Thursday, 20 November 2008

Tax Free Cycles are nearly here!

I have now been working at CycleSurgery for a couple of months and have been concentrating on getting our new Tax Free Cycle project up and running.
This scheme will allow businesses to sign up via an extremely simple online system and offer their employees an excellent benefit, while saving money themselves on NI contributions and other fab savings.


It's taken longer than I thought, and I've learnt a ton of stuff, and spoken to plenty of techy people and have had my head twisted round more accountancy stuff than you'd like to imagine.


However, because I have done this, it means that you don't have to.


I have to say I'm really excited about the scheme - it totally erases a load of reasons not to opt into the governements scheme, cuts down on admin, makes it simple for both employer and employee, and above all lets people get a new bike at massive savings.


Riding to work, and for journeys around town is now facing a sea change in attitudes. we are on the brink of the bicycle being a central form of transport in our cities rather than a simple curiosity.


Get in touch with me via our website and I'll do my best to get you, your company or anyone you know riding a bike again....

Monday, 20 October 2008

Buying a Bike


While surfing about the internet on various bike related blogs and websites over the weekend (I know, why wasn't I out riding?)realised that buying a bike isn't the most straightforward process in the world.

If you go to buy a car, there are always tons of reviews, literature, and resources that you can research to check that the car you are looking at is definately the right one for you. There are endless pictures, movies and 24 hour test drives for you to check out. All for a thing that, no matter what make or model, is designed to do one thing: get you from A to B.

Buying a bike, initially can, on the face of it be a bit of a different experience. suddenly on opening a magazine, or entering a shop, you're confronted, with a plethora of options o nthe type of bike you want. Below is an off the top of my head list of the types of bikes available in almost any bike shop these days:
Mountain
All mountain
Trail
Jump
XC
Downhill
Folder
Comfort Commute
Fast Commute
Touring
Enduro
Road
Track
Fixed
Singlespeed
BMX
WSD
Hardtail
Full Suspension


The list, of course goes on and on. The beauty of this niche pigeon holing is that the marketing people can always make a bike appear to be perfect for it's chosen activity. I can think of a few models from major manufacturers that have not changed one iota year on year, but have simply been recategorized from 'All Mountain' to 'Hardcore Trail'.

In light of all this what average Joe (or Jo) needs is an impartial guide to buying yourself a bike. I could have written this but it would have been a)boring and b)not as good as This one from my friend Clives Blog. If you're thinking of purchasing a bike in the near future, and not a bike geek - let Clive's geekery guide you through the choices and pitfalls of buying yourself your new toy.

Then give me a call, and I'll sell you one. Email me here!

:-)

Another link to Clives very good blog

Monday, 13 October 2008





Save up to 50% off the price of a new bike!



Welcome to the Tax Free Cycle Scheme page.

Cyclesurgery are experts at providing top brand bikes at massive savings, and have been running the Government scheme for a number of years now.
The Tax Free Cycle Scheme is a simple way for you to buy a quality bike at massive savings through your company via a salary sacrifice scheme. The amount you actually save depends on your income tax band, but it typically it is between 40-50% off the usual retail price.


How does it work?

Through Tax Free Cycles you can make huge savings on a bike for work through your employer.

The Government’s Green Transport Plan allows you to get a bike, through your employer via a salary sacrifice scheme.
This means that you take a reduction in salary over an agreed term that equals the value of the bike that you have chosen. You will not pay any Income Tax, National Insurance or VAT on the bike, and you pay the money back as a monthly reduction in salary.

At the end of the period you can choose to buy the bike from your employer with one final payment at a fair market value. This is usually around 5% of the original cost. The bike is then completely yours.

This usually means a saving of between 40-50% on the cost of a bike and any accessories you choose such as safety equipment, a lock, cycling clothing and other related items.

Will it cost the company?

No - in fact they'll save money too.
Companies running the scheme will also save money, as they will not have to pay any Employers National Insurance on any reduced salaries. Profitable companies can also benefits from corporation savings tax.


What's next?

To find out more about the Tax Free Cycle Scheme and how Cyclesurgery can get you and your company on your bikes, head to our special website, full of resources to answer all your questions on running this fantastic scheme.



How Can I get my Company to sign up?
Talk to your HR to see if they are interested in the scheme and then send us some information to get the process running. Just get in touch with us on the below link and we'll get straight back to you to discuss how Cyclescheme can best work for you. We’ll hopefully have you ready to go within a few days.




My Company already runs Cyclescheme - Can I redeem my vouchers at Cyclesurgery?
We have been accepting Cyclescheme vouchers for years now, and if your company runs this as part of your benefits package – fantastic – come down to one of our stores and speak to one of the team to get first rate advice on the best bikes available for the type of riding you do and your budget.