Start commuting by bike, see the benefits roll in.
By adopting the concept of Drive and Cycle commuting in conjunction with the new SwissBike, companies can expect to see numerous benefits emerge. With employees parking away from the office, less money needs to be spent on parking infrastructure and traffic is reduced around the job site. With more employees exercising on a daily basis, overall fitness will improve, which in turn can dramatically reduce healthcare costs. Also, as numerous studies have shown the more active and healthy a person is, the more productive they are.
Corporate Benefits
- Lower health insurance costs.
- Higher employee productivity.
- Supports corporate green initiative.
- Cultivates socially responsible image.
- Adds additional benefit to offer and retain employees.
Employee Benefits
- Reduced cost of bike.
- Reduced gas expenditures.
- Lower car expenses.
- Lower parking fees.
- Betterment of health and fitness. You can even go as far as canceling your gym membership and replacing your daily workout with your commute.
- Improved morale.
Commute how you want. When you want.
Lets introduce a new concept that lets you commute when
you want, how you want. We call it drive and cycle.
Most people’s commute to work is farther than they feel comfortable riding a bike. In this case, you simply put a SwissBike in the trunk of your car, you drive part way to work, park, and pull out your SwissBike for the rest of the ride. And if the day is not nice, or you don’t have the energy, you simply leave the bike safe and dry in the trunk until another day. Drive and Cycle is a first step that is easy for most people to commit to and still allows the use of a vehicle or public transportation when needed.
Tips For Drive and Cycle Commuting
- Your local public transportation authority will have a list of park and ride locations to safely leave
your vehicle. There should be parking lots in varying distances from your office. Feeling ambitious?
try one that’s a bit further away.
- Mapping websites. Google Maps and Running Maps allow you to sit in the comfort of your home
and plan the best routes for commuting. With these tools it’s easy to avoid busy roads while
finding the fastest routes.
- Try and identify local bike shops that may be along your route, knowing where these are can keep
you well supplied and confident in your ride.
- Stop for a coffee. One of the best things about commuting by bike is that it’s not a race. Plan
ahead, take your time and stop for a good cup of joe on a cool day or an iced coffee on a warm
one. The caffine will keep you alert and the stop will keep your legs fresh.
The SwissBike TX. The Ultimate Commuter Bike.
Whether your commute is 2 miles or 20 miles, the SwissBike TX has you covered. The TX is a full size bike, that looks, feels, and rides like a full size bike, but it has one stand out feature that set it apart; it easily folds into a small package that will fit into the trunk of your car, on the train, or under your desk. This makes it the ideal commuter bike. Combined with the Drive and Cycle concept, this bike allows you to choose to the moment how you want to commute. And when you get to work, don't worry about leaving the bike outside all day, the TX comes with a custom carrying bag that allows you to easily bring it inside while keeping road grit on the road.
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Features
The SwissBike TX frame is built around our patented FIT™ system. This design eliminates the need to break the frame in order to fold the bike. Not only does this make folding easier but makes our bikes the strongest folding bikes on the market.
SwissBike stands by its quality. That's why a limited lifetime frame warranty comes standard with all of our bikes.
Tax Incentives to Commute by Bike.
With the recent passing of the Economic Stabilization Act, it is now possible for employees to use up to $240 yearly on bike related purchases, tax free. In short, for every month that you make the effort to regularly commute by bike, you become eligible for $20 of tax free spending on bike related items (a new bike, locks, clothes, maintenance, etc...).
SEC. 211. TRANSPORTATION FRINGE BENEFIT TO BICYCLE COMMUTERS.
(a) In General- Paragraph (1) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘(D) Any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.’.
(b) Limitation on Exclusion- Paragraph (2) of section 132(f) is amended by striking ‘and’ at the end of subparagraph (A), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘, and’, and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
‘(C) the applicable annual limitation in the case of any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.’.
(c) Definitions- Paragraph (5) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘(F) DEFINITIONS RELATED TO BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT-
‘(i) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT- The term ‘qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement’ means, with respect to any calendar year, any employer reimbursement during the 15-month period beginning with the first day of such calendar year for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment.
‘(ii) APPLICABLE ANNUAL LIMITATION- The term ‘applicable annual limitation’ means, with respect to any employee for any calendar year, the product of $20 multiplied by the number of qualified bicycle commuting months during such year.
‘(iii) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING MONTH- The term ‘qualified bicycle commuting month’ means, with respect to any employee, any month during which such employee--
‘(I) regularly uses the bicycle for a substantial portion of the travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment, and
‘(II) does not receive any benefit described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph (1).’.
(d) Constructive Receipt of Benefit- Paragraph (4) of section 132(f) is amended by inserting ‘(other than a qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement)’ after ‘qualified transportation fringe’.
(e) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.
