A Cycle to Work scheme cap “doesn’t just limit choice, it limits opportunity.” – An independent retailer’s view
Posted on in Cycles News
Independent retailers are warning that proposed changes to the Cycle to Work scheme risk deepening pressures already felt on the shop floor. Writing on LinkedIn just under a week ago, A&S Cycles owner Sham Vesamia said the scheme, while valuable for getting more people cycling, leaves small shops absorbing unsustainable costs.
She argued that high commission fees, combined with already tight margins, mean independents often earn little or nothing from Cycle to Work sales despite providing all the fitting, servicing and administrative work. In the series of posts, Vesamia called for a fairer, industry-wide rethink to ensure the scheme supports riders without undermining the local businesses that keep them on the road.
A week later, as news of a potential cap on Cycle to Work purchases in the upcoming Budget has emerged, Sham has posted a further series of posts on the social media site that highlight what she feels this mooted cap could not only hurt independent cycling retailers, but also parents, commuters, families and many others that rely on the scheme.
We have spoken to Sham and published her thoughts on the possible Cycle to Work scheme cap in full below.
“I see the difference that the right bike the affordable, accessible bike makes…”
I’ve been reading all the posts and rumours about this potential £2,000 Cycle to Work platform cap, and honestly, it’s been sitting heavy with me.
Not just as someone in the bike trade, not just as another business owner trying to keep the lights on , but as someone who took on a bike shop because I genuinely believe in what cycling does for a community.
At A&S after my husband passed away and left with three young children , I did not take over to get rich or chase some big corporate dream. It’s my personal journey from the heart. Personal to me. We’ve moved with the times and grown with our community and values.
I took on A&S because I love this community, and I wanted to build something for it. Something honest. Something useful. Something that actually helps people live better, healthier lives.
A bike shop isn’t just a shop. It’s a small hub of conversations, hopes, repairs, trade-ins, first bikes, last bikes, emotional stories, and real human connections.
The values A&S stands for are simple:
helpfulness, fairness, honesty, accessibility, and community.
That’s it. That’s what I run this place on and that’s why this whole Cycle to Work cap hits me the way it does.
Because every single day, I see the difference that the right bike the affordable, accessible bike makes to someone’s life. I also see how many people simply cannot afford a proper, durable, safe, higher-spec bike without the help of the scheme.
“…the price jumps above £2,000 every time.”
Let me paint a picture of a typical Saturday at A&S.
Before the door’s even open properly, there’s usually a parent with a child bouncing with excitement about trying their first proper bike. We get delivery workers who rely on their e-bike like others rely on a van. We get shift workers who tell me, quietly but honestly, that without an e-bike, they simply cannot reach work on time.
We have nervous new cyclists, sometimes recovering from illness or mental health struggles, who need the confidence boost that good e-assist gives them.
These aren’t people strolling in to treat themselves.
These are people trying to survive a world where everything fuel, rent, car insurance, public transport is getting more expensive by the week.
And one thing I’ve seen again and again?
When someone needs a cargo bike, or a decent commuter e-bike, or an adaptive bike… the price jumps above £2,000 every time.
Not because we’re upselling. Not because they’re chasing luxury. But because that’s just the cost of building a reliable machine that can actually replace a car, handle daily mileage, or meet someone’s physical needs.
When those customers look me in the eye and say,
“Thank God for Cycle to Work Scheme’s , I couldn’t afford this otherwise,”
I absolutely believe them. Because I know they’re right and this is why I feel so strongly about this cap , not for me, but for them.
If you work in retail, in cycling, or if you’ve seen similar stories where you live, please share them. People need to understand what’s at stake here. If this happens.
“The commissions some Cycle to Work providers take are brutal.”
Let me say something honestly that many shops won’t say out loud:
the commissions some Cycle to Work providers take are brutal.
Painfully high.
Sometimes shockingly high.
There are days when I’m holding a sales sheet and thinking:
We’ve spent over an hour helping this person, sourced the bike, built it, set it up, explained everything… and we’re making almost nothing on this sale.
And yet we still do it.
We still work with these schemes.
We still absorb the hit.
We still put the customer first rather than our margins.
Why?
Because I didn’t take on A&S just to make money.
I took it on to help people in the community get the right bike, even when money is tight , especially when money is tight.
And that’s why even though the commission stings, I still encourage people to use the scheme if it helps them manage the cost.
Because for a lot of families, paying monthly is the only way they can step into the world of cycling as proper transport.
Without CycleScheme:
the £2,800 e-bike doesn’t sell
the £3,500 cargo bike doesn’t sell
the £4,000 adaptive build never gets started
Those bikes are the heart of how people replace car journeys.
Those are the bikes that build long-term cycling habits.
Those are the bikes that actually change a family's day-to-day life.
“A £2,000 cap doesn’t just limit choice. It limits opportunity.”
If this £2,000 cap goes ahead, it won’t just dent sales , it’ll reshape who even has access to cycling as a real transport option.
It will hit:
the parent who wants to stop driving everywhere
the disabled rider who needs a trike or adaptive setup
the commuter who simply can’t ride 15 hilly miles without e-assist
the family desperate to move away from car dependency
the person rebuilding their health or mental wellbeing
the everyday worker who just wants a safer, cheaper commute.
These are the people A&S exists for.
These are the people our values are built around.
And when I think about how hard people are already struggling, it makes my chest tighten knowing a simple political decision could pull away the one lifeline that makes a better transport choice possible for them.
This isn’t just business to me.
This is personal.
This is my community.
This is A&S — built on fairness, belief in people, and the idea that a bike can change someone’s life.
A £2,000 cap doesn’t just limit choice.
It limits opportunity.
It limits independence.
It limits health.
It limits possibility.
If any part of this resonates with you — as a rider, parent, commuter, business owner, or just someone who cares — please comment. Share your view. Share your experience.
The more voices join this conversation, the harder it becomes for decisions like this to be made in silence.
Because from the shop floor — from the real world — this cap feels like a huge step backwards.
You can see the original LinkedIn posts at Sham’s page here.