Government Obesity & Bike Scheme
- Thread starter Badgers
- Start date
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
I blame it on those repetitive beats ...You are a menace!
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
250W extra is plenty for anything other than a fully laden cargo bike - and I think there’s talk that they may soon have new rules allowing them more grunt.
The one bit of the eBike rules that should be changed is the assistance cutoff speed - make it 20mph, then they would fit in with the new, increasingly common, urban speed limits.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Blimey, that really highlights the difference rider/bike weight makes. Just 180W would give me an average of 18mph or so over reasonably lumpy terrain.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
I’ve heard about them, been meaning to check them out for ages- and the fact it’s a co-op means I really should. I’ll try to pop in and see if they offer a ‘Big Tom’ discount...
gosub
~#
I've noticed that, I've also noticed a lot of people running, as well as people talking 0 to 5K app on things like Pop master and 6 music, and Joe Wicks was getting millions of views for his daily work out.....Thems that waited for the voucher will find the days getting shorter too but won't do any harm
BigTom
Well-Known Member
Well at that point it's legally a moped, not an e-bike so yes. But it shouldn't be sold or advertised as an e-bike because it isn't one legally speaking, it's a moped that also has pedals. The other limitiations iirc are that the assist cuts out at 15.5mph (20kmh I think) and that it must be pedal assist only ,can't have a motor only mode even if you don't use it. No idea at what point a moped becomes a motorbike but you can ride a moped on a standard car licence if you have one.
lol, at the moment they are appointment only but definitely check them out in the future. They are great, I've always been happy with their services, and are one of the best places to point people to if they're after a second hand bike. Also they run a tool club if doing your own maintenance interests you but you don't have the space or specialist tools for it.
Ms T
Honey-coloured ramparts
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 mostIf 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.
My employer says the limit has been increased to £4,000 which is definitely enough for a decent ebike.
tommers
It was... Rebekah Vardy's account
It can be unlimited I think, they just need to jump through some hoops first.
The cycle to work scheme with no £1000 limit
Cycle to work scheme with no £1000 limit, no exit fees. Save upto 47% on e-bikes and conventional bikes. Low commissions for bike shops.
greencommuteinitiative.uk
DownwardDog
Riding a Brompton with a power meter.
Strava power generally estimates 15-30% high compared to a power meter. The longer the segment the more inaccurate it gets for some reason. It also can't adjust for wind.
DownwardDog
Riding a Brompton with a power meter.
250W is massive in cycling terms. Going from 150W to 400W is the difference between a normal person and Remco Evenepoel.
Even 250W assist is already dangerous. I see plenty of accidents and near misses from e-bikers who just aren't use to bike handling at speed.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Also I must somewhere have told Strava my weight, but it seems to be something you have to pay for now - I copied the data over from Runkeeper anyway ...
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
E-bikes are starting to be a bit of a pain on local shared paths - and it's rather sad when it's young people riding them ... even the local park is full of small children on electric scooters ...
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Why? With the current limit of 15mph they can't be going that quickly
weepiper
I fix the machines that fight climate change
Because 15mph is actually pretty fast to be passing pedestrians on shared paths. The stopping distance on a big heavy bike with a motor is further than you think. Also there's plenty of bikes that have been unlimited riding around or that have shonky home retrofit kits with a throttle that go a lot faster than 15mph.Why? With the current limit of 15mph they can't be going that quickly
DownwardDog
Riding a Brompton with a power meter.
Why? With the current limit of 15mph they can't be going that quickly
I see people on eebs going full send at 20km/h everywhere when they can hardly ride a bike in the first place.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
and probably a whole load of house and shed fires in the mean time ...
I'm late to this thread to say I quite like the policy on its own. It needs a lot of other overlapping policies to fully reap the benefits - more money for infrastructural improvements, high street bike storage, not expanding motor vehicle road capacity, finally unfreezing fuel duty - but it's a start I guess.
likesfish
You can't park here sir
Tbf 15 mph would be too fast on a mixed lane but so would trying to be Lance Armstrong on the undercliff walk when it's crowded.
As for the batteries mine are rated for 800 charges that's nearly 3 years way more friendly than similar amount of moped fuel and they can be recyled.
Your not comparing an ebike to an ordinary bike your comparing an ebike to car taxi bus or motorbike.
As for the batteries mine are rated for 800 charges that's nearly 3 years way more friendly than similar amount of moped fuel and they can be recyled.
Your not comparing an ebike to an ordinary bike your comparing an ebike to car taxi bus or motorbike.
DownwardDog
Riding a Brompton with a power meter.
Simon Cowell breaks back falling off electric bike in California
Music tycoon is having surgery but ‘doing fine’, his spokeswoman says
LOL.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
It's the teeny-wheeled stand-up scooters that horrify me - I posted elsewhere that I was left in the dust by a guy who must have been doing 20MPH (based on my own 15) - straight out the gate at work onto a rough country road that's a bit of a challenge even on a mountain bike ...Simon Cowell breaks back falling off electric bike in California
Music tycoon is having surgery but ‘doing fine’, his spokeswoman sayswww.theguardian.com
LOL.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Simon Cowell breaks back falling off electric bike in California
Music tycoon is having surgery but ‘doing fine’, his spokeswoman says
LOL.
Various degrees of broken back, hope it’s nothing trivial.
Gramsci
Well-Known Member
I do keep fit and cycle a lot but this Tory scheme has the faults Id expect from the Tories.
The government website says:
Its not obesity that sows the seeds for adult diseases its inequality.
The rest of the website article then goes into schemes to prod people to lose weight. But does not deal with the main underlying issue.
The one major thing a government could do to reduce obesity is to reduce inequality.
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Its why schemes like this to get people to lose weight and cycle more wind me up. Even though Im a keen cyclist.
I feel gving them any support lets the government off the hook for not dealing wth inequality.
The government website says:
Its not obesity that sows the seeds for adult diseases its inequality.
The rest of the website article then goes into schemes to prod people to lose weight. But does not deal with the main underlying issue.
The one major thing a government could do to reduce obesity is to reduce inequality.
Obesity - Equality Trust
Obesity is less common in more equal societies. Obesity is increasing rapidly throughout the developed world. In some countries rates have doubled in just a few years. In the USA, three-quarters of the population are overweight, and close to a third are obese. In the UK, two-thirds of adults are...
www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Its why schemes like this to get people to lose weight and cycle more wind me up. Even though Im a keen cyclist.
I feel gving them any support lets the government off the hook for not dealing wth inequality.
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SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Poorer people often live in areas with higher air pollution, which could reduce or negate the health benefits of cycling. I wouldn't be surprised to see that investment in cycling infrastructure was also skewed away from poorer communities.
ska invita
back on the other side
I had no idea this was a tax scam!It can be unlimited I think, they just need to jump through some hoops first.
The cycle to work scheme with no £1000 limit
Cycle to work scheme with no £1000 limit, no exit fees. Save upto 47% on e-bikes and conventional bikes. Low commissions for bike shops.
"So, to recap, your organisation pays for the package on your behalf and then you repay them by accepting a reduced salary in exchange for the benefit of the package. Since your salary is reduced you’re not paying tax on the cost of the package. "
tommers
It was... Rebekah Vardy's account
What did you think was the benefit of it?
Simon Cowell breaks back falling off electric bike in California
Music tycoon is having surgery but ‘doing fine’, his spokeswoman says
LOL.
You have to feel some sympathy, as riding a bike doesn't come easily to someone whose centre of gravity is above his neckline.
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