You don't have to pay back the discount. You just make the 12 monthly payments as agreed with your employer. After this you make one more payment, on average about £40-£50 (but depends on the price of the bike) and then the bike is yours. Also you can get extras like lights, locks, helmets, etc as part of the package. I work with CEC and I'm now on my 3rd bike using the scheme. It's been a great way for me to upgrade to a better bike without breaking the bank.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
What bike to buy
(73 posts)- Started 12 years ago by andy_1
- Latest reply from chdot
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Posted 12 years ago #
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I think HMCE spotted that folk were getting too good a deal here, and have now specified the value of the bike after 12 months.
You don't have to buy the bike after 12 months though, you can leave it owned officially by your employer, but continue to use it (rent free by this stage), whilst it continues to depreciate.
If you stay in employment for long enough (5-6 years depending on the purchase price), it can be transferred to you for nothing. If you leave your employer between 1 year and 6, you can buy the bike at the point of departure, based on the tapering tariff now specified by the tax man.
I think some NHS staff (junior doctors, for example), tend not to stay long enough with a single employer (even if remaining in the NHS), to make it much more than an interest free loan (i.e. no real discount) - however if your job is stable, you can still get the full discount.
Your HR department will have the details (or point you in the right direction).
Robert
Posted 12 years ago # -
Thanks for the help. I will speak to HR when I'm back on days on Friday. I'm pretty sure I will be in the same job for a few years yet, so no problem there. Going to visit a few bike shops tomorrow and see if I can pick a bike, some gear and get a quote.
Posted 12 years ago # -
remember to buy a decent lock!!!!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Hope you'll keep coming back here with you commuting experiences.
There are a lot of 'lurkers' here still thinking about cycling to work - so you may inspire a few!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Yeah I'm excited now I will have more of a choice due to cyclescheme. As I said in my OP, I'ts been a while since I owned a bike so although It'll be daunting at first, I'll be looking forward to it. My dad is 61 and cycles everyday to work which is a a 12 mile round trip so I've got no excuse!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Any positive thoughts on this? http://m.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/allegro-sport-2012-hybrid-bike-ec031791
Thanks.
Posted 12 years ago # -
No.
No mudguards, no luggage rack, no chain guard, straight forks.
Wrong colour.
Posted 12 years ago # -
What's the main difference with the forks, better steering/handling if curved? Not bothered about luggage rack and can buy mud guards or crud catcher separately. I liked the colour!
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Weight: Not Specified"
Peculiar. it's the first thing I would look for. Like wee foldy, I'd also look for a bike with guards, etc.
Do get a rack and panniers. Or at least try some. I commuted for years with a backpack and now cannot understand how/why I put up with it for so long. I have a spare Blackburn rack if you'd like one.
Posted 12 years ago # -
As others have said, mudguards are great, I wouldn't bother with crud catchers, on a mountain bike they are great for keeping the worst off, but they are of limited use for day to day work, get a "proper" set of guards if at all possible.
+1 for the comments about racks, however you need to budget for pannier/s or a rack bag as well otherwise you probably wont get the benefit!
Consider also getting the sort of rear light which mounts on the back of the rack rather than the seatpost, if you don't it limits the use of the rack at night.Finally, I would very much suggest you visit your lbs (or better yet several!) rather than a large chain, I have had good experience with tbc, but shop around, do it right and you will buy once and then enjoy :-)
Posted 12 years ago # -
I am mudguard and rack person too with commodious panniers but I am carrying a lot of stuff with me and sweat buckets with rucksack on my back. if you don't sweat and don't carry much then you don't need rack. You do need mudguards more, even if you like a stripe of mud up your back as the mudguards prolong the life of the bike and components
Posted 12 years ago # -
The word on the street is that straight forks will not absorb vibration from the road whereas a wee bend in them will do a better job.
A curved fork doesn't make any difference to the geometry, that's down to the trail, but might make things more comfy.
Sheldon mentions it in the bit about forks here:
http://sheldonbrown.com/upgrade.html
Rack lights are screwed on so you don't need to stick them in your pocket should you lock the bike up somewhere.
Black is the only proper colour for a bike.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Black is the only proper colour for a bike"
Or white.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Red is good too.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Well Bromptons used to be available in black or red so I suppose we could let red squeak past.
Now they make a range of nasty colours and people spend hours worrying about them. One of mine is matte black so you don't even see the reflection of lesser colours on it.
Posted 12 years ago # -
andy_1 Not bothered about luggage rack
You will be. You will be. - Yoda, Empire Strikes Back
I got pretty lucky and found an army surplus bag that I could bodge into sitting on my hip. I've not seen a bag that works as well, even cycling specific ones. [/luck]
Most people sweat profusely within eighteen seconds of cycling with a rucksack covering the lumbar, myself included, but I'm okay with that bag on my hip.
However, it's so much easier to be bagless that I've barely touched the non-racked bikes.
