How to get a Bike is a the first part of our new blog series, Girl on a Bike Blog, aimed at encouraging women to cycle

As part of Navan Bike Fest, we are delighted to bring you ‘Girl on a Bike’, a new series of blog posts from Navan Cycling Initiative member Asia Gurtman which will run throughout Bike Week, which runs from 12-18 September (see the introduction here)

How to get a Bike

If you are employed, I would strongly encourage you to get your bike through the Cycling to Work Scheme. This scheme is designed to encourage people to cycle to work, or between workplaces. The main benefits of the scheme can be narrowed to the following:

• Improving your health and fitness levels
• Reducing the traffic
• Contributing to lowering the carbon emission

The scheme helps you to obtain a new bike and equipment at a lower cost, as it comes out of your gross salary, before any tax deductions, which means that if you are paying Higher Tax, the bike will cost you only half of its value.

You can avail for a scheme once every four years. The other condition is the value of a bike.

• For a standard bike, plus cycling equipment, the limit is €1,250
• For an electric bike, plus cycling equipment, the limit is €1,500

As for the equipment, Revenue allows for the following:

• Cycle helmets
• Bells and bulb horns
• Lights, including dynamo packs
• Mirrors and mudguards
• Cycle clips and dress guards
• Panniers, luggage carriers and straps
• Locks and chains
• Pumps, puncture repair kits, cycle tool kits and tyre sealant
• Reflective clothing, white front reflectors and spoke reflectors

If you are not an employee, and cannot avail for Cycling to Work Scheme, most bike shops would be able to provide you with the list of financial institutions that would assist you in spreading the cost of a bike over few months.

If this is your first bike, and it was in my case, please take the time to figure out which bike will be the most suitable for you. It wasn’t just the colour of the bike I would have to pick, but factors like your fitness level, your height, your preferred destinations where you have an interest to cycle to really matter so much. I did some research on Google and YouTube, and found a lot of helpful information there.

When you find your dream bike, please call in the store, double check the main features of it with the sales representative and let them know that you wish to avail for Cycle to Work scheme if you can, so that they can assist you with the process and secure the bike for you. In my case, I had to pay €50 deposit to secure the bike, which was refunded when my employer paid for it.

Whether you use the Cycling to Work scheme or not, this is the best time to decide on the equipment.

Let’s check the next post dedicated to that.

View the other posts from the Girl on a Bike Blog Series below:

• How to Get a Bike
• Bike Equipment – what is essential and what is good to have
• Cycling Etiquette – Safety on Cycling Lanes and on the Road
• Cycling routes around Navan area with coffee places that are cycling friendly 😉

Keep an eye out for each of the above blog posts coming over each day of Bike Week, which runs from the 12-18 of September, and see more on our main Navan Bike Fest page.

Navan Bike Fest is a week-long series of events planned for National Bike Week. Find out more at our Navan Bike Fest page.