I've approached a couple of good bike shops as I'm after a built up soul on the bike to work scheme.
Thing is when they give me the quote the schedule of components that they use group/ wheels/ finishing etc a all priced up at rrp. I can google for a minute and get the same stuff a lot cheaper than the rrp. Fair enough you can't get the frame discounted but most group sets, wheels, finishing kit and even forks are heavily discounted through any number of sites on the tinternet.
I'm keen to buy the bike but don't want to get stiffed just cos I'm buying on b2w scheme.
I just wanted to get a feel for what others have done/ been offered before I go back to the shops and try and get a better deal.
I know the scheme offers a good reduction on cost but it still doesn't seem realistic these days to be paying full whack in the first place when I can get many of the component parts cheaper. Surely the shops are getting better deals again trade price.
I've had some helpful offers from some really good shops so I'm not moaning just trying to get an idea of things.
Burko
This is the battle you face, price or quality face to face contact. Only you can decide that. The bike to work scheme was tweeked to help small businesses generate some income from it.
Can you build a Soul up for £1k? Is that what you're going to ride to work on?
Your best bet is to buy a Boardman and use it as a donor for a Cotic frame.
Can't see a way round your problem. Retailers lose 10% under bike to work so they won't want to discount.
Shortcut has a good idea.
Buy frame, forks, Hope headset and wheels and other non discounted bits on the scheme, then get a groupset mail order and spanner it yourself. The retailer will do the headset and fork fitting.
The scheme is to help people get a bike cheaply so they can ride to work. It's not designed to enable people to buy a box of bits 🙄
When I approached my LBS to build a frame I'd bought there were 2 options. They provide the parts at rrp and fit for free or I provide and they fit and I pay for labour. In the end they couldn't match what I was getting my groupset for so I paid the labour
Your playing the system.
As above there is a 10% charge to the shop so the £1k is now £900.
The only way to build a £1k hardtail is at OEM not even retail prices. Buy something from On-one or elsewhere and swap the bits.
If not stump up the cash and get a workstand.
It's not designed to enable people to buy a box of bits
which get built into a bike......
You can buy helmets, clothing, lights etc too.
You don't even have to cycle to work.
WrongYou don't even have to cycle to work
The bike has to be used for a certain percentage of home to work journey's, that's what the scheme was for, not a cheap way of aquiring mountain bke for weekend use.
Retailers lose 10% under bike to work so they won't want to discount.
Sounds like an awesome business plan. 😆
Why not just build it?
Assuming you are not building you own wheels or bottom brackets there is nothing that cannot be fitted with a multi tool ( BB and H/S asside and with those I'd pay a shop to supply and fit which is a common job.
Everything else is the stuff you would be doing fairly regularly anyway for maintainence. (Unless you are paying a shop to adjust cables etc , which I doubt from your post)
You don't even have to cycle to work.
Not true.
"You don't even have to cycle to work.
Not true"
And the cycle to work police know where you live!
The bike has to be used for a certain percentage of home to work journey's, that's what the scheme was for, not a cheap way of aquiring mountain bke for weekend use.
You seem to have missed out the bit where you get dragged off in the middle of the night to never be seen again, all because the bike was never, once, ever, ridden to work.
Be careful out there kids.
Employees [b]should[/b] (as in should eat 5 a day and stand when the national anthem is heard?) 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.
I'd take my chances.
But then I bought a complete road bike and half of its journeys are from work.
Most of the problem is the OP seems to want internet prices and shop service. All thrown together on a deal that costs the shop money. Easy really
Cake and scoff.
Too true.
And the cycle to work police know where you live!
They do indeed AKA your employer. 😯
but don't want to get stiffed
You're not getting stiffed.
Have the shop do it for price A or DIY for price B or do nothing for free, it's your choice totally.
Ok replies as expected. I'm not trying to do anyone and I completely understand and value the service you get from a good local shop (of any kind...).
I'm not limited to the £1 k as my employer has a ccl.
I live about half a mile from work so will use it for commuting so it's not just about getting a deal on a bike.... Honest...
I do however see the markup that shops make when we buy trade at work and not even on volume as well.
I just, perhaps naively thought that if I was buying a pair of forks from an lbs I wouldnt expect to get a discount and would be happy to pay rrp. I guess I thought that a whole build there would be some scope for a deal despite the fact I'm getting a deal on tax etc. if the lbs gets caned 10% then why do so many of them do b2w?
I don't understand how they lose on this....?
I'd still get it from the lbs like I did as it'll be faced as it won't come from cotic prepped.... Mine looks ace!
Is your employer directly administering the scheme, or through a 3rd party e.g. Cyclescheme?
In the case of the 3rd party - they make their money by charging shops a commission. If it's direct, then it's simply a case of invoicing a company, rather than the customer themselves.
Happy to chat this more on email if you wanted - info@18bikes.co.uk
burko73 - if the lbs gets caned 10% then why do so many of them do b2w?
Because business is business! If they don't offer it, what would have been a potential customer will go to the place that does.
Anyway, most LBS I know would knock 10% off on a normal sale anyway, some might only do 5% on complete bikes.
Apart from getting cheaper prices online, I've rarely paid full price for bikes/parts, especially when spending substantial amounts. You stated that you wouldn't expect a discount on a suspension fork and would pay rrp...I wouldn't buy from somewhere that wouldn't do me a discount. Even though I use cash for everything I buy, I'm not sure it makes much of a difference these days.
For some of the other posts above...I know folk who have got bikes on the b2w scheme and have sold them a week later. Just seeing it as an opportunity of a cash loan!
I know someone else who got some fancy race wheels for his road bike on the scheme too.
Some of the posters above saying you've got to do this or you must do that are hilarious. People will do as they please and so will bike shop owners when they're getting the money.
I'd still get it from the lbs like I did as it'll be faced as it won't come from cotic prepped
Do you know this? My Soul came chased and faced, I built it myself, it's never been in a bike shop.
Do you know this? My Soul came chased and faced, I built it myself, it's never been in a bike shop.
What's "chased and faced" mean?
Yep as I had a mate get one direct and it needed facing... The new tapered ones need reaming too... My ace lbs did both...