Bike to work scheme

[CyclingCF]

I WFH 3 days a week and in the office (via train) for 2 days a week.

I live 2/3 miles from my DD3 primary school at cycle her to school. My DD2 has just started secondary school which is on the same route- it’s very isolated and at the moment I wouldn’t let her do it alone. It will be even more of a no aa it gets darker. She now cycles to her new school and her bike is too small (as we used to have to drive her to her different infant school to DD3 as it was 6 miles in the other direction). Once dropped off I cycle to the train station or back to WFH.

My DD2 needs to do the commute with me or I’ll have to take my car for all drop offs and commute to the statio .

Am I morally ok to get her a new bike on my cycle to work scheme? I am a 40% tax payer so the saving is quite high.

YABU- this isn’t what the scheme is for
YANBU- it’s exactly what the scheme is for as you are reducing emissions and you need to get your children to school as part of your commute

Do it.

I processed this when I worked at my old company. I didn't ask why, how often, how far etc. It's none of my business as the employee is paying for it, its just in a more tax efficient way. If you are concerned about the morals of it, you are going to be cycling more than if you didn't have it, so the scheme has done its job.

its called cycle to work because it’s intended that you use the work for your commute and that’s why there’s a payroll tax break. In reality, nobody checks.

Yes, that's pretty common.

Do it but beware of the tie in that some schemes have. My son had one and had to pay £250 at the end to 'transfer ownership' which wasn't made clear at the start and vastly reduced any savings. Bloody bike was stolen two weeks later anyway!!

If it doesn't sit well with you morally, give your daughter your bike and buy yourself a new one with the scheme.

Guidance says 50 per cent of a bike’s use should be made up of commuting to work. Still counts as commutting to work even if you stop somewhere else on the way.

In reality, no one will check anything after you've got the bike through the scheme.

@blobby10 my DH found the same, using the scheme made the purchase much more complicated and didn’t actually save him any money in the long run.

YANBU it's completely fine. The point of the scheme is to encourage people to cycle.

I got a new bike via cycle to work last year. As pp say, nobody asked any questions about how I would use it. I love my new bike!

As PP say, it's explicitly against what the scheme is meant to be for, but the odds that anyone will ever check are basically nonexistent. Your call.

Going off at a tangent here, but why not buy a second hand bike from a bike shop? It will have been serviced and be much cheaper. I'd looked into the Cycle to Work scheme for my last bike, but the second hand route was a much better option than having to buy a new one with the Cycle to Work scheme.

Thanks all- I’m not sure I’m any the wiser as to what to do. I’m not good at breaking the rules, but this does feel like it is (even though I can explain it away) @Hillarious that’s a good idea although I don’t know of a company that sells second hand bikes?

Before commuting to a new bike via Cycle to Work, must look at the websites of places like Tredz, Leisure Lakes and Evans.

This is the time of year when new bike models/colours are released, and old ones are marked down. [[https://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/mountain-bike/bikes/onsale Leisure Lakes]{

Or, if it's for cycling to school, maybe check and see if there is a bike CiC (community interest company) locally, who refurbish old bikes and sell them in at low cost.

Whereabouts in the country are you @CyclingCF? Roughly.

I wouldn't bother with the Cycle to Work scheme - you can get a decent bike in the sales for much less money.

https://www.bikeclub.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4K7ditG5gQMV1sXtCh2I0g5YEAAYASAAEgJKXPD_BwE

what about the bike club? You pay a monthly sub to rent a bike and swap it when your kid outgrows it etc

I’m in Kent

Sorry if I misunderstood,Is it a kids bike you wish to buy?

Evans wouldn't let me buy a child's bike with the scheme. Few years ago mind.

I think we have this at work with Halfords. One person has bought 2 bikes for her kids. No one checks. I'm sure she asked before she did it

How tall is she and could she ride your bike?

Which scheme does your employer offer (some schemes are better than others; the Green Commute Initiative is the best one, others are variable in terms of fees and actual savings) and have they set a spending limit?

If possible (ie within your employer's spending limit) my suggestion is to buy yourself an electric cargo bike (probably a midtail like the Tern GSD or HSD) and then give your current bike to DD or sell it and use the money to buy her whatever she needs.

Our cycle to work scheme does price matching. Definitely works out cheaper than a sale, and even second hand really, in terms of value.

Hythe Cycles sells refurbed secondhand bikes

Cycle to work scheme is no longer worth the hassle.

For a bike that is just going to be used for a few miles to school and back just get a second hand bike, ideally just a single speed thing that will require very little maintainance and nobody will even think about nicking.