Bike to Work scheme - the Megathread - Read post #1 before posting

iwillhtfu · 01-09-2015 9:15pm

You might find the longest delay is getting a bike in your size in stock it it's a 2016 model you might be waiting a long time. I think some people were waiting till May for the Giant TCR advanced 1 this year.

If you're not going through a scheme it should just be a money transfer and away you go.

CramCycle · 01-09-2015 9:32pm

Precisely, if your company are paying cash and its in stock, pretty much immediate. If it is through a scheme or the bike is out of stock, I would not be certain it would arrive in time.

DDC1990 · 01-09-2015 10:37pm

A couple of questions.

First of all have any Primary School teachers here availed of the scheme. I'm looking to get a new bike but I'm not sure if I can buy online or if I have to go through the shops, due to the form that has to be submitted to the Dept. Of Education. It pretty vague.

Also is now a good or bad time of the year to purchase. Will I have to run off the costs before the end of the tax year?

Thank You

CramCycle · 01-09-2015 10:48pm

Can't answer the first one but as for the second, no.

You can split it across tax years. It is 12 months from the date you avail of the scene. If you start now, you would have up until this date next year to pay it off, dependent on how your ployer implements it.

Depends on your employer and their terms for payment but I presume the department typically split it across 22 months.

DDC1990 · 01-09-2015 10:53pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Can't answer the first one but as for the second, no.

You can split it across tax years. It is 12 months from the date you avail of the scene. If you start now, you would have up until this date next year to pay it off, dependent on how your ployer implements it.

Depends on your employer and their terms for payment but I presume the department typically split it across 22 months.

Thank you. One final question, will I get close to the value available online in the shops?

The quality available for in and around €1000 online seems far superior to what I've seen in shops to date. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

Beasty · 01-09-2015 11:04pm

DDC1990 wrote: »

Thank you. One final question, will I get close to the value available online in the shops?

The quality available for in and around €1000 online seems far superior to what I've seen in shops to date. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

Shops have much more in the way of overheads and often a reasonably captive audience. Online clearly provides more accessible options, encouraging sellers to be as competitive as they can as they have a lot more opposition to worry about

TychoCaine · 02-09-2015 11:37am

Beasty wrote: »

Shops have much more in the way of overheads and often a reasonably captive audience. Online clearly provides more accessible options, encouraging sellers to be as competitive as they can as they have a lot more opposition to worry about

....so that would be a no then. On the other hand if you're new to cycling and your local bike shop is a good 'un the premium can be well worth it. They'll make sure you get a bike that fits your needs and is the right size. And shopping local means far less trauma if something goes wrong and you need warranty support.

Seve OB · 02-09-2015 11:47am

TychoCaine wrote: »

....so that would be a no then. On the other hand if you're new to cycling and your local bike shop is a good 'un the premium can be well worth it. They'll make sure you get a bike that fits your needs and is the right size. And shopping local means far less trauma if something goes wrong and you need warranty support.

also, buying in a LBS they will most likely offer you a free tune up service after a month or 2. good for someone who might not be very hands on with bike mechanics.

rubadub · 02-09-2015 11:52am

DDC1990 wrote: »

The quality available for in and around €1000 online seems far superior to what I've seen in shops to date. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

Most will give a discount if you ask, or throw in something else with it free. I did not see mine cheaper anywhere online. And I got free first service.

In many cases if you buy a bike online you have to build it yourself.

When comparing go through the full process and see what shipping is going to cost too.

I have bought several bikes online, years back there were huge differences when sterilng was the way it was. It can depend on the brand too, mine had cheaper euro RRPs than STG or US$, on previous bikes it was the other way around.

Einstein? · 04-09-2015 2:43pm

I´m looking at the boardman team carbon which is at the moment reduced from 1199 to 1099. I´d like to use the bike2work scheme in order to purchase it, however it is in excess of the 1000 limit which Halfords seem to be strict on.

Has anyone previously made a similar deal specifically with Halfords in the past - and if so how did you go about it? I know of people who use the scheme with other bike shops and their basket is in excess of 1000 euro.

Otherwise, has anyone seen this bike being put on sale below the 1000 euro limit?

Thanks in advance

loudymacloud · 04-09-2015 2:49pm

Einstein?

Where I work I take care of the Cycle to Work Scheme for our staff, now I cant speak for every company, but if someone gets a bike over the €1000 limit, they simply just pay the store the difference and we pay the invoice of €1000.

Possibly Halfords wont allow that as they have a whole Bike to Work accounts section of their business, but with any other bike shop it has not seemed to be an issue.

we even did a similar deal with Canyon, all their accounts are in Germany, but they allowed a guy order a bike for over €2000, he paid the difference to their bank and we paid over €1000, once the money went through they shipped him out the bike.

Inquitus · 04-09-2015 2:50pm

loudymacloud wrote: »

snip

Exactly what loudymacloud said, with my work up to €1000 is paid under bike to work, any excess you pay yourself.

