This article has been freshly updated as part of our 'New to Riding' week, running from March 10 to March 17, with a special focus on tips, tricks and inspiration for new riders.
The Cycle to Work Scheme is a UK government initiative started in 1999 designed to encourage more people to commute via bicycle. It allows employees to purchase bikes and accessories through salary sacrifice, which means the bike is paid for from your pre-tax salary, resulting in savings of up to 42%. It was once the case that the scheme was capped at £1000, which limited people to entry-level bikes. But now, the government has expanded the scheme and made it possible to get whatever bike, component or kit you like under the new guidelines. This includes electric bikes. In the last update to the scheme in 2019 the UK Government stated that Cycle to Work schemes “has involved over 40,000 employers across the country and has contributed to helping more than 1.6 million commuters cycle to work.”
