Cycle to work scheme

i just got my cotic roadrat on cycle to work scheme.... awsome, well happy, it feels like monopoly money :)

Delicious.

I think I might get a custom built up y'know - I've never had the money to drop on somethign like that before and now might be my only chance. Mmm tho'.

-b.

I thought that the vast majority of bike shops participated in Cyclescheme to some degree or another (unless they ran their own version, a la Evans/Halfords), which makes BLB's and 14's participation less amazing. That said, saving 48% on the cost of a bike is good news.

Personally, I've got enough fixed wheel bikes, my next bike on Cyclescheme is going to come from Ribble have gears. Lots and lots of gears.

got told yesterday that tour de ville is on it too, as are condor, brixton, wiggle...etc....etc.....etc

Just had this message sent around. Not sure if this will interest anyone and I realise the limitations of the scheme but it may be worth sending on to your employers if you think that it might help them out or they do the stuff already and want to claim a bit of credit for it.

You may have heard in the last few weeks that the Department for Transport have launched the "Cycle to Work Guarantee", which is a like a charter that organisations and local businesses can sign up to, to pledge their commitment to being a caring employer when it comes to cycling.
The guarantee shows that the organisation is committed to :

• Secure, safe, and accessible bike parking
  
• Good quality changing and locker facilities
  
• Offset the cost of cycling equipment and save on the tax through the ‘Cycle to Work scheme’
  
• Bike repair for cyclists on or near site
  
• Training, reward and incentive programmes to achieve targets for more cycling
  
  
  

There's more information at http://www.cycletoworkguarantee.org.uk/index.php so please feel free to brief and pass on to advisors during your next team meeting. I think that this is a great scheme and something that looks really good for a company's CSR and/or environmental policy.

For those interested, there should be some form of grants/assistance through local authorities/DfT.

Link fail. But a simple cut and paste will take you to the (most garish ill-fitting designed) website for very good cause.

Thanks.

Didn't think to check the link after posting.

Does anyone have a copy / scan of any agreements that they signed for their company's cycle to work scheme?

I need to crib one to give to my HR drones as a template.

Mine is taken straight from some Cyclescheme documentation. PM me your e mail address and I'll fire it over to you.

Example docs:

http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/?p=767

does anyone know if getting a bike from mercian say is covered under cycle to work??

Yep looks like they are.

http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/home,store,873.htm

I've used the search and can't find the answers to the couple of queries below:

I have just paid a deposit on a Brompton from my LBS
(Comptons) and am due to collect the bike in 4 weeks time.
The bike shops participates in the Cycle to Work scheme.
I have two options when I go to collect my bike. Either pay the balance myself, or go through the Cycle to Work Scheme and save a considerable amount.
At present, my work doesn't run the scheme.
Two questions:
1) Assuming I can persuade my employer to sign up to the scheme, can all this be set up and in place within the space of 4 weeks, or will this process potentially take several months? I can't assume Comptons will keep my bike in storage until I get my voucher sorted.
2) The Cycle to Work website quotes:
'Employees then apply for a Cyclescheme Voucher by finding out their Cyclescheme Employer Code and entering the information provided by the bike shop online.'
Nowhere on the website can I find a place to sign up online to apply for the Voucher. Any suggestions?
3) Have any Cycelscheme Brompton owners had a nasty shock when it came to receiving the Fair Market Value Price at the end of the 'hire'? I understand these bike hold their value pretty well.

Cruel old staggerlee...

1) That will depend entirely on your employer - with my previous employer it took them 3 months to agree to do it and sign up to it. The sign up process itself should be relatively quick once they agree to do it - 1-2 weeks if I recall.

2) You won't be able to see that until your employer is signed up.

3) FMV of the bike is normally determined by your employer unless they return the bike to cyclesheme. They cannot state the FMV before or during the hire period but if you work for a small enough company then they can informally give you an idea of how they will handle it.

Cycle To Work is great. Mercian are currently in the process of building me a Super Vigorelli in 853 Proteam for £600 all said and done. Brilliant.

Most employers should be fairly easily persuaded - to sign up requires filling in a few forms and finance sorting it. Depending on how big your employer is will determine what the cost/benfit ratio is for them. Failing that, I have heard you can fill in the forms for them...but that's just anecdote. They still need to sign it off.

Most companies assumme that the FMV is roughly 5% of the purchase price of the bike - i.e a nominal amount. I think this is fairly standard.

I bought my bike before the voucher had been approved, although did clear it through my employer informally beforehand. Then I gave the voucher to CycleSurgery a week or so later and they reimbursed me the cash.

andrea at velorution developed his own sort of open plan cycle to work initiative in order to avoid the 10% cut that the cycle schemes take. the bike shop just invoices your company directly, and it's easy for any bike shop and any company to use, so maybe it would be worth bringing it up to your lbs and to your employer. here's a link to the info about it on the site :
http://www.velorution.biz/cycle-to-work-government-scheme/

and if it's something that you're interested in pursuing, i will happily send you the 'employer implementation manual' and 'sample hire agreement' from work.

whie most of our customers are able to get their employers to go for it, there is a chance that your employer won't be open to it, not to mention that maybe your lbs might not be into it either, but the information is there if you want it.

Unless Brompton have cleared their backlog you might find you have a bit longer than you expect to sort it out. Compton's quoted me 5 weeks but it was over 3 months before I got it. This was mid-winter so I'd be surprised if the situation has improved with the weather!

Thanks for all your comments.
Rod Munch- Comptons were confident that a delivery was due on May 27th- seems a decent turnaround for a Brompton order considering On Your Bike (London Bridge) was quoting 8-12 weeks. They did seems to have a large stock in-house though.
I work for a small firm totalling 4 people, and raised Cycle Scheme this morning with the director who voiced concerns over whose liability it is if the bike gets damaged/stolen and what happens if I leave. I believe Cyclescheme forces you be take out insurance and be liable for any losses/damages.

staggerlee - FAQs handle both those issues ... http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/employer,faqs.htm

As they leave the onus on the employee to insure it then if it gets lost/stolen/damaged then it's your own problem. You have to keep paying for it.

If you leave the company before the end of the repayment terms then you have to pay the money back.

I've just completed paying for my Brompton through Cycle to work scheme.
Cyclescheme have just billed me for the final value which was exactly 5% of the purchase price PLUS VAT.

That's good to know yoav. Don't go haggling for 3% now....
I 've been reading on the CycleScheme website that ''you must use an insurance company (Sold Secure) approved lock to be covered'. I currently insure my Iro under my home contents insurance, where it is covered in and out of the home. I have specifically asked the Insurance provider (Sainsbury's) is there are any types of lock that I should be locking my bike with in order to be insured. Their answer has always be no- no specific types of lock required. So if I sign up to the Cycle to Work scheme, must any lock used in conjunction with the scheme be a Sold Secure lock?

The 5% final value is standard practice and Kryptonite locks are Sold Secure rated, go for "Gold" (NY lock etc). Worth mentionning that Cyclescheme are pretty good and most issues regarding the vouchers come from the employer. Good luck.

I have read on the net that if you leave the Cyclescheme early (ie quit your job/get laid off), as well as paying off the balance of your Voucher, your Fair Market Value may be liable to increase from the usual 5%. Has anyone every encountered a hefty increase?