[2old2mould]

This post probably isn’t ground breaking, but was interesting to see Decathlon dropping it’s prices on a couple of Van Rysel bikes. This is good, as they are a single retailer operating in multiple countries, so it’s handy to compare costs across borders. UK price for their RCR in the ‘sale’ is £3,600, but it’s cheaper in many other countries, and indeed in Portugal it’s down to €3,090 which equates to about £1000 less. Portugal does have lower VAT on bikes, but that wouldn’t account for anything like the difference in price. Rip-off Britain eh? Cheaper to fly Ryanair and bring it back with you.

Topic

[Rendel Harris]

andystow wrote:

You could travel over with a cheap bike the same colour, then come back with the “same” bike.

 Cunning but I guess you’d have to have proof you took the cheapo with you and that it’s the same bike, coming back with a spanking new Van Rysel and telling a customs official it’s a £50 beater you bought on eBay – look here’s proof I took one abroad with me – and expecting them to believe you because it’s the same colour might be a bit optimistic.

[andystow]

You could travel over with a

You could travel over with a cheap bike the same colour, then come back with the “same” bike.

[mark1a]

Aside from customs & damage

Aside from customs & damage risk mentioned by others, on top of the budget airline return flight (including bike box fees), bike box rental (if you don’t have one yourself), accommodation (difficult to book there and back same day even if chosen budget airline is flying daily), a bike bought in Portugal will be delivered with the brakes opposite to what we’re used to in the UK. If this is something you couldn’t change yourself, budget £100-£150 for LBS to swap over, bleed fluid, new bar tape, etc. That saving is getting smaller and smaller…

[Rendel Harris]

The UK has a 14% tax on bikes

The UK has a 14% tax on bikes (unless every single part is manufactured in the EU) and then after that VAT is added to the total. So the bike in Portugal before their 6% VAT was added would be roughly €2900. It comes to the UK and is taxed at 14%, bringing it up to around €3300, then 20% VAT is applied, making it €3900 or around £3400. So only about £200 of the difference is “rip-off Britain” (most probably accounted for by lower property costs and taxes and much lower minimum wage (€5.43 per hour) in Portugal), the rest is yet another one of those lovely Brexit benefits.

You could fly over there and bring one back but if you get caught by customs you will not only have to pay the full tax but also could face fines or, potentially, criminal prosecution. You can’t exactly hide a bike underneath your dirty clothes like you can a bottle of scotch or some cigarettes!

[wtjs]

but airport baggage handlers!

but airport baggage handlers!

SAS just smashed up my daughter’s bike going out to Bodo in Norway. Big dent from a pointed object on the seat tube and completely bent my aged, but very strong, Blackburn rack. However, she has triumphed over them and is seeing good weather, mountains and pilot whales in the Lofotens. Unfortunately, they can have another go on the way back.

[Spangly Shiny]

Ah, but airport baggage

Ah, but airport baggage handlers!

[Author]

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