Cycle2 Work - ebike

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natwhal89

New Member
Hi all, I am getting back into cycling after a rather large hiatus, as getting to work will be quite difficult in the next few months - however I am technically a keyworker so mobility is crucial. For that reason I am thinking of an e-bike as there is NO way I can cycle there and back easily and quickly on just a bike (my work can be stressful and some days I am wiped by the end of it).

I have joined my work's cycle2work scheme and got £600. I can top either £200-£300 but I am not sure of what to get. A bit of help would be much appreciated.
 

DSK

Senior Member
I don't know of any cheap Ebikes other perhaps some folding bikes like a BTWIN Tilt 500 electric and some mountain/classic style electric bikes for <£1000 from Decathlon. I don't think I'd want to touch a sub £1K electric elsewhere such as Halfords.

How far is your commute?

I know you are on the cycle scheme so a bike would have to be new from a retailer but, fwiw, just to put it out there, I have seen Giant E-roads for £1200-1500 in seemingly good condition.
 
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cambsno

Well-Known Member
My understanding of C2W schemes is that you need to specify the amount you want and you get a voucher for that to spend with a retailer - you dont get given the cash. So 2nd hand is out - and I doubt you will get anything for less than 1k, probably need to be looking around 1.5k for something decent.

Certainly with ours, you cannot top up so assumed all schemes were the same, not sure if thats the case though. Worth checking that out as a) £600 wont get you a e-bike, and £600 probably wont get much at all as stocks are so low!
 

vickster

Legendary Member
If you are going to spend £900 on C2W bike, get a £900 voucher so you get the full tax benefit (and not just on £600, assuming you are able to, there may be limits based on tax code or earning?). It's always an idea to choose a few potential bikes before deciding on spend :smile:
But yes, an e-bike is going to cost more than £600
 

welsh dragon

Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
I have no idea how far your commute is, but you can buy a G-tech ebike for just shoot £1000. @keithmac has one I think and has been very happy with it.

Apart from that like others have said anything less than £1000 and I wouldn't buy. Good luck.
 
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natwhal89

New Member
Thanks, that's really helpful! My work only offers up to £600 on vouchers off the bat. I have contacted my HR and asked if I can top up - Ideally I was looking for something like https://www.decathlon.co.uk/elops-900-e-step-over-classic-electric-bike-id_8379380.html but that's not under the cycle2work scheme (unless a local retailer can order it for me?) . I'll look into gtech as a well, I did have a look but I didn't know if they were any good.

My commute is about 9 miles either way, normally not an issue but I get very tired after a day at work.
 
Yes, you won't get much ebike on C2W for that kind of money I'm afraid. Your going to have to up the budget. If you want recommendations, it would be helpful to know how far you are travelling each way, if is it's all on road, is it hilly, do you want mudguards, panniers etc?

if your commute is short, and you don't expect to ride hills, something like a used G tech ebike will probably do, but it's lacking in panniers and mudguards. Long range commutes and hills would be an issue with that bike though. It's as bare bones as they come, and the parts are low end, but the belt drive is great for newbies and those that want less maintenance. Also, the motor won't give you as much as a boost as something higher spec. I think you'll need to spend at least £1500 to get something that ticks most commuter boxes, spend a little more and you can get something that comes off the peg with everything you need.

The traditional £1000 cap on C2W schemes was lifted recently, but not every employer supports it. If that's a limiting factor, you can often find finance offers at retailers, I got 0% interest over 3 years on my ebike if I put a modest deposit down, just don't use it as an excuse to buy more than you can afford! :hugs:
 
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natwhal89

New Member
Thanks - just confirmed it is a £600 limit and that's it. You all have been really helpful, and now I know what I want. My best option due to cost is to get a bleh Halfords bike until I can afford one with bells on. There's a couple of hills, but nothing too bad, I'm in southwest London. Also with £600 the salary sacrifice is about £30 pcm which is quite cheap so the money I save in the commute is going on a new bike! So the plan is crappy bike for a few months to get something nice.

TThanks for your help everyone, it is really appreciated.
 
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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
If I read your OP correctly, you have a total of about £900 to spend.

The Halfords Carrera Subway ebike is decent.

It's listed at a little over your budget, but you may be able to get a hundred or two knocked off.

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/elec...brid-bike---16in-18in-20in-frames-224422.html
 

vickster

Legendary Member
I can’t really think of any hills in SW London where an ebike is needed by an able bodied cyclist (and if there is, it’ll be short enough to push the bike up without too much inconvenience). Indeed much of it is pancake flat so a legal ebike limited to 15.5mph isn’t going to give a great advantage over a roadbike for example. Traffic and junctions in these parts is the major limit to how quickly you can get anywhere which equally applies to an
Ebike :unsure:

How far is the commute as you say there is no way you can cycle there and back?

also remember with C2W you need to pay for the whole year and any end of year payment.
In SW London, theft is high so get strong locks and make sure it’s fully insured as if it does get pinched, you still have to pay for it :smile:
 
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cambsno

Well-Known Member
I can’t really think of any hills in SW London where an ebike is needed by an able bodied cyclist (and if there is, it’ll be short enough to push the bike up without too much inconvenience). Indeed much of it is pancake flat so a legal ebike limited to 15.5mph isn’t going to give a great advantage over a roadbike for example. Traffic and junctions in these parts is the major limit to how quickly you can get anywhere which equally applies to an
Ebike :unsure:

How far is the commute as you say there is no way you can cycle there and back?

also remember with C2W you need to pay for the whole year and any end of year payment.
In SW London, theft is high so get strong locks and make sure it’s fully insured as if it does get pinched, you still have to pay for it :smile:

Good point - I would not want to leave an ebike anywhere, let alone London, unless it was in a secure area
 
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natwhal89

New Member
Thanks for the tips! there's secure parking in my lot and it's going to live in my house. Halfords Just called and told me they have no bikes anyway so I'll have to place this on ice, might as well save for it.
 
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