Cycle to Work Scheme and trikes

[jdg88]

I'm thinking of changing to a recumbent trike from a DF and my boss has signed us up to the Cycle To Work Scheme so it'll cost me a bit less. However, the scheme limit is £1000 inc VAT which limits me to the Cobra KMX Kart at £808. I like it alot (looks cool and fun and rugged!!) but my commute to work is 9 miles up and down hills, on and off kerbs and less than smooth cycle paths so I kind of need to be practical as I need to get to work on time and not soaked to the skin with exertion!

Therefore the more lightweight and practical choices would be the Catrike Villager that's £1111 inc VAT and then the Trice T 26 NT £1836 inc VAT.

Does anyone know if it's possible to invoice the first £1000 to the company on the scheme and then for me to privately fund the remainder? (My company won't get the special credit licence costing £725 to allow me to buy the more expensive trikes.)

Any suggestions? Advice?

Thanks.

 

[Blaugrana]

Hi,

I don't know, but wouldn't it be worth talking to retailers and asking what they can do?

Bikefix in London, in response to the lean times, has a 20% discount on bikes in stock at the moment.

I hope this helps.

 

[jdg88]

Thanks, I've just seen the Bikefix post, I like the look of the Scorpion! But still over that darned limit. I was hoping there might be a friendly retailer online this evening...!! I'll be hitting the phones tomorrow.

 

[BentMikey]

Defo go the Catrike route rather than KMX, at least in my opinion. Catrike UK hasn't been online for a bit, maybe give him a call?

 

[xpc316e]

St Johns Street Cycles do the TW 'Bents trike for £995. They are familiar with the CYcle to Work scheme too. I have one and they are excellent value for money.

 

[jdg88]

Thanks for the suggestion will look them up. I've just spent a very enjoyable and informative 25 minutes on the phone with Kevin of D-tek in Ely and have found out there's no way to get round the £1000 inc vat rule, which is a real bugger. But even more so I'm interested to try out recumbent trikes! Will probably go over and do an intro session with D-tek this month. Can't understand the Government putting that limit on or not even entertaining the idea of letting the employee 'top up' to get the bike/trike of their choice. Darned short sighted if you ask me.

 

[stevew]

Why can't you give the retailer, say 300 pounds for a "pump" and then buy a 1300 pound trike for 1000 pounds on the CTW scheme ? Surely there is no rule stopping the retailer "heavily discounting" is there ?
Defo go the Cat trike route in preferance to the KMX but you better be quick 'cos of the pound / dollar situation will surely make the CT go up soon.

 

[jdg88]

You're thinking the way I was before I spoke to Kevin of D-tek, and I was HOPING that someone on the forum would say what they did to "get around" the limit.

I have had another conversation with a dealer who said it's an unwritten agreement to invoice one amount and separately pay an extra. I wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble over this but it really seems like this is one rule that SHOULD be got around particularly in current economic climate. I'm now considering going second hand on a Trice. Unless of course there's a friendly Trice retailer wanting to sell me a £1000 trike and a £1200 set of lights!!! So much to grapple with....

 

[stevew]

Why not go the route I took and I've sold my Trice and got myself a nice Bacchetta Cafe from Kevin.

 

[jdg88]

Two wheels?? Not with my sense of balance; hence why I want to sell my Raleigh hybrid and get a nice stable, comfy trike.

 

[gratts]

Like Steve said, what's to stop you slipping them an extra few hundred as a favour for them discounting it to the 1k mark?
Sounds like a winner to me!

 

[jdg88]

Has anyone ACTUALLY done this? And will admit to me (privately or openly on this forum and tell me the name of their friendly dealer!! )

 

[wafflycat]

good grief... the Trices have gone up in price quite a bit!

 

[squeaker]

And the pound rushes towards parity with the Euro :~

 

[byegad]

And the pound rushes towards parity with the Euro :~

Which makes a Trice nearly the same price in Europe as it was in 2006??????

Wow!