road bike and cycle to work scheme advice needed
Discussion
After many years of trials/dirt/ street bikes, i finally made the transition to a xc bike in 2007 when i bought myself a 2008 stumpy expert. However over the past few weeks ive really been fancying a road bike aswell. Main reason is im very keen on fitness nowadays and feel i could cover more ground on a road bike.
Now i've never rode a road bike, but plan to try a few to see what fits, but from intial searching i fancy a "bianchi c2c via nirone 7 alu xenon compact 2010" which is £725 in my local bike shop (je james). Any thoughts on this bike?
Next is about how to buy it. I intially thought i'd get some 0% finance and some goodies thrown in/ discount off the bike, but then my mum mentioned that her work does the cycle scheme. After a intial read it appears i can save 42% off the bike, and the final fee is only £35 to own it after the 12 months. So would it be too dodgy to do it this way? does anyone check? I know the bike shop quite well if it makes any difference.
Now i've never rode a road bike, but plan to try a few to see what fits, but from intial searching i fancy a "bianchi c2c via nirone 7 alu xenon compact 2010" which is £725 in my local bike shop (je james). Any thoughts on this bike?
Next is about how to buy it. I intially thought i'd get some 0% finance and some goodies thrown in/ discount off the bike, but then my mum mentioned that her work does the cycle scheme. After a intial read it appears i can save 42% off the bike, and the final fee is only £35 to own it after the 12 months. So would it be too dodgy to do it this way? does anyone check? I know the bike shop quite well if it makes any difference.
Technically it is dodgy/illegal. If your mum is buying it through her work's scheme then the bike should technically be primarily for her to travel to work on. According to the FAQ:
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Does the bike have to be used for commuting?
Employees should use the bike mainly for commuting to and, if relevant, between work places (at least 50% of the bike’s use should be for work purposes). However, the bike can also be used for non-work purposes and there is no need for employers to monitor individual usage or for employees to keep a mileage log. Please note that employees can not claim business mileage allowance with a bike obtained under the scheme as the bike belongs to the employer.
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If your mum rides it to work and then loans it to you on the weekends, that would be fine! As above though - there is no requirement to actually check.
- - - -
Does the bike have to be used for commuting?
Employees should use the bike mainly for commuting to and, if relevant, between work places (at least 50% of the bike’s use should be for work purposes). However, the bike can also be used for non-work purposes and there is no need for employers to monitor individual usage or for employees to keep a mileage log. Please note that employees can not claim business mileage allowance with a bike obtained under the scheme as the bike belongs to the employer.
- - - -
If your mum rides it to work and then loans it to you on the weekends, that would be fine! As above though - there is no requirement to actually check.
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