recommend me a bike for commute to work please.

cojomo2

Hi,

I don't cycle at all really, but borrowed a bike there the other day to ycle into work instead of using the Dart, it was much handier, so now I ned to buy my own bike.

I'm incredibly poor at the moment so have very little to spend.

I'm thinking a hybrid bike is the way to go, either that or a mountain bike.

Looking at Halfords, their mountain bikes start at just 115 euro..I'd love to get away with only spending that but I'm guessing I'd regret it soon after.

So, my budget it probably a max of around 200ish, I also notice that AXA customers can print out a coupon and get 15% off..I ain't an Axa customer but I hear that if I print out the coupon and stick a random policy no. it that it should work!?

Any suggestions appreciated. Looking to buy from Halfords as there is one near me.

victorcarrera

What distance is your commute?

cojomo2

victorcarrera wrote: »

What distance is your commute?

about 4-5 miles

seamus

Find out if your workplace is doing the cycle to work scheme. You'll save 25% - 45% off the price of a bike depending on your tax bracket.

This means that your €200ish budget gets up to €400ish, which will get you a much meatier bike.

Yes, you will regret spending €115 on a new bike. As you'd expect, it'll be heavy, slow and will need constant attention to keep it working if you're commuting on it five days a week.

If you're really limited to €200 and your workplace isn't doing the cycle to work scheme, then perhaps look at the second hand market. You should be able to get a bike which cost €500 3 years ago for around €200 now.

Oh, and at your price level, a hybrid is definitely the way to go. MTBs at that price range try very hard to look like MTBs by sticking on unnecessary components like bad suspension and cheap discs. Hybrids are just built to be bikes.

cojomo2

Thanks for the info. I'm self employed at the moment and the company can't afford to pay me a salary as thing have been very slow the past 12 months, so I am living off savings, so the bike to work scheme doesn't really apply to me.

the 2 bikes Im looking at are:
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_759105_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

and

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_762061_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

are the ok for what I will be using them for?

I will also see whats available second hand.

seamus

If you can afford that Carerra, you could do worse. Don't be tempted by the price of the Apollo. It's cheaply priced for a reason.

Oh, and if you do buy from Halfords, take it to a real bike shop after you buy it and ask them to give it a once-over. Shouldn't cost much (€20 at most). Halfords are notoriously inept at building bikes.

cojomo2

seamus wrote: »

If you can afford that Carerra, you could do worse. Don't be tempted by the price of the Apollo. It's cheaply priced for a reason.

Oh, and if you do buy from Halfords, take it to a real bike shop after you buy it and ask them to give it a once-over. Shouldn't cost much (€20 at most). Halfords are notoriously inept at building bikes.

Yep, I like the look of the Carerra, mite be able to stretch the budget to it.

Would the single speed version be a good option?
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_551205_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

serendip

If your commute is mostly flat then a single speed bike would be fine. It has no gears to maintain, which is a good thing.

From your comments, though, I'd highly recommend looking for a secondhand bike. Perhaps you might try adverts.ie or gumtree.ie. There are usually plenty of hybrids on these sights.

seamus

cojomo2 wrote: »

Would the single speed version be a good option?
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_551205_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

As said, if your commute is flat, then a singlespeed will be fine for it. It's a better bike and your maintenance costs will be much lower in the long run.

dayshah

cojomo2 wrote: »

Thanks for the info. I'm self employed at the moment

You can claim the VAT and tax back. Tax-wise its treated basically the same as a van or any other company vehicle. Just write it off as an expense. Its perfectly legit.

You can get good cheap bikes in Decathlon in Belfast (I don't know how to treat the VAT though if you go there).
www.decathlon.co.uk

cojomo2

dayshah wrote: »

You can claim the VAT and tax back. Tax-wise its treated basically the same as a van or any other company vehicle. Just write it off as an expense. Its perfectly legit.

You can get good cheap bikes in Decathlon in Belfast (I don't know how to treat the VAT though if you go there).
www.decathlon.co.uk

Don't think thats correct, I rang the revenue about the bike to work scheme and they specifically said the VAT can't be claimed back.

cdaly_

cojomo2 wrote: »

Don't think thats correct, I rang the revenue about the bike to work scheme and they specifically said the VAT can't be claimed back.

