Capital Cycles
Suit your Commute with your Capital Companion

Nearly 450km of the new LCN+, a cross-London network of on-and-off-road cycle routes, has already been laid out across the capital, with another 400km of LCN+ to come in the next few years.

London boroughs and TfL have also provided thousands of children and adults with special training courses to help them take to two wheels, and many schools have installed new cycle racks. There are also an extra 5,000 cycle parking spaces on the streets to help you park your bike.

This is not a ploy to get you reading this blog! This really happens.  Over 90% of bicycles on the road in the UK are imported from outside the European Union.  Only a very small percentage are actually built here, despite the impression you are given by manufacturers.

Every sinlge bicycle imported from outside the EU is subject to two forms of taxation, culminating in an extraordinary 62.5% tax, before VAT!  The first charge that the importing company has to pay is called an ‘anti-dumping’ duty.  This is a charge which is put on any item (in this example bicycles) which is being imported from outside the EU, but could be manufactured from within.  This is the penalty for not buying from inside the European Union.  The penalty we have to pay is 47.5% of the value of the bicycle.

The second charge is known as ‘import duty’, which in the case of bicycles is 14%.  We agree with the need for import duties; there are mountains of paperwork that follow importing and these costs need to be covered.  But what we will not accept is the fact that combined, these charges mean that we have to charge you 62.5% MORE for your bicycle.  Is this helping encourage getting people out of cars and onto bicycles? No. 

At Capital Cycles, we have done everything within our power to make our bicycles the most affordable on the market, whilst also being very well built, fully accessorised and of course, delivered free to your door.  But know this: instead of increasing our profits, we PLEDGE to reduce the cost of our bicycles by 47.5% if this exhorbitant fee is removed.  Just imagine how many more people will be able to get on the road! Help us make this happen now, join the Capital Cycles anti anti-dumping campaign today.

What will they tax us for next, growing trees?

The popularity of cycling in London alone has risen by 80% since 2000.  Here are just a few of the benefits you will gain from choosing to cycle, instead of drive or take public transport:

1) If you cycle just 2 miles each way to work, 5 days a week - you will cycle an average of 1000 miles a year!

2) The rising cost of using public transport coupled with the fact that neither the Bus or Underground network can handle the load, means that you are being RIPPED OFF! Who honestly wants to spend over £1000 a year, being crammed into an underground box, surrounded by total strangers, breathing in their germs.

3) Your Health.  Cycling just 20 minutes each way to work every day, is enough to keep you fitter and healthier than if you chose to take the tube. 

4)Added to point 3, in many cases it is also much FASTER!  Putney to Picadilly takes one hour by bus in rush hour.  On a bicycle you can be there is 40 minutes.

Here is what the BBC had to report on the benefits of cycling:

What are the benefits?

1. Cycling is a great way to get fit. It burns around 400 calories an hour – and gets you to your destination at the same time. Even 30 minutes a day can have a dramatic effect on your health, reducing the risk of obesity related illnesses like diabetes, stroke and high cholesterol.

2. Cycling is the best way to guarantee your arrival time – your speed and route are entirely up to you.

3. It’s environmentally friendly. You produce no pollution and no noise, which benefits not just you, but your local area too.

4. It’s cheaper than running a car or going to the gym.

In the cold weather, there are some slight changes to kit which you’ll need, but there is no reason to give up riding a bike around town. A high visibility jacket and some working lights are all it takes.

If you think of Amsterdam, where 28% of people cycle, you’d imagine they have better weather than London – not so. The average rainfall figure there is 804mm (31.5 inches) a year, whereas here in London we only have 585mm (23 inches) annually. Yes, you will get wet occasionally, but really not as often as you think.

Many people want to cycle but aren’t sure how to get into it. Ask at work if there are showers in your building – but even if there aren’t, don’t let that stop you cycling. A quick change of clothes will freshen you up and if you bring in a few days clothes at a time, you can build up a wardrobe at work.

If you started cycling during summer, but gave up once the clocks went back, have a think – were you fitter, arriving at work on time and saving money not going to the gym? Why not buy some lights, a high-visibility top, and keep going?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/14/cycling_inlondon_feature.shtml

SO - its healthier, cheaper, quicker and more enjoyable.  In fact, it’s a no-brainer.

Six months of dedicated design-work and tireless effort has culminated in the much talked about launch of Capital Cycles fantastic new range of custom designed, commuter inspired bicycles.  We are proud to welcome the Capital City, Capital Compact and Capital Classic to the Capital family! See for yourself the ease and convenience that Capital Cycles affords you.  EVERY BIKE is sold FULLY accessorised, has a 12 MONTH factory warranty, and is DELIVERED FREE to your door.  Come and let us help you ’Suit your Commute, with your Capital Companion’.