Mudguards - full one on the front, no doubt. On the rear you can live with a 'catcher, but since guards are only sold as sets that's kinda academic unless you're Bike Stationing it.
Welcome to the world of bikey stuff. I'm in your neck of the woods too, so give me anudge if you want route advice.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Definitely yes to mudguards, I suffered, ahem, 'trench ar*e', for the best part of 20 years cycling into Edinburgh on a road bike with no guards. Got my first ever set of mudguards in April this year and must say I am converted. I still arrive to work in wonderment on a rainy day, how can it be possible to have a dry bottom in such weather??
Rack, hmm mixed on that, again just got my first rack after years with a rucksack. Really nice not to have the weight on your back, but believe me an extra stone of weight hanging off the side of the bike really destroys, and I don't exaggerate, DESTROYS the ride of the bike. It also makes the bike so heavy to get in and out of the car (my comute it part car. part bike). Still undecided on racks... But get mudguards...
Posted 12 years ago # -
I am looking at another bike for next year, I previously bought a Cullin Pro from Edinburgh Cycle.
I have had it nearly 3 years now, I have only a rear half mudguard.
I ride no matter what the weather except the snow of 2010.
I have had to replace parts that I am sure full mudguards woudl have saved. If I had hindsight I would not have bought a MTB as I never really been off road with it. My next bike will be a Ribble winter trainer as my Allez only goes out in the dry
Posted 12 years ago # -
In defence of panniers, I've never found the ride of my bike being "destroyed" by them. Yes it changes, but I don't think anyone expects a bike carrying any sort of weight to ride like it would without.
I generally carry all the weight on one side and your body quickly compensates for this and it doesn't make the bike ride lopsided or tip over. A lot of weight on the back can make goign up a steep hill interesting if you naturally sit back to go up hills - but again you get used to it and shift yourself forward to compensate and prevent the front wheel rising off the ground (or even becoming unloaded enough for steering to be affected)
Steel frames noticably flex with weight on the back, but I find that quite pleasant.
Certainly a courier bag is much preferable to a rucksack in my opinion (weight lower down, more stable on the back, doesn't restrict head movement or looking over your shoulder) if you want to carry stuff on your back, but a decent, large size bag will cost you more than a rack and pannier. A pannier carries the weight further down still on the bike, so should create the steadiest way to carry loads.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Let me be the first to say Carradice.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I won't be carrying much as I keep a lot of things at work. Pretty sold on mud guards though now. I'll see what I can find. One more question about cycle scheme. Once I get a quote for what I want, I assume I have to wait a couple of weeks for the voucher. Are the bike/equipment saved or is it pot luck its all still there when I come to buy it?
Posted 12 years ago # -
It'll depend of the bike shop, the first time I did it the shop hadto order the bike so I had the voucher a week or so before the bike arrived the second time alpine held the bike in stock for about a month but they took a refundable deposit.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Carradice are good but Ortlieb are great ;-)
Posted 12 years ago # -
Andy, I can give you a tired old pannier, if your hypothetical rear rack has a decent dogleg to it. The second of these two has a dogleg.
http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/Blackburn-EX1%2B-Black-Rack-8888888017981/
http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/Blackburn-EX2-Black-Rack-0748071005578/
If you get a triangle one, it's not much use since the backing is so knackered it falls into the spokes when even half full. It's on the Multicoloured swapshop thread already, free to a good home. Not in bad nick except for the backing, but I admit it's not a high quality one.
Bike Station is an excellent place to pick up a rack on the cheap. Got mine on my second try for £4 or something. There's a reasonable turnover there, so you can check once a fortnight and expect to see new ones. Well, secondhand, but different.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Let me be 2nd to say Carradice - carries everything and more, never notice it on the seatpost.
Old ideas are the best !
Posted 12 years ago # -
I have a lovely ortlieb seat post bag, same design as their panniers, but I know carradice are nice. If going for a courier bag, get one with the side strap for stabilisation
Posted 12 years ago # -
Mudguards are not just there to protect your bottom from spray - anyone riding behind you in the damp is also grateful for them, which is why nonsenseflaps sticking up into the air at the back are unsuitable for city commuting use.
Far from destroying the ride of a bike, panniers lend a bicycle a purposeful and useful feeling of weight being transported swiftly.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Went to bike chain, Velo Eccose and Edinburgh bike after work today. Saw a few nice ones. Mainly Ridgeback. The Comet, Meteor and the Velocity on top of list. Velocity most expensive at £399 but my favourite! Basically they all said I can request an amount from NHS and I will receive the voucher in about 3/4 weeks to spend. So I don't have to decide now.except what shop I want to go with. Plus the helpful guy at Edinburgh bike said a lot of new models will be out In September. Thinking Edinburgh Bike for the voucher at the moment. Will try Decathlon tomorrow and then decide.
Posted 12 years ago #
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