Brompton subscription now available tax-free under Cycle To Work

If you like the idea of taking your bike on the morning commute but the outlay is putting you off, a Brompton subscription is now available on the Cycle To Work scheme via the Green Commute Initiative (GCI).

The subscription service is already in its third year, and offers customers a Brompton C-line or C-Line Electric bike with insurance, servicing and delivery.

The tax-free set-up could allow you to save up to 47% on the subscription, which would see a standard 12-month non-electric subscription reduced from £540 to £367, with a salary sacrifice of £31 per month.

The Cycle To Work scheme for the subscription is offered through GCI but will still need to be approved by an employer. It means the recipient saves tax and National Insurance on the purchase.

Under the scheme the subscription will be available for either 12 or 18 months, although there is a monthly subscription too under the standard payment plan.

The annual non-electric subscription described above is the cheapest overall scheme – at the other end of the spectrum is the 18-month electric scheme, which usually comes in at £2,430. It also offers the biggest saving under Cycle To Work though, with a reduction to £1,652.

The basic C-Line – the Urban – comes in at £1,250. Available in three colours (black, cloud blue or racing green), it features two gears, a set of mudguards, and weighs 11.35kg. At that price you could hire one on subscription for nearly four years before you'd pay out enough to have bought one of your own, making it a genuinely financially sensible option if you're not sure you want, need or indeed can afford to buy a machine outright. There are also considerable savings to be made on the C-Line Electric, which if you want to buy one starts at £2,800 for the two-speed Urban model, weighing in at 16.6kg.

Julian Scriven, Managing Director of Brompton Subscription said: ‘’This is a very exciting step for everyone at Brompton Subscription. Our mission is to get more people cycling – reducing congestion and making our streets safer and more pleasant places to be. 

‘’Our subscription service already reduces some of the traditional barriers to cycling, and partnering with the Green Commute Initiative will make it even easier and more accessible."