klang
klang
That plus people getting off two stops earlier would safe the tax payer a total of four bus stops.
Government Obesity & Bike Scheme
- Thread starter Badgers
- Start date
likesfish
You can't park here sir
Average speed walking 3mph
On a bike 15mph General facts and figures about roads and road use
Average commute is 10 miles
In London it's 8.6
That length is easily cycleable and in urban areas is probably faster by bike.
On a bike 15mph General facts and figures about roads and road use
Average commute is 10 miles
In London it's 8.6
That length is easily cycleable and in urban areas is probably faster by bike.
Maggot
The Cake of Liberty
This is true. My local bike shop had a months wait before the repair vouchers started. I expect it will be worse now.
He used to. He's not allowed to cycle since becoming PM.
maomao
普費斯
Shouldn't be allowed to be fucking breathe, the cunt.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
Well, you can blame the NHS for kaiboshing that.
klang
klang
slightly related fun fact: Hitler was a bicycle courier in WW1. When confronted with the choice between cycling and dictatoring he decided for the latter.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
#notallcyclists
maomao
普費斯
I used to be a courier and a vegetarian. It's lucky I don't like moustaches.
NoXion
Craicy the Squirrel
My workplace is about 12 miles from my home, according to Google Maps. Fuck cycling that distance twice a day every weekday, in British weather. Especially if I can't use a decent-sized electric motor to help me up the foothills of the Chilterns. Is the government going to help me with funding (I don't have a bike) and getting the appropriate licence? Are they FUCK!
As for the idea of getting rid of bus stops, I think we should instead get rid of the people who come up with such absolutely fucking stupid ideas. It would be better than putting people with mobility issues into bother!
As for the idea of getting rid of bus stops, I think we should instead get rid of the people who come up with such absolutely fucking stupid ideas. It would be better than putting people with mobility issues into bother!
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
It's what the media are running as it's just a hook that works for them atm, the idea is that they'll be a whole package of things. And yeah exercise is a rubbish way to lose weight, it's diet really that's the key. But that's a really complex problem to sort out, even more so than smoking, not holding out much hope!
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But is the bike thing for obesity reduction or for pollution reduction?Imagine how much cleaner London air would be if everybody got off the bus two stops earlier
baldrick
hmmmmm
The £50 voucher is a good start but it really needs to be expanded. If Birmingham city council could give away a bunch of bikes a few years ago, why can't the government? I'm sure there's some scope for giving the tender to one of their mates whereby a £300 bike costs the government £500. Everyone's happy then, surely?
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
I lost a few pounds while stuck at home and deliberately not going out on my bike ...
8ball
Decolonise colons!
Just about everything has become horribly confusing.
BigTom
Well-Known Member
I need new handle bar tape and possibly a mini service.
I looked on the website last night and it was very vague as to what you were allowed to do. weepiper have you been given any guidance as to what is allowable?
e2a: missed this will be back in a few minutes as there is guidance I will get for you
from the information for shops
https://fixyourbikevoucherscheme.es...ke Voucher Scheme - Shop Information Pack.pdf
page 12
BPR are great, my second choice of cycle shop - I got to Birmingham Bike Foundry in Stirchley usually, partly because I know some of the people who run it and partly because it's a co-op but it's great having two excellent bike repair places on my doorstep.
I've been listening to radio news today (or yesterday maybe it was) and the focus of that has been on the advertising rule changes, really not much about cycling when talking about the obesity thing, although there's been lots of other cycling things like the repair voucher scheme and the plans for new cycling infrastructure.
Thing about bikes is you're killing three birds with one stone - physical activity, rush hour congestion and air pollution/climate change. Walking is also being promoted through the cycling & walking schemes paid for through new infrastructure which will also hopefully address the safety issue. There's been new guidance released by the highways agency which I haven't had the chance to look at myself but I'm reliably informed is looking really good (as long as it's acted on anyway) so fingers crossed.
Where I live is one of the places in Birmingham that has been mentioned earlier in the thread as getting a filtered neighbourhood treatment which is going to include a short pedestrianised section on one of the side streets off the high street (sadly kings heath high street itself is a major A road and there's no real opportunity for a bypass for all the through traffic as it'd be great if that would be pedestrianised as well, but they are taking out on street parking to widen the pavements (has already happened because of covid-19) as well as putting in the filters to prevent rat running down the residential side roads off the high street. It should all help encourage people to walk rather than drive to the high street, as well as improving things for cyclists.
The cycle to work scheme has some major flaws but if you don't get caught by them it's really brilliant scheme from the govt. Your employer buys the bike, claims back the VAT and doesn't charge it on to you, so you immediately save ~20%. You pay for it over 12 months, interest free, taken from your pay packet before tax, so you don't pay income tax/NI on it either, which reduces the price further by a % that depends on your tax bracket. There's a bigger payment at the end but I can't remember the details of how that works. It can save you a lot of money on a bike and you pay for it over a year. You can also use it to buy accessories like lights, helmet etc.
The problems are that it's a maximum £1,000 which is entry level for an ebike afaik. There has been talk of raising that limit but I don't think it's happened. Other problem is that employers cannot, by law, make deductions from your pay that would take you below minimum wage. This is simply not allowed for any reason, so someone in a minimum wage job can't use the cycle to work scheme, even though they are the people who will benefit most
If you're close to minimum wage you might not be able to spend the full £1,000.You also can't use it for second hand bikes, which is especially bad right now since I understand that new bikes under £500 are hard to come by.
