The Department of Transport’s 2009 National Transport Policy Framework has an ambitious target to get 10 per cent of all commuters cycling by 2020 – aided by tax incentives under the Cycle to Work Scheme, which IBBA says resulted in the sale of 90,000 bicycles between 2009 and 2011.

Under the scheme, employers can buy a bike up to €1,000 for employees to cycle to work and recover the cost from the employees’ pre-tax salary over the next 12 months.

With no benefit-in-kind taxation, employees can save up to 52 per cent of the cost of the bike.

And then it gets nicked.