Cycle2work/halfords Custom Bikes...

hello, has anyone here got experience of cycle 2 work scheme using halrfords. my employee is in the scheme (which is ace by the way - didnt know anything about until yesterday and have been scheming to get money for a new ride...hahahah) but is locked down to using halfords. This is my first road bike but been riding mtb and bmx forever and id much prefer to build something (which i know is not possible as you have to have a complete bike) or at least get something custom built. Would i be able to get a bike shop to build something specific and then say tell halfords i want 'my custom bike' and that certain model is only available from this certain bike shop. basically whats the best way to abuse the system? by a bike and then sell it and buy what i want with the cash.........? ; )

cheers in advance, Craig.

halfords 'say' they offer the service, but in reality anything you ask them for. "computer says no!!" , grrrr!!

awww gutted i was really hoping i could cavendish to build me something up on an iro and tell halfords to cotact them and order the 'iro craig special' they had in there.... any other sugestions? get something and sell it for funds.......?

i'd still try it!

i managed to get a 2006 langster in, and my mate managed to get a nifty trek geared bike in through special order via cycle2work/halfords. this was in 2006.

however, I don't think that youll be able to order custom frames, or loads of blingy track bits through halfords.
good luck

I've a mate who got a Ribble road bike made up this way last year - he specced up the bike direct with Ribble and then had it delivered to a Halfords for pick up. Another way is to find a bike shop which will take the Halfords voucher direct - Condor will, and also I hear that Pearsons might - so if you took the full £1,000 voucher you could buy a Pista or Touche for £700 or so (bit less for the Touche) and get the rest back in credit notes which you'd then be free to spend in the shop on other bits of (ahem) safety equipment.

cheers for advice so far, im going to pop to cavendish now on me lunch brake... see what they say.

if you administer the cycle to work thing yourself, you don't have to use any scheme or any particular shop. just involves more paperwork.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/cycling/cycletoworkschemeimplementat5732

Hi,

We have the scheme here and it is run by Halfords. Last year, my friend Luke spoke to the Halfords people and they simply sent through a voucher which he could then use to walk into Condor and buy whatever bike and accessories he wanted.

I think that the key is to ring up someone within the scheme and outline what you want to buy and also to ring up someone in the shop that you are going to buy from.

I have got my eye on the Wilier Mortirolo in CycleSurgery and will do all I can to make it work :-)

I missed out on this scheme for a year, because I was put off by the Halfords name. Make some calls and get cheap, nice bikes.

Ahh, eardley has basically already covered what I said :-(

dogsballs halfords 'say' they offer the service, but in reality anything you ask them for. "computer says no!!" , grrrr!!

Have you actually had this happen, Dale?

mashton - no worries, good to know it definitely works in Condor as I'm heading toward a Pista I think (though not definitely decided yet ... can't wait to go spend that voucher though!

mashton [quote]dogsballs halfords 'say' they offer the service, but in reality anything you ask them for. "computer says no!!" , grrrr!!

Have you actually had this happen, Dale?[/quote] i asked for 3 different bikes for them to get, when i started back here mid last year. they couldn't get any of them. went and bought a bianchi pista.

never tried the vouchers. this wasn't helped by the dick that wasn't so helpful at the time. it may have changed coz someone whispered me the person to talk to. but the way i turnover bikes its not useful.

strong advice gents, cheers!

just got back from cavendish, said theyd be willing to help me out if poss. but didnt have any experience of c2w/hallfords. im going to make some phone calls and and see what halfords are saying.....

sounding promissing, will post my results. if it works out its such a sweet deal!

Give the halfords bike to work people a call. They were surprisingly helpful when I spoke to them. Couldn't get me a Charge, but could (& did) get a Touche. With Pearson (& I think Condor) you can spec up the bike you want then fill in the halfords form & it gets paid directly. I doubt you can get anything completely custom though, but it would be worth phoning around a bit.

aha, now i remember i tried to get a charge. thanks villa-ru

Ex halfords employee here, and i know im resurrecting an old thread but reckoned it might be worth it.
Theres a few ways for you to get your bike via Halfords through the b2w scheme, 1. the bikes in the store (mostly shite) and usually anything from these manufacturers (still usually shite) are available as stocked lines (a particular store might not be ranged for a particular model but they should be able to get it) 2. Special order from a distributor that they have an account with, such as fisher, madison, dawes, id (for surly), chicken etc. but for this you will need to speak to someone who knows how to do the order process and depending on the efficiency of the staff member you could have a long wait 3. Speak to someone at the b2w team, you call halfords business services then option 2, i think the number is sumthin like 0870 660 511? it should be on paperwork to do with the shceme. You tell them what bike you're looking for what size etc and they will source it and get it sent to your nearest branch. They can get bikes/brands that halfords otherwise has no dealing with, specialized, bianchi etc. They will also organise custom bikes from the likes of Merlin and Ribble.
With options 2 and 3 you need to know what you are ordering and get it right coz itll be non returnable if you say order a 58cm frame then realise you need a 56cm.
Also id advise going to a small/quiet store, if you walk in with a £1k voucher they will do what they can to get you to spend it there like ordering you just a frame rather than a full bike, a larger busier store may be less helpful. According to the official rules you're meant to buy a bike but the store will want the sale.
Oh and make sure you get it left in the box and build it yourself as 99% of halfords staff would know one end of an allen key from tother.

Good advice MV, it must be fucking annoying if your work choose that scheme, good to know that there are ways around it's apparent limitations.