Im looking to get a new cycle to work bike, however, my company scheme is affiliated to a large mail order bike warehouse, which I would rather not use.

I am looking to get one of those universal vouchers to spend at a local bike shop instead.

Just wondering if anyone has had any success in getting their company to switch from this arrangement, to something that is more suitable to the individual? And if so how did you go about doing this?

Thanks in advance

Which “large mail order bike warehouse”?

Quite a few LBSs will take Halfords vouchers, though some will charge a supplement as Halfords take a 15% cut of the RRP as Admin.

Its cycle solutions, I can’t even get a voucher, it has to be ordered from their website directly.

Not sure if your employed can switch from provider to provider – they’ll probably be bound to a contract with one or the other. I was looking at a new steed recently but discovered my work has shifted from cyclescheme to halfords – halfords claim to have access to half the bike stock in the land but when you look at the “partner” stores t&c some will as scotroutes says add an admin fee (seen 10%) and others will only do them on full rrp.

At least it’s saved me a beating from the wife I suppose…

mcj78 – Member

Not sure if your employed can switch from provider to provider – they’ll probably be bound to a contract with one or the other. I was looking at a new steed recently but discovered my work has shifted from cyclescheme to halfords – halfords claim to have access to half the bike stock in the land but when you look at the “partner” stores t&c some will as scotroutes says add an admin fee (seen 10%) and others will only do them on full rrp.

At least it’s saved me a beating from the wife I suppose…

Sprockets cycles in Kilmarnock take the Halfords vouchers, give them a bell.

others will only do them on full rrp.

The official rules for the scheme is only bikes at RRP. Some shops will be flexible about this. 😉

But not if the employer behind the scheme is HMRC 👿

Avoiding certain preferred partners is a “wheelie” good idea, as they also introduce all sorts of other limitations – the main one being awful customer service.
Having heard several stories from friends, I’ve decided to give the whole scheme a wide berth.

That’s it, I think I wold rather give the scheme a miss than use the current provider, its a shame as I could have saved a few quid too.

Doesn’t help that the current provider has also stopped discounting most bikes by 10% which would have been the only incentive to use them.

Having just dropped a few k’s on a new road bike I was hoping to spread the cost of this one 🙁

Not surprised you want to avoid them – my experience was dire. Unfortunately it’s who we’re using again, and there’s no ‘voucher option’. Mail order for a bike just seems so wrong, and I would much rather support one of the shops local to me, but the C2W saving is tempting.

Cycle Solutions employee here, before I start I’ll say that “I come in peace”!

I’m genuinely interested to hear if you’ve had a negative experience using our cycle to work scheme so that we can try and improve what we provide. Is it just the experience of purchasing a bike online/mail order or are there specific parts of our service that have not been up to scratch?

I’m genuinely interested to hear if you’ve had a negative experience using our cycle to work scheme so that we can try and improve what we provide. Is it just the experience of purchasing a bike online/mail order or are there specific parts of our service that have not been up to scratch?

Hobnobs at the ready and the kettle is on 😀

I’m genuinely interested to hear if you’ve had a negative experience using our cycle to work scheme so that we can try and improve what we provide. Is it just the experience of purchasing a bike online/mail order or are there specific parts of our service that have not been up to scratch?

Not me, but a housemate
-ordered a bike,
-a bike turned up reasonably quickly,
-bike that had turned up was wrong make, model and size (XL but needed a small as she’s 5’4″) but right colour,
-returned bike,
-returned bike “never arrived” (tracking proved otherwise)
-eventually got another bike sent out (original bike ordered now discontinued/higher price)
-bike turns up,
-lots of minor issues (warped wheel, brakes useless), but all sorted by lbs (not sure who paid here, but would guess it was my housemate)
-went to ride bike to find out they had sent a size L
-went to return large bike to be told “you changed your order to a large” but couldn’t provide proof, also bike is now used so no returns (only ridden ~2 miles)
-eventually relented and agreed to take bike back
-sent another bike, this was right model and size, but obviously used with wear on tyres and dirty chain but she decided it wasn’t worth the bother of complaining as had taken nearly 4 months

(some of this is from kitchen conversations so timescales/exact details may be mixed up but I ended up setting the final bike up)

Cycle Solutions employee here, before I start I’ll say that “I come in peace”!

I’m genuinely interested to hear if you’ve had a negative experience using our cycle to work scheme so that we can try and improve what we provide. Is it just the experience of purchasing a bike online/mail order or are there specific parts of our service that have not been up to scratch?

Sent me a bike that arrived damaged. Scratched and dented and the shifter badly marked. Sent it back finally after several failed attempts at pick up. To be fair they had been quite helpful up to that point and agreed to swap the bike no problem.

