Introductions - Ride to work schemes rock!

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View Full Version : Ride to work schemes rock!

folding_wonder
08-19-06, 01:29 PM
Hi everyone. Just joined up to the forum. My name's Stuart, I live in Colchester (about 60 miles NE of London) and own a Claud Butler Spectre MTB (with Reynolds 501 Double Butted tubing – rare I'm told), plus a Brompton L3. The Brompton joins me on my daily commute into central London, and it's great.

My employer has just joined forces with Evans Cycles to offer a Ride2Work scheme. The employer pays for the bike, and you pay back thru monthly instalments. But the payments are taken at source, and you don't have to shell out value added tax on the bike in the first place. Saves you a fortune in tax. Absolutely brilliant idea, and allows people to get a brand new bike for as little as 57 per cent of the list price. I'm about to take delivery of a shiny new Brompton S2L thru this scheme, and my dad is so keen on the idea of a folder that he has his eye on my L3.

Looking forward to tapping into all your knowledge on everything cycling.

Cheers,

Stuart

jyossarian
08-19-06, 03:03 PM
That sounds like a great idea Stuart. I wish companies here would get wise and do the same damn thing. Welcome to BF!
AndrewP
08-19-06, 04:55 PM
I take it you bike-train-bike. How many miles a day to you cycle? My daughter lives at the N end of Bromley and works at Canary Wharf, but I havent been able to persuade her to take her bike to work.

folding_wonder
08-20-06, 08:59 AM
Hi AndrewP. Yes, I bike-train-bike. But it's only about three miles to station and then three miles at the other end (so about 12 miles a day). In a way, I wish it was further, as it's such a nice, relaxing way to get to work.

I gave up using the tube to do this last October. 7/7 was obviously on my mind, but also the fact that, after the initial outlay (my L3 was second-hand from eBay), I would save a fortune. Plus I'd lose some of the gut into the bargain! Everyone's a winner.

Only trouble is, in mid-June I had a brush with a pedestrian in central London, came off and broke my elbow quite badly. It needed a pin inserting. Just returned to Brompton last week, albeit with a right arm I can't quite straighten yet, plus an all-essential pair of elbow guards! Perhaps you shouldn't mention that if trying to persuade someone to follow in my footsteps.