You also don't need a licence for a bike or e-bike but most councils offer cheap or free adult cycling training which would be recommended.
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spitfire
Walty McWaltface
e2a: missed this will be back in a few minutes as there is guidance I will get for you
from the information for shops
https://fixyourbikevoucherscheme.est.org.uk/Downloads/Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme - Shop Information Pack.pdf
page 12
BPR are great, my second choice of cycle shop - I got to Birmingham Bike Foundry in Stirchley usually, partly because I know some of the people who run it and partly because it's a co-op but it's great having two excellent bike repair places on my doorstep.
I've been listening to radio news today (or yesterday maybe it was) and the focus of that has been on the advertising rule changes, really not much about cycling when talking about the obesity thing, although there's been lots of other cycling things like the repair voucher scheme and the plans for new cycling infrastructure.
Thing about bikes is you're killing three birds with one stone - physical activity, rush hour congestion and air pollution/climate change. Walking is also being promoted through the cycling & walking schemes paid for through new infrastructure which will also hopefully address the safety issue. There's been new guidance released by the highways agency which I haven't had the chance to look at myself but I'm reliably informed is looking really good (as long as it's acted on anyway) so fingers crossed.
Where I live is one of the places in Birmingham that has been mentioned earlier in the thread as getting a filtered neighbourhood treatment which is going to include a short pedestrianised section on one of the side streets off the high street (sadly kings heath high street itself is a major A road and there's no real opportunity for a bypass for all the through traffic as it'd be great if that would be pedestrianised as well, but they are taking out on street parking to widen the pavements (has already happened because of covid-19) as well as putting in the filters to prevent rat running down the residential side roads off the high street. It should all help encourage people to walk rather than drive to the high street, as well as improving things for cyclists.
The cycle to work scheme has some major flaws but if you don't get caught by them it's really brilliant scheme from the govt. Your employer buys the bike, claims back the VAT and doesn't charge it on to you, so you immediately save ~20%. You pay for it over 12 months, interest free, taken from your pay packet before tax, so you don't pay income tax/NI on it either, which reduces the price further by a % that depends on your tax bracket. There's a bigger payment at the end but I can't remember the details of how that works. It can save you a lot of money on a bike and you pay for it over a year. You can also use it to buy accessories like lights, helmet etc.
The problems are that it's a maximum £1,000 which is entry level for an ebike afaik. There has been talk of raising that limit but I don't think it's happened. Other problem is that employers cannot, by law, make deductions from your pay that would take you below minimum wage. This is simply not allowed for any reason, so someone in a minimum wage job can't use the cycle to work scheme, even though they are the people who will benefit most
You also can't use it for second hand bikes, which is especially bad right now since I understand that new bikes under £500 are hard to come by.
You also don't need a licence for a bike or e-bike but most councils offer cheap or free adult cycling training which would be recommended.
Thank you BigTom, so technically I qualify for the griptape. It is getting fucked and I am skint so may give it a go.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
So is the site ever coming back up?
ETA: It was down every time I checked today and now says no vouchers available
I thought you were talking about this site for a second - as if everything wasn't already confusing enough!
BigTom
Well-Known Member
So is the site ever coming back up?
ETA: It was down every time I checked today and now says no vouchers available
The official line is that they are releasing them in batches so as not to overload the available supply of bike mechanics, which does make some sense but could definitely be handled better than an occasional mad rush for people to try to claim the batch of 50,000 vouchers they release. Let people register, put them in a queue and give them a date when they'll get their voucher rather than release batches occasionally.
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
We can only assume that such great good sense would have incurred slightly higher costs and therefore lower margins for the corporation holding the out-sourced contract to administer this 'scheme'. Hence, it won't happen.
NoXion
Craicy the Squirrel
You do need a licence if you want to legally ride an e-bike on the public roads with a motor of more than 250 watts, which is a fucking pathetic limit in my opinion. Plus some other shit limitations I can't remember right now.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
NoXion
Craicy the Squirrel
Too fucking low. You can buy hairdryers with better output.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
They produce heat.
Pro cyclists put out about 200 to 300 watts in motive force (on average, over a long race).
It's about a third of a horse.
I'm not factoring in drive train loss, and ebikes are heavier than regular bikes too, but it still seems like a fair bit.
(not a bike expert)
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
I was highly skeptical of ebikes and then used a friend's briefly the other day. I think they're brilliant now, and hers was an old model. How much power do you want, it zoomed up hills! I think the advantages of newer ones are better battery life and a lower weight now.
I'd totally get one when I was unable to cycle as normal, or had a very long commute. I'd highly recommend people give them a go if they think they might be useful for them, they fill a really nice gap between cycling and a car I think.
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NoXion
Craicy the Squirrel
Pro cyclists are using just their muscles, so little wonder their output doesn't amount to much. Horse aren't that much either. They can get blown by the shittiest moped or scooter.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
Yeah, but being in the 'muscles' range of things is why you don't need a license.
If you have your own muscles plus some decent e-muscles powering your bicycle, that seems like a fairly generous limit.
You want a motor vehicle that goes more in the person-killing range of speeds, get a fucking license.
</road safety campaigner performative anger>
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
According to Strava, when I was 52 years old with a BMI of 33 on a heavy bike, mostly gently uphill, when I was making a bit of an effort on the local railway path I averaged 250 watts over 9 miles / 37 minutes / average speed 14.4mph.
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