The points above are fair, there are a few exclusions, such as military personel who are not currently eligible, however, for the vast majority of UK workforce, the scheme is an excellent way to start to ride to work....

Many self employed people do take advantage of the scheme as they already have a limited company thorugh which they pay themselves PAYE already, so the exclusion doesn't reach as far as you might think.

As far as limitations on choice go, most retailers offer a pretty wide range of bikes, so an employer can be pretty confident on being able to offer their employees a good range of products, the main concern really should be whether their supplier is able to offer a high quality service to their staff, taking time to give the right advice.

I don't buy the £1000 limit on the scheme as being an issue either. Are we really saying that £1000 can't buy a decent bike these days? Because that's simply not true (see any number of recent bike radar reviews).

We really need to focus on spirit of the scheme, and that is to get more people to ride bikes to work. It is not necessarily to get cycle enthusiasts, who may already have bikes, yet another steed (though there's no problem with that either).

The bottom line is that the scheme is still a fantastic way to buy a bike, and people can save between 40-50% on the cost of a new way to work. Some shortcomings - maybe, but overall, it's an incredibly positive thing for the government to be offering. Long may it continue.

My employer has a scheme, as a firm that has offices throughout the UK they have to be seen to be fair in using a national company, unfortunalty it is Halfords.

I have a major problem with using a company that is more used to dealling with spotty Corsa (yes I know it'san insult to the respectible zit free Corsa owners out there) drivers who love nothing better than blinging their pride and joy up on a Saturday afternoon. The Halfords that I have within a 20 mile radius of me do not cater for commited cyclists, and couldn't tell you the difference between a Presta or Schraeder valve.

Halfords Bike to Work scheme Helpline have informed me that a number of bikes are not available to them ( Kiron etc) as the supplier (Wiggle) refuses to release them to Halfords, thus preserving exclustivity. Discounts on bikes as advertised on numerous web sites and in stores, are not passed onto the scheme users, Halfords have to sell at retail prices. This make the scheme a mockery as Halfords theoetically pocket the difference!

The scheme needs to reflect the requirements of cyclists. If the Government are commited they should review and adpat it to suit their customers - us!

My company signed up to the scheme organised through Evans cycles. My problem lies in the fact I have a company car and use it for work. I apparently am not eligible as it would mean giving up the car I use to get around for work. Its annoying as I cycle to work most days anyway using my own bike even though the car is available for this pupose as well. Surely there must be some way to reap the rewards of the scheme for me apart from some early season fitness

Minguini,

I would say you could argue that you are eligible for a bike if you could demonstrate that you commute to work for at least 50% of the time by bicycle.... In this case it would sound like your company should review it's eligibility criteria. However, it's not the fault of the scheme, but how it has been implemented by your employer.

My current company does not participate in the scheme and has no plans to. My previous employer also wasn't interested. They are happy to put signs up in the toilets telling us to turn off the lights when we leave, "for the environment", but anything that requires effort is too much to ask.

I have to say though that my overriding image of this scheme will be my friend Darwyn. On the day he collected his bike to work mountain bike he dropped it off at mine. The idea was that it would be stored in my garage, so he could go out riding with me regularly. In January it will be exactly one year since he got the bike and as yet it hasn't even been ridden a single metre!!!!

There are limitations with scheme but for those eligible it is an excellent deal. I'll be picking up a Specialised FSRXc Comp next month from Halfords and after deductions it will cost be less than £600 (retail is just under a grand). I am also able to spend 17% of the purchase price on accessories so I'm looking at almost £170 of additional goods. £1170 of stuff for less than 600 notes. Yep, thankyou very much. Last year my company charged around £20 for C2W members to buy their bike at the end of the year.

I agree with Daz. I've just bought myself a Trek 1.7, which retails at £900. I pay higher rate tax, so have saved about 45%.

I do appreciate there are limitations, but lets not forget that for the majority of people this is a great idea, and for once the government are doing something to help. OK it doesn't suit 100% of the people, but it's a start.

Fantastic scheme!

Unfortunately I'm a civil servant for the MoD, and from the enquiries I've made they don't offer a scheme. I don't know if this is the case for other public sector workers, but it does make me bitter when I read about the savings. Does it have to involve the employer?

I've been as far as contacting the Dep't for Transport over this scheme. I am a state school teacher so, in a round about way, I work for the Government. However, my education authority don't operate the scheme and despite my persistence it seems that they have no plans to ever do so. This means that government employees cannot participate in what is a very worthwhile government scheme. Brilliant!

As far as I am concerned, if the government really want us to look for alternative methods of transport, such as cycling, then employees, especially government departments, should not be able to opt out. There should be a centrally run scheme that EVERYONE can become involved in.

