted to start commuting right now, and wanted a specific bike for it, this is exactly what I'd do, even if my employer offered C2W. With the expectation of having to do a bit of work.

But then I'm a "bikey" type of person with some (fairly crap) mechanical skills. I guess you can't expect that of everyone.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I was going to say this, but I thought everyone would pile on with "you're missing the point".

If I wanted to start commuting right now, and wanted a specific bike for it, this is exactly what I'd do, even if my employer offered C2W. With the expectation of having to do a bit of work.

But then I'm a "bikey" type of person with some (fairly crap) mechanical skills. I guess you can't expect that of everyone.

When I got my first ebike I was till working (2011)

I looked at the C2W scheme and I could have got one through that
I even spoke to the site staff at work and they were fine with me parking it in their storage shed if I used it for commuting

in the end I didn;t use it because I found a used ebike for far less than a new one on the scheme

 

[All uphill]

I was going to say this, but I thought everyone would pile on with "you're missing the point".

If I wanted to start commuting right now, and wanted a specific bike for it, this is exactly what I'd do, even if my employer offered C2W. With the expectation of having to do a bit of work.

But then I'm a "bikey" type of person with some (fairly crap) mechanical skills. I guess you can't expect that of everyone.

When I'm Prime Minister* I'll get rid of C2W and subsidise bicycle recycling organisations that supply guaranteed bikes at up to £300, and can evidence training disadvantaged people to do the work.



*This may take some time.