Bicycle leasing on a limited budget: the options for your employees

Is bicycle leasing worthwhile for employees on a tighter budget too? Absolutely! Leasing a second-hand bicycle is one option, but certainly not the only one. Through o2o Bicycle Leasing, your employees can choose from a wide range of affordable lease bicycles, from speed pedelecs to cargo bikes. Here’s how o2o makes bicycle leasing worthwhile for those with less to spend.

At a glance: budget-friendly options for employees

• Lease an affordable new bicycle through Decathlon
• Lease a second-hand bicycle through Decathlon, E-bis or Upway
• Top up the available leasing budget with a one-off personal contribution
• Choose a longer lease term of 4 years instead of 3

Why is the budget of employees limited?

Many employees earn a lower salary or receive a smaller year-end bonus, or can only use part of their year-end bonus for bicycle leasing. But that doesn’t mean they can’t lease a quality bicycle.

Through o2o Bicycle Leasing, your employees have four options, including one that you control as an employer. We explain each option below.

1. An affordable lease bicycle

Our partner Decathlon offers a wide range of affordable, high-quality lease bicycles.

Example calculation: the monthly leasing cost of an affordable bicycle
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At Decathlon, your employees can find new bicycles starting at €999.99. Through o2o Bicycle Leasing, this can work out to a net monthly contribution starting at €18.05.*

“Together with Decathlon, we’re doing even more to make more sustainable mobility affordable and accessible through bicycle leasing.” — Geert De Rycke, CEO of o2o Bicycle Leasing

2. A second-hand lease bicycle

o2o Bicycle Leasing offers the widest range of second-hand lease bicycles. And a second-hand lease bicycle comes with plenty of benefits for your employees.

• The battery capacity is at least 80%.
• The bicycles are fully inspected and serviced.
• Second-hand bicycles are 20% to as much as 50% cheaper than new ones.

Through our partners Decathlon, E-bis and Upway, your employees have a very wide choice of second-hand lease bicycles.

“By leasing second-hand bicycles, we make quality bicycles accessible to more people. Employees get an inspected and serviced bicycle at a lower price, while we also extend the lifespan of bicycles.” — Ludo Delmelle, Teamlead Partner & Dealer Success at o2o Bicycle Leasing

E-bis

At E-bis, your employees can find high-quality second-hand bicycles from well-known brands. E-bis carefully inspects the bicycles, refurbishes them and readjusts them.

Upway

Upway offers refurbished e-bikes. Every lease bicycle undergoes a thorough inspection and refurbishment at the UpCentre in Mechelen.

Example calculation: leasing a second-hand bicycle versus a new one

A second-hand Stromer ST3 costs €6,940 at E-bis, compared with €9,308 for a new one. That makes quite a difference to the monthly leasing cost for employees.

3. A personal contribution

Has your employee found a lease bicycle that exceeds the available leasing budget? They can top up their budget with a one-off personal contribution. This reduces the monthly leasing cost, bringing the bicycle within reach.

The employee pays the personal contribution out of their own pocket, so that amount does not qualify for a tax benefit. The tax benefit of bicycle leasing still applies to the remaining part of the leasing package.

Tip: consider contributing as an employe

Do many of your employees have a limited budget? Consider covering part of the leasing cost yourself as an employer. It’s a great way to give your employees a helping hand in choosing to cycle.

The cycling allowance as a net offset

Employees who regularly cycle to work are entitled to a cycling allowance. It makes no difference whether they ride a lease bicycle, their own bicycle or a company bicycle. The cycling allowance often covers part of the cost of the lease bicycle — and in some cases, almost all of it. Just like for our cyclist Annick (video).

Discover everything about the cycling allowance

4. A longer lease term of 4 years

At o2o Bicycle Leasing, you decide as an employer whether your employees can lease a bicycle for 3 years (36 months) or 4 years (48 months). You can also offer both terms. As an employer, you set this out in your bicycle leasing policy.

With a lease term of 48 months, the total leasing cost is spread over more months. This lowers the monthly leasing amount and makes bicycle leasing more accessible to employees on a tighter budget.

Example calculation: monthly leasing costs over 4 years versus 3 years

For this example, let’s take one of the most frequently leased bicycles: the Stromer ST1. This bicycle has a value of €4,499.