I recently asked my employer if they would consider joining the sceme as I ride to work and wanted to get a new bike. After lengthy discussions they decided not to join, the reason being as they could possibly have to lay out a lot of cash and as they work on an overdraft it would cost them more money than they would save. My manager did say he thought it was a good idea but there wasn't enough insentive for small companies to join. I did get my new bike at a discount so I ended up paying the same as if my employer had joined

Although my employer only used Halfords as a source of bikes I they were willing to order any bike currently on the market so I had no problem getting the bike I wanted. This is supposed to be a scheme to enable people to buy a bike to get to work so frankly do you need a 1000+ bike ?

Halfords (my company's scheme) offered local retailers the opportunity to supply other models ... provided they ONLY supply 2009 FULL RETAIL PRICE bikes .... AND they [Halfords] demand a 15 percent cut for the privilege of doing so !!! This is hardly in the spirit of the scheme ... and, well just plain stinks !!! I guess that's what they are really about.

As far as i know the reason bike shops are only willing to sell at retail prices is because it costs them 10% of the price, so they make even less profit on sale bikes. However, when i got my bike i just asked around and one bike shop agreed that i could get a sale bike with the 10% added on to cover their costs. This still works out since the bike was reduced from £700 to £500, then with the 10% it was still a deal at £550.

My employer used to only deal with Halfords as well but due to unpopularity it changed the scheme provider so we can now go to any bike shop, much better.

My only gripe is that due to the provider and employer i suppose, they don't pass all the savings on so i'm not saving as much as i could be.

I prefer to view this glass half full. I bought my bike through the Evans scheme in Jan 2008 and have been riding daily ever since after a break for some 10 years+. There are limitations to everything, but this scheme is certainly fair for most people.

Those so close to minimum wage would do better to buy a refurbed bike from somewhere like Oxford Cycle Workshop. I'm not being a snob, just a realist. I would like a Bentley, but I have to "make do" with a Honda. That's just life - no-one has a "right" to more than they can afford.

As for military personnel, I guess the tax implications just don't make sense. Armed forces personnel wouldn't get anything close to a reasonable "discount" given they are exempt from most of the taxes that apply.

Real negatives should be found, but let's be fair about what works and doesn't. Some people won't benefit, but the majority can. If an employer doesn't want to participate, you can't blame the Govt./the scheme for that.

pintoo

You are so wrong. The Armed Forces pay all taxes. The only exception is they are exempt VAT when deployed overseas.

Good to see the picture you're using for this article is of a bike which is not only way over the normal £1k limit, but also exemplifies the sort of bike which only an enthusiast (or maybe a poser) would buy!

My employer also uses Halfords, and despite some people managing to get exactly what they want from a different shop via the Halfords scheme, that experience isn't universal, and you certainly can't get some bikes. Meanwhile there are other nationwide schemes - it seems though that Halfords have targeted their marketing correctly (given the people making the choice don't in general know how rubbish Halfords can be).

In general there really isn't a problem with the £1k limit - you can get a perfectly decent commuting bike for that, and I'm not convinced why enthusiasts should get tax breaks on fancy bikes not for commuting (even though that would benefit me!) However in a few specific cases it is a problem - I'm aware of somebody who wants a cargo bike/trike for dropping kids at school during his commute, and he can't get one of those within budget.

For all those on the Halfords Scheme, I recommend speaking directly with Halfords main bike to work office (details used to be on the website). I purchased an ON ONE Pompino through the scheme through Planet X. As it was a special order, I had to deal with the department, who I found very helpful. My advice would be to find the bike you want through your local bikeshop or website (wiggle and others excluded since they run their own schemes) and get them to do all the running around for you with regard to Halfords sourcing it from them. Then get your bikeshop to put it together. I found I had to completely redo the brakes and secure the stem as they'd given it to me in a dangerous condition.

aracer said: "Good to see the picture you're using for this article is of a bike which is not only way over the normal £1k limit, but also exemplifies the sort of bike which only an enthusiast (or maybe a poser) would buy!"

Not at all!

For those on Cyclescheme, I recommend shopping around and play one retailer off against another. One store I looked at wanted £100 admin fee and was I only limited to a small range of products. Another refused to partake in the scheme. I simply went elsewhere and then told them both that I'd taken my business elsewhere and would be continuing to do so. I have had the benefit of being on the Halfords Bike to Work and Cyclescheme and IMHO both the scemes offer a great way to purchase a new bike and commute. I also think the power to shop around is still yours to do and retailers need to be aware that if one store doesn't offer the right service, another will. I sympathise with those of you who don't qualify because of your job. I urge you to do everything you can to change your boss' mind. Perhaps look at all the things your current employer is not doing for you and look round for a new job. I think its incredibly unfair that its not offered to Armed Forces considering the hardships they face within their jobs. Hopefully this will change soon.

