[chappers]

hi all,
i just called a shop offering "cyclescheme" to ask if i could buy a sram force groupset from them but i have come up against a major problem. they only offer the sale of complete bikes.
i have just phones cyclescheme to see if they will allow the sale of a groupset and it is true, they wont.

my question - do you think a bikeshop would be willing to put a 800quid groupset onto a 150quid frame and forks and could they get away with that within the scheme?

(serious training starts this weekend for the cheshire cat - going out riding with manchester wheelers)

ta,

[squeek]

That's why it's called 'cycle to work', and not 'get new shiney bits for your bike to continue to cycle to work'.  Don't ribble support this scheme?  Why don't you ask them?

If you want some non-serious, slow training let me know.  I might be going out for a couple of hours tomorrow, late morning.

[slackline]

my question - do you think a bikeshop would be willing to put a 800quid groupset onto a 150quid frame and forks and could they get away with that within the scheme?

Maybe  

Only one way of finding out though, and you'd probably have to get some cheap wheels, handlebar, saddle, brakes etc.

Official Lowdown

What you might be better doing is buying a cheap bike and getting the groupset as an accessory which is valid under the scheme, but you may get strange questions from your companies HR/accounts department when you purchase a £50 kids bike and an £800 accessory to cycle to work.

Note also that the primary requirement to taking advantage of this is that your employers participate in the scheme as you salary sacrafice the cost of the bike to them.

[chappers]

i just plugged in a bike on ribble's bike builder, but i keep coming up 75quid over, and they cant do over £1000. balls.
im closing in on a good deal though, i can feel it...

new question in that case: campag Centaur, any thoughts? alloy vs carbon (i can easily get the alloy on in the budget, its the carbon pushing it over...)

[slackline]

The place you work at does run the cycle to work scheme?

[fatkid2000]

I run a centaur (08 version) on my winter bike and it works a treat. I managed to get the carbon version for the same price as the alloy some how - and I like mine. Mind you those SRAM sets are suppose to be good as long as the cranks don't incooporate any truvativ technology they should be good.  

[Iesu]

i think that as long as your "friendly" local bikeshop writes you a quote for a "whole bike" when all they're selling you is bits it should be ok. I don't know how well audited the system is by cyclescheme.

i enquired about this with an LBS and was told it might be best to chat to the HR dept at work because at the end of the day it's them paying for it and you leasing it back off them, so they might feel a bit cheezed off if you screw the system to get what you want and then they find out about it!

been thinking about a new frame and forks, and theoretically it's possible (but a toughie for under £1k). a good bet for these hard times, although if you think there's a chance of being made redundant, then possibly not so good a bet. Your work will own your bike and you would have to pay them the difference (i think?)!

[fatdoc]

I run a centaur (08 version) on my winter bike and it works a treat. I managed to get the carbon version for the same price as the alloy some how - and I like mine. Mind you those SRAM sets are suppose to be good as long as the cranks don't incooporate any truvativ technology they should be good.  

Guess who's MTB carbon cranks lasted less than 6 months!!!

[chappers]

yeah my work do the cyclescheme, i work in a school and lancs cc have just started it.

my main issue is this: about a year and a half ago i knew nothing about bikes and as a result i have ended up with 1 running shimano, the other campag - not ideal when for instance you break a back wheel and therefor cant borrow from your other bike. so...i want to get them both on the same system. money wise i think it works best to run them both on campag...

here then is my plan.
buy a 52cm "blue ribble" with carbon centour groupset (08). (i own a 52cm blue ribble if they ask any questions).
place groupset onto my kuota.

place existing groupset and wheels (105) onto new ribble bike. sell.
sell also a terry dolan track frame i have.

buy shiny new campag wheel set with the profit from selling. yes!

[Iesu]

how much you want for the Dolan track frame -what size?

[chappers]

how much you want for the Dolan track frame -what size?

not in a position to sell it at the moment, but when i do:

its 52 c - c.
has a pair of itm basic forks. an alpina headset and a short (50mm) cinelli stem.
free extras will include some nice black rubber track grips.
and for a little extra a pair of deda track drops.
pretty good condition - see pic in the leg shavers thread from a while back, (its the one with the blue back wheel).

ribble sell the frame only for 110 - 130 depending to current offers, i think £90 all in. but i think i could command a better price on LFGSS.com, maybe.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Not sure who on here are Sheffield City council employees but it appears that they have changed their tune in regards to this scheme.

The intra-net webpage that used to say 'you'll be lucky' now says

This is in the early stages of being developed.  Watch this space for when it will be launched.

Updated 29/04/2009

Lucky I just got my new bike isn't it.

[slackline]

Not sure who on here are Sheffield City council employees but it appears that they have changed their tune in regards to this scheme.

The intra-net webpage that used to say 'you'll be lucky' now says

This is in the early stages of being developed.  Watch this space for when it will be launched.

Updated 29/04/2009

Lucky I just got my new bike isn't it.

Yes it is, if their HR/Finance department are anything similar to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals it will take them > 2 years from initiation to fruition.  By that time you'll be in need of a new bike and can take advantage of it 

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Very true. Although a mate of our from London who we were riding with at the weekend is getting his second bike on the scheme shortly. Mountain bike last year, nice road bike this year. Apparently you can get a bike a year if you work the system!

[tomtom]

Very true. Although a mate of our from London who we were riding with at the weekend is getting his second bike on the scheme shortly. Mountain bike last year, nice road bike this year. Apparently you can get a bike a year if you work the system!

Every 18 months at our place - and the 'call' is only once a year - so effectively every 2 years... seems we are quite lucky to have a keen cyclist in our HR dept.. otherwise I suspect it would never have happened..

[chappers]

ha ha.
this young man has two bikes, both on the £1000 limit, simultaneously due to a change in the department that organises travel loans and the cycle to work scheme at my work.

for those of you who are interested. on £1000 i am due to pay back £722. quite a good saving i think!

[Davey_C]

I got a bike for myself and the missus through my works cycle to work scheme. The second bike was put through as "clothing and accessories", you just need to find a "friendly" bike shop. I would have thought that in these uncertain times lots of shops would be willing to bend the rules. I pretty sure the rules actually allow you to get two bikes anyway, as long as they are both for you.

EDIT: and a mate at work spent close to £1K on "accessories" to do up his existing bike and the shop he got it from put it through as a new bike.

[slackline]

The shops love the scheme!

A certain Cycle shop in Sheffield, who's name begins with 'Lang' and ends with 'sett' were more than happy to pile on accessories and in their experience (with the Uni's) were happy to advise that certain accessories aren't always "approved" by the HR department, so were kindly wrote the script for helmet, panniers, bike lock and various other things I already had so I could get some more frivolous items that might not have been "approved".

On top of that because the bike I was quoted for had dropped in price when I came to make the purchase, they even gave me a credit account for the remainder to use as and when I need spares/service 

[bobkatebob]

I have been looking into the scheme. Just thought you guys might like to know that there is only a £1000 limit if the company you work for doesn't pay or have a Consumer Credit Licence. These can be purchased for about £750. So if you work for a large corperation and you get enough people together you might be able to get HR to cough up (or a group of you willing to pay it for the company as it could well still save you money). That is unless your company doesn't already have a Consumer Credit Licence.
The other option is that you can by for over the £1000 but you just have to pay the rest out of your own pocket.