Beasty · 04-09-2015 2:59pm

Unless Halfords are administering the scheme on behalf of your employer it is absolutely nothing to do with them

All that should happen is the employer buys the bike from Halfords at its full price (ie they should not simply pay the €1,000 - if they do that it can really complicate everything as the employer must buy the full bike then "sell" it to the employee). they are then completely out of it. You then arrange to buy the bike from your employer - partly via salary sacrifice and partly via cash

josip · 04-09-2015 3:00pm

I've found that the smaller Halfords can be more flexible about structuring the purchase than the bigger stores that don't need the business as much.

Undercover Elephant · 04-09-2015 4:53pm

There are usually Halfords discount vouchers to be found if you poke around the internet a bit. If you have an AXA insurance policy there's a discount available on that too.

jon1981 · 07-09-2015 5:10pm

Hi,

I'm assuming if your company uses www.biketowork.ie as the middle man between them and the store that it's unlikely the store will offer discounts? I gather the store have to pay this crowd some fee ?

Jon

CramCycle · 07-09-2015 9:50pm

jon1981 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm assuming if your company uses www.biketowork.ie as the middle man between them and the store that it's unlikely the store will offer discounts? I gather the store have to pay this crowd some fee ?

Jon

They take 10% so for the 1000 you spend the lbs only get 900euro. There is still wiggle room but nowhere near as much than if you had not used the middle man.

griffin100 · 07-09-2015 11:21pm

CramCycle wrote: »

They take 10% so for the 1000 you spend the lbs only get 900euro. There is still wiggle room but nowhere near as much than if you had not used the middle man.

I was told 8% when I bought a new bike last week. The bike was on sale and the shop were not best pleased about losing another €80 on a bike that they claim was already on sale at a loss (given the €1,000 + price reduction I reckon they weren't bull****ting) re the loss).

Beasty · 07-09-2015 11:33pm

griffin100 wrote: »

I was told 8% when I bought a new bike last week. The bike was on sale and the shop were not best pleased about losing another €80 on a bike that they claim was already on sale at a loss (given the €1,000 + price reduction I reckon they weren't bull****ting) re the loss).

That's there problem - no-one requires them to go along with such an arrangement. I suspect though they are feeling a bit of pain at present as Halfords published some figures last week showing they were suffering on sales of cycling gear. The weak euro is probably exacerbating their problems in Ireland

carrighead · 11-09-2015 8:42pm

I would like to get a bike on the Cycle to Work scheme. However I am on a paid career break, I get 3k quarterly and pay 50 odd euro in tax per quarter. I am due back to work in July 2016. Is it possible for me to apply for the scheme even though I don't pay tax and don't work even though I am still employed and on the payroll?

Undercover Elephant · 11-09-2015 8:52pm

carrighead wrote: »

I would like to get a bike on the Cycle to Work scheme. However I am on a paid career break, I get 3k quarterly and pay 50 odd euro in tax per quarter. I am due back to work in July 2016. Is it possible for me to apply for the scheme even though I don't pay tax and don't work even though I am still employed and on the payroll?

The scheme is only good because you save on tax. If you don't pay tax, you can't save any. So it would be daft to use the scheme now even if you're eligible.

carrighead · 11-09-2015 9:00pm

Thanks Undercover Elephant, That's what I was thinking. Thought I would ask just to be 100% sure

caviardreams · 11-09-2015 9:11pm

Plus also, you wouldn't be using it to commute to work so I imagine your employer may not process it anyway?

jon1981 · 11-09-2015 9:38pm

caviardreams wrote: »

Plus also, you wouldn't be using it to commute to work so I imagine your employer may not process it anyway?

That's irrelevant, the employer won't care. Also if they do ask are you going to use it to commute, you say yes...

Beasty · 11-09-2015 9:46pm

carrighead wrote: »

I would like to get a bike on the Cycle to Work scheme.

Threads merged. Please read the forum charter and FAQs before posting (and certainly before starting a new thread as we may, as in this case, already have a dedicated thread)

Any questions PM me - do not respond in-thread

Beasty · 11-09-2015 9:47pm

jon1981 wrote: »

That's irrelevant, the employer won't care. Also if they do ask are you going to use it to commute, you say yes...

Do not encourage anyone to commit tax fraud. Do not respond to this warning in-thread

carrighead · 11-09-2015 9:49pm

To be honest my employers are lovely, and I don't think this would be an issue

and I will eventually be using it to commute, I just need extra training time to prepare

its a moot point really; as undercover elephant pointed out, I don't pay tax so that's the end of it for now. cheers x

fungie · 22-09-2015 11:22pm

I am looking to get a bike on the bike to work scheme but I have no idea about what bike to get (brands, where to buy etc). I would like a road bike and am willing to go up to the max amount, 1000 euro. Any suggestions/tips would be great.

whacker00 · 22-09-2015 11:55pm

Even better, why not try a quick search of the threads currently open. There is a massive amount of great information on bikes and all aspects of btw scheme.

Beasty · 22-09-2015 11:57pm

Moved from Cycling Adverts

Bike to Work scheme - the Megathread - Read post #1 before posting

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