@MJLowry: give Leisure Lakes a call, you might be able to deal with them directly. I just got a bike from them, albeit on the Halfords scheme, and I never set foot in a Halfords store.

I got a £1000 voucher, plus another £100 'discount' on top, for which I'll pay about £570 over the next 12 months. So a practically half price interest free loan - too good to refuse! Good news for my employer too, because it's an incentive for me to stay with them.

So Rockmount says Halfords take a 15% cut. Am I bovvered? If Leisure Lakes are prepared to accept that, so what.

I agree that £1000 is plenty, at least for a commute bike. Anyway, if your employer is prepared to jump through a few more hoops (license to operate a finance co.), they can loan you as much as you'll ever need.

Using the scheme to bling up your collection isn't really in the spirit is it. In my case I already have a trail bike that cost me well over £1000, but there's no way I'm riding it to work. I now have a Tricross which I've nerded out with mudguards and a rack - it's so much faster on th road, and the scallies never take a second look. Heh heh. Result!

Our company uses Halfords but only run the scheme from March till March, but i'm assured by my local store that they will get me any bike i want, which in my case will be the marin Attack trail, its not just a bike to cycle to work on its aimed at getting the majority of people fit.

If your company supply a company car would you only use it only for work i think not, so if some of us want the top end bikes to use while others just want one to get from A 2 B a limit on this would be very unfair to quite a wide spectre.

Oh yeah, @petejuk: Planet X bikes are no longer available since (according to the Halfords helpline) they haven't been certified by the required British Standard or summat like that.

Not that that'd ever stop me buying one otherwise - Planet X are bomber. I really wanted an Uncle John or maybe a Kaffenbach, but settled for a Tricross. I guess they just haven't seen certification as particularly necessary to their business so far.

@M.Cole the Pearson Cartouche is £1500

I work for the nhs catering and my local trust (SUHT) and we were offered C2W but the repayments didnt make it worthwhile. It was cheaper to save the money and buy it myself, getting a deal on clothes and lights at the same time.

I know several other nhs workers who have done the same and actually saved up to a hundred quid compared to the C2W scheme.

Then there is the lack of knowledge about C2W. None of my bosses knew of it, knew of the cycle facilities or if permission was needed to park a bike (as it is with cars). As a result many people have been put off bothering with it.

Just something to bear in mind in these troubled times. I've just been made redundant and the remaining monthly payments owing on the bike were deducted in full from my final pay without any tax savings. Still to "buy" bike at end of 12 months. Queue violins.

All the above points are fair but there is something that no one mentioned so far. i am a doctor employed by a large london hospital which is a member of the cycletowork scheme. the only problem is that you must be employed by the trust for at least 3 months (which is understandable) but then the scheme is for 36 months and to join you must have that amount of time left on your contract. now most doctors in the NHS (excluded consultants) are on fixed term contract for a year and it is usually renewed. most doctors travel to work by bike because of long hours and the scheme cut effectively all the doctors from the scheme. is there anything i can do to improve the situation?

Some good points. However, there is one big misunderstanding being perpetuated about the upper limit. The £1000 quoted is nothing to do with the C2W scheme, but arises as a consequence of the Consumer Credit Act and the way in which C2W schemes work ie the employer acquires the bike and "rents" it back to the employee via salary sacrifice. Hence this is a finance arrangement and comes under the auspices of the CCA. The £1000 is an exemption to the CCA given by the government for C2W schemes. If the employer has a Consumer Credit Licence, then there is no limit. I am a shareholder/director in such a business and the bike that I have through the C2W scheme cost considerably more than £1000!

Good employers will not only put the VAT savings into the pot, but also the employers NI as well - currently 12.8%.

I love the C2W scheme. I got a Specialized Allez from Leisure Lakes who were prepared to let me have it through the scheme even though it was on offer in the store. I work for Oldham Council and they have passed on all the savings and I have just made my final 5% payment so the bike is all mine now. I love Labour and local government!

Cycling to work is a great idea, it's a shame we don't have a similiar scheme here in Scotland.

-Mark

Jamis Bikes

i would urge anyone working in a small company to do all the reserch themselves, work out the savings and the deductions on salary and print out all the details to show to your boss how easy it is to do. Try looking at a lot of different websites and not just the famous high street brands. I got my bike from sbr sports who were very helpfull even when cannondale couldn't guarantee the delivery of the chosen bike sbr offered me the more expensive carbon bike for the same price.