Cycling to Work

[mats]

Does anyone rotate there chains for a clean one every week? (I racer I know change his chain ever ride)

 

Isn't that like shaving legs (men), chamois creme and drilling holes in everything / buying lots of £carbon£ - the sign of an obsessive?

 

Btw - good to see your CEOGB badge, good org imo.

[twin--turbo]

Looking out of the window at the torrential rain, I'm regretting choosing the bicycle as my mode of transport this morning!

 

Oh well. At least it will give me the chance to test if my new waterproofs really are!

 

 

 

I looked at the weather forcast the night before and though a who gives a ....

 

Cyclied in in the dry and got wet on the way home as expected..

 

 

 

My chain will get done when it's getting worn out. It's doen 800 miles so far and not a problem.

 

 

 

As for being passed by other people, nop always me passing others usualy doing twice the pace of the other comuters ... Lovely to see the little BMX'rs spingging like crazy and going nowhere..

 

Rob

[nicholab]

I got my hybrid when I was 17 I set a trend and at least 2 of my friends got them for going to school. If people had hybrids they would cycle more places on them. My hybrid got used for 10 yrs as my main form of transport. Edited October 18, 2013 by nicholab

[HaleStorm]

I got my hybrid when I was 17 I set a trend and at least 2 of my friends got them for going to school. If people had hybrids they would cycle more places on them. My hybrid got used for 10 yrs as my main form of transport.

 

I use my 29er as a hybrid, just swap tyres if I know my ride will take me off road alot. Makes road riding so easy using good tyres. I just wish I lived closer to work so I could cycle easily (there are also some pretty hefty climbs each way too)

[SLM123]

Has anyone got experience of the cycle to work scheme? I'm thinking of joining it but not sure if it's worth it. Thanks!

[Norphy]

I bought my bike using it. I got a £400 bike and £100 of accessories and I'll end up paying something like £330 for it. I'm happy, it meant I'm paying a lot less for the bike and that I got a better bike than I would have been able to afford otherwise.

[E_G_R2]

Has anyone got experience of the cycle to work scheme? I'm thinking of joining it but not sure if it's worth it. Thanks!

 

You save money!!!!!

[SLM123]

Thanks Norphy and E_G_R2 - it does seem money saving but it's helpful to hear how much it is in actual figures!

[E_G_R2]

I'm sure the scheme website has a calculator that shows you how much you pay/save.

 

http://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/how-it-works

Edited October 18, 2013 by E_G_R2

[twin--turbo]

My bike was £550, accessories got that to £685.

 

It's costing abiut £9 a week so £468.

 

 

It's basicaly a straigth forward salary sacrifice so the value is taken of before tax and so you don't pay tax/ni/pension/union on that value of your pay.

 

793 miles so far on my steed break 800 next week if I don't go out over the weekend.

 

Rob

[HaleStorm]

After having an accident 2 months ago and wrecking my back wheel (nearly bent double) Cycleguard insurance have FINALLY paid for a new complete wheel for me...so my good bike will be back on the road! I can stop riding my old 6speed boneshaker, which i recon has got at least 1000miles on it. Its not done too bad a job had it 10 years since i was 17, in fact it was a 17th birthday present

[twin--turbo]

Sold my old bone shaker last month to make space and cash.

 

Bought it in 1988ish for £115, sold it last month for £75

 

It was well used!

 

 

I looked at cycle breakdown insurance but did not bother.

 

Rob

[HaleStorm]

Sold my old bone shaker last month to make space and cash.

 

Bought it in 1988ish for £115, sold it last month for £75

 

It was well used!

 

 

I looked at cycle breakdown insurance but did not bother.

 

Rob

 

I got the insurance more for theft, accident and public liability cover...i can fix most breakdown stuff on the bike, but the outlay for a decent single wheel is pretty high so I went through the insurance...kind of wish I hadn't bothered though because it took so long

[Norphy]

Thanks Norphy and E_G_R2 - it does seem money saving but it's helpful to hear how much it is in actual figures!

 

Just looking at my payslips now.

 

It's costing me £38.33 per month before deductions. My net pay reduction is £25.93 so over the course of a year it will cost me £311.16. So it's effectively a £200 discount.

[twin--turbo]

The scheem is a bit strange realy.

 

Most people use it as a way to buy a recreational bike of decent value with a healthy discount with free finance. ( probably doing more Rec miles than commuting. )

 

If you wanted to save money and cycle to work, a £150 rig would do the job. But in the 6-7 weeks it takes to sort it out on C2W that saving could have been made in cycle journeys.

 

 

Rob

[hardtailstar]

lol I still haven't got out to cycle yet, half term ill be out on the bike to get rides in so cycling to school wont be hard lol

[twin--turbo]

It's getting dark out there at 730am..

 

I need my riding glasses to deflect bugs and rain , but it makes it even darker LOL... Need an alternative.

 

Rob

[hardtailstar]

It's getting dark out there at 730am..

 

I need my riding glasses to deflect bugs and rain , but it makes it even darker LOL... Need an alternative.

 

Rob

 

I have glasses with interchangeable lenses, Its got sunglasses, yellow and clear.

 

Had them a few years and seen lots of similar types.

[Griff]

Got my glasses from Aldi cheap as chips

[jinnantonnixx]

I have a couple of these glasses - highly recommended, they don't whip up those horrible drafts/eddies in the wind.

 

JSP Martcare Sports Clear Lens Safety Specs | Screwfix.com

Edited October 25, 2013 by jinnantonnixx

[twin--turbo]

I have a couple of these glasses - highly recommended, they don't whip up those horrible drafts/eddies in the wind.

 

JSP Martcare Sports Clear Lens Safety Specs | Screwfix.com

 

Seem reasonable.

 

My normal pair are aldi ones and they are fine in daylight but too tinted in glooom.

 

Rob

[Norphy]

 

If you wanted to save money and cycle to work, a £150 rig would do the job. But in the 6-7 weeks it takes to sort it out on C2W that saving could have been made in cycle journeys.

 

 

Rob

 

True but the last bike I bought was around the £150 mark and it was just awful. Bad gears, poor brakes, horrible tyres, uncomfortable saddle. Plus it was heavy and bizarrely puncture prone. I don't regret getting my new bike through this scheme, it's let me get a better bike on a, as you say, free finance scheme.

 

/edit

 

C2W took all of a week to sort out for me. Not sure where you got the 6-7 weeks idea!

Edited October 25, 2013 by Norphy

[gwendes]

There's only one bike to own in London.

 

I heart my Brompton.

[twin--turbo]

There's only one bike to own in London.

 

I heart my Brompton.

 

Good job I don't live in london as doing a 40 miles recrational loop on a brompton would not be fun

 

Rob

[nicholab]

I just had a new bottom bracket, sks race blade longs and continental Gatorskin tires and a full service and my road bike feels amazing again.