That's correct. VAT cannot be claimed back on a purchase under the BTW scheme. However, you can buy it as a legit business expense and can reclaim VAT as it's not a BTW purchase.

dayshah

cojomo2 wrote: »

Don't think thats correct, I rang the revenue about the bike to work scheme and they specifically said the VAT can't be claimed back.

As a self-employed person you are not covered by the bike to work scheme.

However, its perfectly acceptable to buy a bicycle to go to work and to treat it as a business expense. This is how you can write it off against tax/VAT.

cojomo2

dayshah wrote: »

As a self-employed person you are not covered by the bike to work scheme.

However, its perfectly acceptable to buy a bicycle to go to work and to treat it as a business expense. This is how you can write it off against tax/VAT.

As a self employed person, I am covered by the bike to work scheme...it covers company directors too, however since I am not drawing a salary /paying no income tax, there little incentive.

As far as I'm aware, getting to and from your place of work cannot be expensed to a business, so therefor I could not claim the vat back as it would not be counted as a legitimate expense.

blobert

Would heartily recommend single speed.

Even at about the €300 mark the quality of your geared bike will not be great. I got a decathlon hybrid for a holiday home recently enough for about €300, even with maintenance its noisey, skips gears etc. It's just quite a cheap bike.

There is far less to go wrong on the single speed.

One of these looks decent enough:
http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_551267_categoryId_212377_langId_-1?cm_vc=IOV4PDPZ1&iozone=PDPz1

Would not worry about hills, Dublin is pretty flat, have yet to encounter a hill I cannot manage on my single speed and I am by no means fit compared to most of the posters in this forum.

jeffwode

If you're a sole trader (ie, not a company) and your place of work is different from your home, then you can claim expenses incurred in going to and from your work.

You should be able to claim at least 80% of all your cycling costs as an expense. Most sole traders are claiming 75% - 90% of their motoring and transport costs as a business expense.

Thargor

Not a big fan of the colour on that ltd edition Carerra but I bought a Carerra Subway 1 from Halfords last year after people here recomended it and 1500 miles later I still love it, they're comfortable, fast and you generally just dont seem to get tired on them, I know they're fairly cheap and not up to most of this forums standards but if its your first bike and you're looking for a good hybrid without breaking the bank definitely go for the Carerra, assuming the link you posted is the same bike apart from the horrible colour scheme (imo). Im in Galway and I cycled back through Connemara a couple of times this Summer and took it on some pretty rough trails aswell, it really is an excellent bike.

bloomfield

If you're based in or near Dublin, you could get a pretty decent second hand bike from Rothar. They refurbish bikes before selling them on to the public, so at least you know what you're buying is mechanically sound.

http://www.rothar.ie/

cojomo2

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Think I'm gonna go with the Carrera subway one.

I'm just over 6ft tall,maybe 6"1....so what frame size wool people recommend , 20 or 22"?

Thanks.

papac

I have a subway 18". I'm 5 10 so you should be grand on a 20 i'd say.

Subway is a grand bike. I use mine in town and I love it.(I have other, expensive bikes too.)

Get gears ffs. If you get into cycling you could do a bit of touring or reasonable distances on a geared one far more comfortably.

As far as axa discount goes I have got it loads of times and only once been asked for proof.

cojomo2

papac wrote: »

I have a subway 18". I'm 5 10 so you should be grand on a 20 i'd say.

Subway is a grand bike. I use mine in town and I love it.(I have other, expensive bikes too.)

Get gears ffs. If you get into cycling you could do a bit of touring or reasonable distances on a geared one far more comfortably.

As far as axa discount goes I have got it loads of times and only once been asked for proof.

Thanks for the info , 20" it is so...

This bike is on sale for 300 , add in my dodgy axa voucher and it works out around 255, is that the best price I can expect to see this go for yeah ?

I noticed this bike has quick release wheels, does that mean I have to take the wheels with me after locking the bike up in town ?

papac

cojomo2 wrote: »

Thanks for the info , 20" it is so...

This bike is on sale for 300 , add in my dodgy axa voucher and it works out around 255, is that the best price I can expect to see this go for yeah ?

I noticed this bike has quick release wheels, does that mean I have to take the wheels with me after locking the bike up in town ?

At 255 euros the Subway has to be the best value bike on the planet I reckon.
Take front wheel out and put u lock through both wheels and frame is what I have always done.
Taking your wheels around with you is a bit of a drag.(Specially clubbin' on a saturday night.:D)