# Cycle to Work Scheme and trikes



## jdg88 (2 Dec 2008)

I'm thinking of changing to a recumbent trike from a DF and my boss has signed us up to the Cycle To Work Scheme so it'll cost me a bit less. However, the scheme limit is £1000 inc VAT which limits me to the Cobra KMX Kart at £808. I like it alot (looks cool and fun and rugged!!) but my commute to work is 9 miles up and down hills, on and off kerbs and less than smooth cycle paths so I kind of need to be practical as I need to get to work on time and not soaked to the skin with exertion!

Therefore the more lightweight and practical choices would be the Catrike Villager that's £1111 inc VAT and then the Trice T 26 NT £1836 inc VAT.

Does anyone know if it's possible to invoice the first £1000 to the company on the scheme and then for me to privately fund the remainder? (My company won't get the special credit licence costing £725 to allow me to buy the more expensive trikes.)

Any suggestions? Advice?

Thanks.


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## Blaugrana (2 Dec 2008)

Hi,

I don't know, but wouldn't it be worth talking to retailers and asking what they can do?

Bikefix in London, in response to the lean times, has a 20% discount on bikes in stock at the moment. 

I hope this helps.


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## jdg88 (2 Dec 2008)

Thanks, I've just seen the Bikefix post, I like the look of the Scorpion! But still over that darned limit. I was hoping there might be a friendly retailer online this evening...!! I'll be hitting the phones tomorrow.


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## BentMikey (3 Dec 2008)

Defo go the Catrike route rather than KMX, at least in my opinion. Catrike UK hasn't been online for a bit, maybe give him a call?


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## xpc316e (3 Dec 2008)

St Johns Street Cycles do the TW 'Bents trike for £995. They are familiar with the CYcle to Work scheme too. I have one and they are excellent value for money.


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## jdg88 (3 Dec 2008)

Thanks for the suggestion will look them up. I've just spent a very enjoyable and informative 25 minutes on the phone with Kevin of D-tek in Ely and have found out there's no way to get round the £1000 inc vat rule, which is a real bugger. But even more so I'm interested to try out recumbent trikes! Will probably go over and do an intro session with D-tek this month. Can't understand the Government putting that limit on or not even entertaining the idea of letting the employee 'top up' to get the bike/trike of their choice. Darned short sighted if you ask me.


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## stevew (3 Dec 2008)

Why can't you give the retailer, say 300 pounds for a "pump" and then buy a 1300 pound trike for 1000 pounds on the CTW scheme ? Surely there is no rule stopping the retailer "heavily discounting" is there ?
Defo go the Cat trike route in preferance to the KMX but you better be quick 'cos of the pound / dollar situation will surely make the CT go up soon.


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## jdg88 (3 Dec 2008)

You're thinking the way I was before I spoke to Kevin of D-tek, and I was HOPING that someone on the forum would say what they did to "get around" the limit. 

I have had another conversation with a dealer who said it's an unwritten agreement to invoice one amount and separately pay an extra. I wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble over this but it really seems like this is one rule that SHOULD be got around particularly in current economic climate. I'm now considering going second hand on a Trice. Unless of course there's a friendly Trice retailer wanting to sell me a £1000 trike and a £1200 set of lights!!! So much to grapple with....


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## stevew (3 Dec 2008)

Why not go the route I took and I've sold my Trice and got myself a nice Bacchetta Cafe from Kevin.


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## jdg88 (3 Dec 2008)

Two wheels?? Not with my sense of balance; hence why I want to sell my Raleigh hybrid and get a nice stable, comfy trike.


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## gratts (3 Dec 2008)

Like Steve said, what's to stop you slipping them an extra few hundred as a favour for them discounting it to the 1k mark? 
Sounds like a winner to me!


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## jdg88 (3 Dec 2008)

Has anyone ACTUALLY done this? And will admit to me (privately or openly on this forum and tell me the name of their friendly dealer!! )


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## wafflycat (11 Dec 2008)

good grief... the Trices have gone up in price quite a bit!


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## squeaker (12 Dec 2008)

And the pound rushes towards parity with the Euro :~


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## byegad (12 Dec 2008)

squeaker said:


> And the pound rushes towards parity with the Euro :~



Which makes a Trice nearly the same price in Europe as it was in 2006??????

Wow!


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## HF2300 (12 Dec 2008)

jdg88 said:


> ... there's no way to get round the £1000 inc vat rule...



I'm not sure that's correct - in fact, the DfT website specifically says there is no restriction. The reason for the £1000 limit is because Cycle to Work schemes require a consumer credit licence to operate. There is a blanket consumer credit licence that the OFT took out to cover any cycle to work scheme, but it has a £1000 limit per agreement.

Your company can run a scheme with agreements over £1000, but it would then need its own consumer credit licence which may well be more cost and hassle than they want to get involved with.

Alternatively, you could do a cycle to work for £1000 and top up the difference yourself if the supplier agrees. That keeps the credit agreement below £1000, which is the important point. You wouldn't make any saving on anything above the £1000 though.

You have to remember the scheme operates in the grey areas between various bits of legislation, rather than in its own specific legislation. That means there is flexibility if your employers and the bike suppliers want to be flexible.

The other complication comes when suppliers run the scheme through a 'facilitator' such as Cyclescheme. This tends to mean that rules which are flexible when dealing direct become set in stone when going through the facilitator. In my experience, dealing direct is not a problem and very often will mean you'll get the 10% which would otherwise go to the facilitator.


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## Riding in Circles (14 Dec 2008)

It can be got round unofficially and no one will get in trouble.


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## HF2300 (15 Dec 2008)

Catrike UK said:


> It can be got round unofficially and no one will get in trouble.




Wasn't that what I said? I think I need to post more succinctly!


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## Riding in Circles (15 Dec 2008)

HF2300 said:


> Wasn't that what I said? I think I need to post more succinctly!



You did, but I am a cyclescheme dealer, so I thought I would just confirm it.


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## HF2300 (16 Dec 2008)

Cheers Catrike, guessed, I was just taken the p*** out of myself really!


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