Cycle to work schemes and companies

[Celtic Dragon]

Its not a what bike thread so don't worry on that front.

Is there a way to find out which cycle to work scheme your company has signed up with? Mine has signed up, but the HR lass looking after it as now gone on holiday for 2 weeks without getting the information out! Theres a group of us that want new bikes, and we're all in the position, where we are can go buy them, or get them on the bike schemes. We'd like to know which one we're looking at so we can make the choice.

Any ideas? Its a rainy bank holiday monday, and I'm torn with buying a complete or building up around an OnOne frame.

[anonymous-user]

you're probably best just giving them a call, there is only three or four it could be, cyclescheme, bike2work and halfords cycle2work...

[Gizmo!]

pablo said:

you're probably best just giving them a call, there is only three or four it could be, cyclescheme, bike2work and halfords cycle2work...

Or the one you didn't mention: Evans' Ride2Work.

I'm not sure what the difference is apart from how restricted you are in where you can buy it. I might have had a Giant Defy if my work had gone CycleScheme: but the fact that my new bike had to come from Evans diminishes my excitement not a tiny bit.

[snowdude2910]

Worth mentioning the halfords scheme doesn't tie you to halfords, if you phone them they will source just about anything you can find in budget. My scheme has just ended so I'll be getting another specialized allez given it costs little more then what my current allez will sell for :-)

[Celtic Dragon]

Funnily enough, I want it to be Halfords, I want a Kracken. Trying to come up with a plan b at the moment, as I bet it won't be. Problem is a lot of the bikes in the £500 bracket all seem to come with Tektro brakes which I had on my GT and don't want again.

[shalmaneser]

Celtic Dragon said:

Funnily enough, I want it to be Halfords, I want a Kracken. Trying to come up with a plan b at the moment, as I bet it won't be. Problem is a lot of the bikes in the £500 bracket all seem to come with Tektro brakes which I had on my GT and don't want again.

Tektro brakes really aren't that bad, you must have just had a duff pair. They're alright budget brakes, you're really cutting your nose off to spite your face if you rule them out at that end of the market.

[Celtic Dragon]

I'm prepared to believe I had a duff pair, but the experiance has left me a little jaded. They stopped the bike, but there was so much flex in the clamps and levers it was untrue! Has this aspect improved on them or are they just the same? The scheme my compnay have signed up with means I can upgrade components from the off. So my current thought is a Hardrock on Shimano disc brakes.

[anonymous-user]

most issues with cheaper hydraulic brakes are down to factory bleeding, i would trust the likes of Hope to get it right at the factory, Tektro perhaps not. just bleed them when it arrives. cant say if they have improved the flex in the system though as that sounds like a lack of material in the levers etc.

alternatively, just get deore discs for around £100 for a set from the usual suspects and have done with it...

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 8th May 12:44

[Jimbo.]

pablo said:

most issues with cheaper hydraulic brakes are down to factory bleeding, i would trust the likes of Hope to get it right at the factory, Tektro perhaps not. just bleed them when it arrives. cant say if they have improved the flex in the system though as that sounds like a lack of material in the levers etc.

alternatively, just get deore discs for around £100 for a set from the usual suspects and have done with it...

Edited by pablo on Tuesday 8th May 12:44

re. brakes:
£95 for Shimano Deores from Merlin (not including discs) All the brakes 95% of riders would ever need!
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/br...