“Replacement” bike arrived. It was the same bike! Same dent, same scratches only they had been very, and I mean very badly touched in by someone who was colour blind. Shifter still damaged. Are you taking the piss? Bike returned again and another wasted day waiting for the courier to turn up. Offered compensation that never came.

On returning it again I was told that it was now out of stock in my size and I’d have to wait (a ploy to get me to accept the damaged one?). I should have given up at this point but I stuck with it and after about three months eventually got my new bike.

That should have been the end of the sorry tale but no there’s more. Shortly after sending the damaged bike back I received a facebook message out of the blue from somebody asking me if I’d ordered a Giant from Cycle Solution. Perplexed at first, further correspondence with the chap reviled that after I’d sent it back they’d sent it out to him as new and pristine! The damage he mentioned was identical to the state it was in when I returned it. He’d tracked me down as they’d left the packing slip from my order in the box. What a shocking concept they had shown from my privacy and towards the other chap “oh well maybe the next fool will accept it”

In the interest of balance I’d like to point out that I’d used them twice previously for a C2W purchase and they were fine, no problems at all. It makes the last debacle the even more depressing considering the good service I’d had prior. Sadly that’s it no more custom from me, no matter how good a bargain.

You asked for it.

Ordered bike,shown on website as about 4 weeks to availability (it was next year’s model). Then got told that it would not be available in the quoted timeframe. I accept that you may not be able to get new models immediately, but . .
I asked about an alternative, and was referred to the website for stock availability – then told that the next one I was interested in (shown as in stock) had not been updated, so that wasn’t an option either.
Settled on a third (after sneakily checking it out a local shop) with which I am happy. Website info was confirmed by email (and proved right – third time lucky, I suppose).
During order I asked for a couple of accessories, but these were missed from the quote as it had not been written down
Apparently, my email and home addresses had been mistranscribed, so there was difficulty tracking the order. They cannot use my correct name (it’s Irish, with an apostrophe) which is annoying – I think a UK company should be able to work with a UK origin name.
The contract had the wrong employer name.
A new contract had the right employer, but reverted to wrong details on signing. By this time the contact at our company was on holiday, so another couple of weeks’ delay.
The voucher offered as compensation for the poor service thus far didn’t work (website only gave 90% of value). Had to be resolved by email.

Then, there was a recall and they insisted on me boxing up the bike for return and waiting at home all day for their courier to collect (had to be returned to them as retailer and they couldn’t arrange anything more convenient for collection). And no bike for probably a fortnight. Eventually sorted out the recall between the manufacturer and a local shop.

Got the ‘end of contract’ email. Filled it an and it took me to a payment screen, which wouldn’t accept my choice without card details. So they took the payment. The following month I saw they had also taken money from my pay, so they had that twice. They have now refunded the double payment, but it was a fitting end to a generally poor experience.

I don’t think I will bother again.

Well I am sorry to hear of the negative experience that you have received, I can assure you that we have made, and continue to make, great improvements to our order fulfillment and customer service elements of the business but I appreciate that doesn’t change what has been listed above.

We usually receive excellent feedback about our service which is why this thread caught my eye. We certainly never want to see that someone has felt let down.

I would like to investigate each of the issues listed, if you’re happy for me to do that could you please email info@cyclesolutions.co.uk with some of your details?

with all the changes to C2W over the years such as cessation of VAT saving, transfer of ownership and tax liability guidelines (fixed values for P11d) from HMRC etc etc C2w is not really offering that much of a ‘saving’ these days and really should only be looked at a pay monthly slightly discounted way of getting a bike as a middle class tax dodge.

Most of the providers don’t factor in or make much of a show about the potential cost implications at the end of say c2w hire agreement.

Often you would be better off if needed to do a deal on a sale bike and/or tradition finance options… at least that gives you full choice.

It is and always was a floored scheme and like all salary sacrifice the benefit to the user increases the more they earn… I mean think about a scheme that is designed to help people get a bike so they can get to work that is not available to use by those on minimum wage…

why is it not available to those people? the sacrifice would take them under the minimum which is illegal. yet they would probably most benefit from the scheme potentially.

At least some employers are helping by giving an employee a bike and then they just pay tax on the benefit in kind, if they pay tax at all.

Its still good if you dont use a middleman and your company finance can pay the shop directly and administer it themselves. Im on my second go through my companies version of the scheme after closing the first on its 4th year, meaning the bike was worth almost nothing on the HMRC chart and I didn’t get charged any admin for each year I had extended the loan.

Of course if your company is happy to fiddle the books (which many seem to do) you could get a new bike each year for no admin cost or scheme end charge.