Lease a Bike enters partnership with Team Jumbo-Visma

What a year! At Lease a Bike, we saw the number of leases bikes increase by no less than 126 percent. Alongside other extras on top of the salary package—such as meal vouchers, a company car, a laptop, or a phone—employers are increasingly offering their employees a company bike. This works out perfectly for the employee: leasing a bike is about 40 percent cheaper than buying one. That expensive bike you've been dreaming of is suddenly a lot closer. Moreover, you don't just have to use a lease bike for commuting; you can also enjoy your bike in your free time.

How exactly does leasing work? In short, an employee can exchange all types of gross income for a lease bike. Most employees choose to pay the lease costs with their gross monthly salary or their thirteenth month, but it can also be done with a bonus. You can check with your HR department to see what your options are.

A contract always runs for 36 months. During this period, the bike is owned by the leasing company and you are the primary user. At the end of the lease term, you get the option to purchase your bike for 15 percent of the original purchase price, and then, of course, the bike is completely yours.

If you choose to lease your bike instead of buying it, you save around 40 percent. We know, it sounds almost too good to be true. Because you pay the lease costs with your gross income, you get a tax advantage. Your social security contribution (RSZ) is also lower because your gross salary is lower. Your employer reinvests that difference in social security contributions back into your bike.

In addition, a lease bike automatically includes a maintenance and insurance package in the price. These are costs that you would otherwise have to pay out of pocket after a private purchase. All Lease a Bike bicycles are fully comprehensively (all-risk) insured, and depending on your package, you receive an annual budget for maintenance and repairs:

• Basic: up to €100 per year (not for electric bikes)

• Standard: up to €150 per year

• Premium: no maximum amount (only for electric and city bikes)

• Speed pedelec: up to €300 per year

Would you like to see a simulation of your lease costs and what you save with a lease bike? You can do so with our calculator. If you click on "Show calculator overview", you will see the full calculation and a comparison with a private purchase.

Although you lease the bike through your employer, you do not have to use it exclusively for commuting. Belgian legislation stipulates that you must do so 'regularly', but going mountain biking with your lease bike on the weekend is also perfectly fine. Our figures also prove that many employees do just that: a quarter (27.9 percent) of our lease bikes are sports bikes.

You are completely free to choose the type and brand of bike. This is the top 8 most leased bikes at Lease a Bike:

1. Electric bikes (43.2 percent)

2. Racing bikes / Road bikes (13.8 percent)

3. Speed pedelecs (11 percent)

4. City bikes (8 percent)

5. Electric mountain bikes (5.5 percent)

6. Mountain bikes (4.8 percent)

7. Electric cargo bikes (4.3 percent)

8. Gravel bikes (3.8 percent)