Im trying to convince my company that they should offer this to their staff.

What I would like to hear are personal experiences from those who have set it up and those who have had bikes through it.

Im looking for plus and minus points so I can hopefully persuade then it would be beneficial to the company. They are currently making great play as being carbon neutral and green. So this would fit in quite nicely with that.

ours won't do it because "its doesnt encourage new cyclists, it simly allows exisitng ones to buy new bikes".

I think the lack of new cyclists is mainly down to a lack of advertising, dont think it would take long to convince half the (gerneraly overweight)people here that they could ride to work.

Our company signed up to it perhaps 18 months ago. Quite a few folks have bought bikes through the scheme. Nearly all of them were existing cyclists though and I'd have said there was perhaps only person who cycles to work reasonably regularily who didn't do so before the scheme was introduced. Even they were prompted to start cycling by an office move, not by the scheme.

Nearly everyone else who's bought bikes under the scheme either hasn't continued to cycle to work over the longer term or was already doing so. In the case of the latter folks then only a couple actually bought the bikes they'd then use to commute on. The rest either already had ratbikes for commuting on and continued to use them, with the scheme bikes being their "best" road bikes, or else bought mountain bikes.

We've also had one person who's now bought two bikes under the scheme. The first one they do use to commute on, the 2nd was a mountain bike.

So I'd have to say our experience is that, despite perhaps 15 people buying bikes under the scheme, I can't think of one case where it's introduced someone new to cycling to work and it's then stuck.

I suggested it to my boss. He was all for it for Green and health reasons. Although I had to set it up and administer it.

Just waiting for Ribble *curses* to build the effin thing.

Despite not really encouraging new cyclists I'd say it was still worthwhile from our companies point of view (and not just because I got a bargain bike via the scheme!). It's seen as a nice perk for those employees that are cyclists, and it's also a useful tick in the box for our green credentials when responding to government tenders.

ours won't do it because "its doesnt encourage new cyclists, it simly allows exisitng ones to buy new bikes".

Hmmm. There are around 40 people at my place of work. 2 people used to cycle in regularly, and I cycled in occasionally. We introduced cyclescheme, since when cycling has exploded. One of the regular commuters has bought a new bike, as hers was more or less dead: I've got one and have started cycling in 2 or 3 days a week, and my boss who's also a keen cyclist has got one but doersn;t cycle as often. 5 or 6 other people have also bought bikes on the scheme and use them when the weather is nice enough. So, yes, it does actually work IME.

It does help in terms of health too, I lost a stone and 2" off my waist, I haven;t been this trim since I was 18!

We set up our own scheme rather than go through the third party facilitators such as Cyclescheme or Halfords. The proceedure is quite straightforward and the benefits include buying direct from any bike shop. This leaves you free to negotiate some discount as the retailer is not paying commission to the facilitator.
Your company will benefit from a healthier and happy workforce! It won't cost much to administrate, they will save a bit on NI contributions and can include the scheme in their 'Green Travel Plan'.

They've just started the cycle to work scheme here, they've handed out nearly value of £10,000 of vouchers, I've yet to see anyone else cycle to work.

They had to build additional bike shelters at our place when they introduced the scheme. It probably helped that we also had showers and some lockers.

Hmmmmmm, has anyone (an official extnal body, like the CTC) compiled any statistics on an increace in the number of cyclists after implimetation of the scheme?

20% if you read the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/5900314/Bicycle-sales-boom-by-20-per-cent.html

50% if you read the Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1170492/Bike-sales-jump-50-recession-inspires-people-cycle-work.html

20% if you read the Telegraph:

50% if you read the Mail:

not bothered, if you read the sun, as long as they have big tit's.

sorry i'll get me coat

Thanks Guys, keep 'em coming.

The boss man was a bit luke warm to this to begin with but once we told him he'd spend less on NI or whatever and it looks good for the company he was well up for it.

Has more takers than the pension scheme.

that an increace in cycling in general, could do with something that says "companies implementing the scheme had a XX% increace in cycling"

the fact we can get a bike at 40% off retail and paid for in 18 x monthly interest free installments has meant that it's been very popular at my work.

(waiting for our poncy Pashley Roadster to be delivered…… missus is just finishing the needlework on the Plusfours, and then we'll be out crooozin the lanes to work. and if I don't like the bike, I can sell it after 18mths and (based on recent eBay sales) probably get more than I paid for it)

Bike Industry Wins
I win
Happy person I sell it to wins

guess the only downside is the impact on the environment to manufacture me the bike in the 1st place.

now what bike to choose for 2011?

The effect won't be an overnight transformation. It's true that the majority of beneficiaries cycled to work previously, and would do anyway, but we have got some new long-termers now at our place. One of my colleagues now rides his bike in ~10Km each way (but only 1 day a week). However his ownership has encouraged his wife to get a bike, and now they ride together at weekends and even a canal/bike holiday recently. So there are knock-on effects.

For anyone who would ask, "Why do it, since determined cyclists would be doing so anyway?". There are still some arguments for it, if only to partially even out the status quo. It could be argued as encouragement for them to continue to do so, or to offset the gross unfairnes of a system which in effect taxes bike riders to subsidize the motorists: There is firstly the cost of annual carbon emmissions alone (some would say this should be £80 or £150 per tonne), yet is in effect completely free for the polluter. Then the cost of their massive road system (paid in part by cyclists taxes); The cost of daft government new-car handouts; The cost of "housing" millions of cars every day at employers car parks, (Thousands of pounds per car, and our employers pay so we don't see this money in out pay packets!); The cost to NHS of nursing thousands maimed by cars every year, or unhealthy through lax of excersise. All paid in part by cyclists taxes. The list goes on, and a Cyclescheme really is small beer in comparison to that.