Hi everyone, Joe Waugh here.

How many of you drive to work everyday? What’s stopping you from hopping on a bike leaving your car in the drive everyday? If you haven’t got a bike, an excellent initiative is here to save you some money and get you riding to work!

The government initiative was put in place to tackle a number of issues which cycling may help to alleviate. It aims to get more bums on saddles by offering employees of company’s tax free cycles, saving you money and helping you to get fit.

So how does the scheme work? The employer first has to register with one of the companies who are putting the scheme into action. I recommend Cyclescheme (www.cyclescheme.co.uk), for reasons I will explain soon. You then need a written quote for the bike of your choice from a registered seller. The employer then needs to register the quote with Cyclescheme. Once the finance is sorted, a voucher is issued which can be exchanged for a bike. Your employer then deducts the price of your bike from wages, each month as a salary sacrifice. As your bike will be tax free, you can save up to 40% of the asking price!

It sounds complicated but it really isn’t! The staff at Cyclescheme are extremely helpful and will be able to help with any queries you have. They are one of the largest schemes to implement the initiative who support local, independent businesses, like my shop, M Steel Cycles. If you choose to use Cyclescheme, you have a wider choice of bikes and accessories and you’re not being constrained to the bikes the chain shops sell. There are many shops across the company who are supporting Cyclescheme, so check out their website for a full list. On top of that, you’ll also be helping support your local businesses, which is so important nowadays. Local shops are closing down everyday due to the larger conglomerates taking over which is a crying shame.

So why should you ride to work? There are plenty of reasons but I’m going to start with one which is no doubt affecting us all at the moment. With the costs of living going up, in particular the price of petrol, there is no better time to get cycling to work. When I fill up by car, I can spend between £50 and £70. The money you’ll save from just a few weeks of not paying as much for petrol will get you a really decent bike so there’s no excuse!

Cutting out a few car journeys a week will see you doing your bit for the environment as well as cutting down the traffic on the roads. You may even find your journey won’t take as long as you won’t be stuck in queues. The journey to work should be as relaxing as possible to help set you up for a stress free day at work. I can’t think of a better way to do this than leaving the main roads and using some of the cities excellent cycle paths to take a peaceful journey to the office everyday. Newcastle City Council and Sustrans produce maps of all the routes and cycles paths in the area which are excellent and freely available. As they say, a fit body means a fit mind getting in gear and active before work can help set you up for a productive and lively day!

If you’re interested in getting your employer signed up to the scheme, have a chat with them or your HR department. It doesn’t cost anything to sign up so you really can’t lose. The scheme works so well as a great camaraderie can emerge from all of the new cyclists; not only is cycling great exercise, it is extremely sociable.

Don’t take my word for it! According to Richard Grigsby of Cyclescheme, the enthusiasm for the scheme shows no signs of wavering. Many companies have already signed up and are enjoying the benefits of a tax free bike! These include the Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Trust, Sage Software Ltd., Barclays Bank, Trinity Mirror and Newcastle University!

As you may have guessed, I’m a huge fan of this initiative and Cyclescheme! If you want anymore information or want to chat about anything cycling related, pop into the shop or give me a call on 0191 2851251 or email shop@msteelcycles.co.uk. Check out Cyclescheme on the web at www.cyclescheme.co.uk.

Until next month, happy riding!