My other bike's a Cervelo...

Fail. I'm in the process of purchasing a £4000 cycle to Work scheme bike.
Employer has to apply for licence to exceed standard £1000 limit.
Very few employers would do that though, the standard is 1k and that certainly wouldn't buy a top end road bike.

another Fail. Many companies offer tax-free incentives for there emplyees - its free!
Sainsburys wont do it tho.

Fail. I'm in the process of purchasing a £4000 cycle to Work scheme bike.
Employer has to apply for licence to exceed standard £1000 limit.

Didn't realise you could do that, what bike are you getting?

Kipsy. Perhaps you could be so kind as to explain how to have an employer extend the £1,000 limit. That would certainly be more useful than repeating the word "fail".

I also thought that the bike had to be mainly for commuting. How do you get around that? Surely, no one commutes on a £4,000 bike?

Fail fat people do (apparently).

If an employer has a consumer credit license then they can increase the amount available on the cycle to work scheme above the £1000 limit. Some companies have this as part of their normal business, i.e. retail companies.

Take a look here Clive:- http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycle_to_work_scheme.php
As for the commuting angle, yes you are correct, 50% of journeys should be made on the purchased bike. I commute in everyday from Richmond (on my £400 Wrongster!) and see plenty of full carb/titanium/custom steel bikes. Besides, whose employer is going to check what bike the employee rides to work on?

OFT LICENCE
The Office of Fair Trading has issued a group consumer credit licence to cover employers implementing Cycle to Work schemes. The ceiling via these licences is £1000. Download info from here. If companies already have a Consumer Credit Licence there is no £1000 ceiling.

EDIT: beat me too it Andy (coz I'm so old and fat?!!)

Bernard - I'm still very much favouring Colnagos Master X lite.

I'm thinking about this. Any thoughts?

....that white bartape will show every little mark.....

Scott is better, IMO.

*Bernard - I'm still very much favouring Colnagos Master X lite.
*Agreed, have a look in Cyclefit, or de Ver

I'm thinking about this. Any thoughts?

I have the version from a few years ago. Mine is a comfortable ride over long distances but stiff enough and climbs well (altho it looks like the frame has been tweaked a fair bit since I bought).

I now feel a need to explain my decision given the rest of the thread: I was only given the option of getting a Giant bike (I got it cheap), so it's not the first brand I'd like to have bought to reflect my good taste in bikes (and stop people judging me harshly around RP). But as the world's biggest bike manufacturer*, Giant's buying power makes them well specced for the prize (viz also Hippo's S-Works).

I won't buy a better bike until this one gives up and I'm a better rider. I would feel like a bit of a cunt riding a ~£5k bike given I'm not even a mid standard club rider.

*my understanding - until some smart arse on teh interwebs tells me different

Kipsy. Perhaps you could be so kind as to explain how to have an employer extend the £1,000 limit. That would certainly be more useful than repeating the word "fail".

I also thought that the bike had to be mainly for commuting. How do you get around that? Surely, no one commutes on a £4,000 bike?

We've got a property development client whose De Rosa was so expensive that they got us to do some special capital allowances comps regarding its purchase.

Also, you don't even have to necessarily put in 50% work miles. You just have to use it "mainly" for commuting, so you could ride to work five days a week and then do 100km rides on Saturday and Sunday, etc. It's being used wholely for work for most of the week, so you could argue the point.

It would be great if my work got a consumer credit license...

my dad was a pro track/road cyclist in his youth. top 10-ish in australia by all accounts.

He turned 71 last year - still rides, and is ridiculously fit for his age - and we *finally *convinced him to splash out on a top of the line bike at Christmas.

Colnago EPS Super Record ftw.

My other bike is a Seven Axiom (got 2nd hand)

My daily beater is a Serotta

Buy cheap buy twice (at least)

I'd rather buy a bike and get it right first time than slowly tweak and modify, though fully understand that others really enjoy the slow customisation and modification process.

It may feel frustrating that someone appears to not use their bike to its full capacity. Take pleasure in your ability to cycle better than them. Its like old men with a paunch driving a sports car, they often will never push it to its limits but as long as they enjoy them who cares. I find there is an even greater sense of satisfaction getting through town faster on my bike than someon in a Lambo that MikeC has given a kicking.

I probably will never push my bikes to their absolute limit, but the pleasure they have given me is beyond measure.

My other bike is a Seven Axiom (got 2nd hand)

My daily beater is a Serotta

Buy cheap buy twice (at least)

I'd rather buy a bike and get it right first time than slowly tweak and modify, though fully understand that others really enjoy the slow customisation and modification process.

It may feel frustrating that someone appears to not use their bike to its full capacity. Take pleasure in your ability to cycle better than them. Its like old men with a paunch driving a sports car, they often will never push it to its limits but as long as they enjoy them who cares. I find there is an even greater sense of satisfaction getting through town faster on my bike than someon in a Lambo that MikeC has given a kicking.

I probably will never push my bikes to their absolute limit, but the pleasure they have given me is beyond measure.

just like your scarves

we're a cervello dealer and i'm yet to sell a single fucking one. the other branch does ok with them i guess, as there are a lot of dr.s and rich folk that live there, but fuck me if i ever see anyone on them. i guess they look great hanging in a garage.

Advertise in Mens Health. You'll sell trillions

Want a cheap Cervelo? Get a Canyon

Cervelo busted for infringing Canyon patents,

German distributor pissed off....

“We seriously regret that we have bought apparently infringing goods from Cervélo and sold them to our customers”, says Peter Seyberth GM of Tridynamic. “Particularly unpleasant for us is that we have contributed to these potential patent infringement, because we supplied two frames of Canyon on request by Cervélo and sent them to Canada in 2005.”

excellent...my other bike is a canyon.

No wonder they're pulling their sponsorship.. they won't be able to afford it recalling all those bikes.

I do feel a little self conscious going round Richmond park on my Colnago, albeit a 90's Dream Lux - but I do get satisfaction overtaking equally middle aged looking Cervelo riders.

I have noticed more middle aged cycle converts - i suppose nice bikes are cheaper than nice cars, I always loved watching the tour in my early teens, which led to a Colnago Master, that led to a Mercian, then a Condor, then a CIOCC....

I do feel a little self conscious going round Richmond park on my Colnago,

Try pushing it along the street. That works for at least one person on here.

I do feel a little self conscious going round Richmond park on my Colnago, albeit a 90's Dream Lux - but I do get satisfaction overtaking equally middle aged looking Cervelo riders.

I have noticed more middle aged cycle converts - i suppose nice bikes are cheaper than nice cars, I always loved watching the tour in my early teens, which led to a Colnago Master, that led to a Mercian, then a Condor, then a CIOCC....

MAMIL's

MAMIL's

how very dare you... Wouldn't be seen in lycra, whereas rapha completes the middle aged nob-head look nicely