What a great idea to offer £50 towards repairing that old bike in order to get some lardy lumps on the road.What a bad execution.The only people who will be claiming these vouchers are the skinny cycling nuts - as they are the ones regularly getting stuff on their bikes. To claim this voucher you have to take your bike to the shop, get a quote and then claim the voucher. Your average lardy lump is not going to do that.Why not make this voucher exclusive to people with a BMI of 30 or even 35?Give it to people you want to get cycling rather than the ones who already are.
Richard Potts ● 2286d21 Comments
Because this is nothing more than PR politics. Noise.
Michael Laird ● 2286d
Yet another clear policy from the government. The lardy lumps will instead be looking forward to Rishi Sunak's restaurant vouchers and be heading to fast food outlets. The govt bounce back plan.
Robert Glen ● 2286d
Perhaps people will use their voucher to repair their bike and then cycle to get their subsidised burger and chips...
Keith Iddon ● 2286d
And suddenly even the smallest repair will cost £50.
Steve Taylor ● 2286d
I'm sure Michael Robinson will be first in queue for his £50 tonight.
Richard Potts ● 2286d
Yes there are only 50,000 available in the first batch!
Even more stealing of bikes (and lots already every week according to OWL), do them up using a small amount of that if necessary and sell them on. Lovely money for criminals. This government is nuts
Claire Moran ● 2286d
Yes the lycra bums will be first in the queue to get their bikes serviced and the fatties couldn't be bothered to get their old bikes out of the shed! Too much of an effort.
I get that you're all having a good laugh at this but I'd say you're all off target here.I cycle most days and when at the office will cycle everyday. I try to look after my bike where I can,I wouldn't take it to Halfords to get a service (although each to their own). I'd be pretty sure that most 'lycra bums' (Steve what a zinger; definitely not a shit, and in this context an ironically lazy insult) wouldn't be needing this voucher either. Some might, most won't.I hope the people who need this the most receive it and that they find a new lease of life in their bicycle.
Tom Trower ● 2286d
Typically snobby responses. And £50 wouldn't scratch the surface (NPI) on the bikes many of the 'lycra crowd' bomb around on. As for taking them to Halfords? Not likely. A friend of mine (50-something, non lardy type) has gone for one of the vouchers. It'll help her get her old bike back on the road again.
Gordon McDonald ● 2286d
We do live in the right area for the have and have-nots, who use to rub shoulders without to much friction.Since the start of coronavirus pandemic, the divide between various members of the community has got wider.
Bernard Allen ● 2286d
"Since the start of coronavirus pandemic, the divide between various members of the community has got wider."That's true. And that's because someone has started a war. Guess who was this someone and what war is it? It will only get worse.
Alex Shpinkov ● 2286d
Game over! The locusts swarmed the website to get their £50 vouchers so it crashed. Another government plan not thought through!!
I agree with Claire about the bikes being stolen.Is there information being given about safe storage for bikes ie don't attach them to posts in the street which they can be lifted up and off? Any information being given about insurance - don't the cycling organisations provide this at a competitive rate?Any information about getting your bike marked so that you can claim it easier if it disappears?Any information about who to alert and where to look if it goes missing?It is very disheartening if you need it to go to work and then find out it is missing. Worse if you have no photos to post/show when it goes missing and don't have the serial numbers etc to claim it.
Philippa Bond ● 2286d
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egeJaiUqleg&feature=emb_title
Philippa Bond ● 2285d
It's a free-all for bike stealers. I hope anyone claiming this has to quote chapter and verse on when and where they bought the bike and for how much, which is checked. Unfortunately I doubt if the government has resources to check, so I anticipate an even bigger increase in stolen bikes (and the OWL notifications about bikes stolen including from locked sheds in Chiswick are maybe a couple of times a week and often reporting multiple thefts).
Claire Moran ● 2285d
If it does not clash too horribly with your Louis Quinze furniture then the best place to keep your bike is indoors.Sheds & gardens are, unfortunately, very risky no matter what precautions you take.For some reason no thief seems interested in my 15kg Dawes Super Galaxy. I can leave it unlocked leaning on a tree with a sign saying "steal me" and days later she's still there.
Will Watson ● 2285d
As always, Will, your posts are, I'm alright, Will, too bad for everyone else. What a sensitive, caring human being you are. Not.
Eh?I'm just suggesting taking your bike inside your house/flat is the safest thing.
Having “lost” quite a few bikes, and my latest was almost stolen yesterday, I do hope our bike shops are required to check bikes Reg. Against the stolen bikes register. Too many are just let go and the second hand market is benefitting from the hot property.
Caroline Carrington ● 2285d
Then you may not have to check websites like this one:https://www.stolenride.co.uk/except that it has useful info on insurance and cycle parking solutions.
Philippa Bond ● 2284d