If there's one perk worth taking your employer up on this year, it's the Bike to Work scheme. It quietly knocks a big chunk off the price of a new electric bike, and yet a fair few people still don't realise just how far the allowance stretches, especially once you point it at an e-bike rather than a plain push bike.
We get asked about it in the shop nearly every day, so we thought we'd lay it all out plainly: how the scheme works in 2026, what you're actually allowed to spend, and which of our best-selling bikes make the most of that allowance once the sums are done. If you'd rather see the numbers for yourself first, our Bike to Work savings calculator will show you your likely saving in a few seconds. Then read on, because we've refreshed this list to point you at the bikes that give you the most bike for your tax-free money.
At a glance: the best bikes for your allowance
Here's the refreshed shortlist. Every one is a genuine best-seller off our shelves, every one is eligible for the Bike to Work scheme, and this time we've leaned into the bikes that put more of your €1,500 e-bike allowance to work, so you get a properly capable machine for what is effectively tax-free money. You can see the whole range any time on our Bike to Work bikes collection. Tap any name below for the full spec and photos.
- Pixar C1 Pro — best value city cruiser, only from us in Ireland (€949)
- Pixar M9 — best for character and long-haul comfort (€1,049)
- Engwe L20 Boost — best step-through commuter (€1,299)
- Engwe EP-2 Pro — best folding fat-tyre all-rounder (€1,349)
- Engwe Engine X — best compact folding fat bike (€1,379)
- Engwe M20 26Ah — best for serious range (€1,399)
- Engwe Engine Pro 2.0 — best full-suspension folder, right on the limit (€1,499)
How the Bike to Work scheme actually works
The idea is grand and simple. Your employer buys the bike, you pay it back out of your salary before tax is taken, and because those repayments come off your gross pay you never get taxed on that money. You dodge income tax, USC and PRSI on the cost of the bike, which for most people works out at somewhere between a third and a half off the sticker price. On a €1,500 e-bike, a higher-rate taxpayer can be looking at a saving of around €750. That's not a discount to be sniffed at, and it's exactly why spending closer to the full allowance on a better bike makes so much sense — you're saving a bigger slice in real terms.
The spending limits in 2026 are worth committing to memory. It's up to €1,250 for a standard bike, up to €1,500 for an electric bike, and up to €3,000 for a cargo bike, electric or otherwise. That higher e-bike ceiling is the sweet spot our refreshed shortlist is built around: nearly every bike here sits between €1,299 and €1,500, so you're using the allowance properly while still leaving room for a helmet, a good lock and a set of lights. You'll find all of those on our Bike to Work accessories collection.
You can use the scheme once every four years, so it pays to choose well rather than rushing. The paperwork is usually a doddle: your employer sorts a salary-sacrifice arrangement, we provide the invoice, and you're away. When you're ready, you can start your Bike to Work application with us here, and if your workplace already runs the scheme through a particular provider, no bother, we'll work with whatever they use. Just ask and we'll talk you through it.
The bikes, and who each one suits
Prices below are our current in-store prices, and specs come straight from our own product pages, so you're getting the real picture, not marketing fluff.
Pixar C1 Pro — best value city cruiser
The Pixar C1 Pro at €949 is a smart, comfortable city bike with real charm, and it's the one we're proudest to carry. Inner City Scooters is the official and only Pixar stockist in Ireland, which means a genuine bike, a real warranty, and servicing you can call in to us for here in Dublin, rather than a grey-market gamble with nobody to ring when something needs looking at. Big 28-inch wheels, a 250W pedelec motor with up to 65 km of range, front suspension, hydraulic brakes and a front basket and rear rack as standard make it a lovely, easygoing everyday ride. You can see the full range on our Pixar electric bikes collection.
Pixar M9 — best for character and comfort
The Pixar M9 (€1,049) is the head-turner of the group, a moped-styled fat bike with a proper saddle, footrests, rear suspension, indicators and a claimed range of up to 130 km. Again, we're the official and only Pixar stockist in Ireland, so you get the genuine article with a warranty and Dublin servicing behind it. A quick note on power: the M9 is a livelier machine than the slim city pedelecs, so on public roads it should be ridden in its road-legal pedal-assist setting, with the full beans saved for private land. If you're unsure what that means for how you plan to use it, just ask the team and we'll set you right before you buy.
Engwe L20 Boost — best step-through commuter
If you want an easy, dignified commute with no leg-swinging over a high crossbar, the Engwe L20 Boost (€1,299) is the one. It's a low step-through fat-tyre e-bike with a proper 250W pedelec motor and torque sensor, so it's fully road-legal like a bicycle and Bike to Work eligible. The clever party trick is the 75 Nm Power Boost button, a temporary surge of torque for pulling away at the lights or getting up a steep hill without breaking a sweat. Add a removable 48V battery good for up to 126 km, front suspension, Shimano 7-speed gears and a full commute kit of basket, rack, fenders and lights, and you've a genuinely comfortable, do-it-all city bike.
Engwe EP-2 Pro — best folding fat-tyre all-rounder
The Engwe EP-2 Pro (€1,349) is the do-everything folder: chunky 20-inch fat tyres for broken tarmac and towpaths, a lockable front suspension fork, and a frame, bars and pedals that all fold down for the boot or the hall. Ridden in its road-legal pedal-assist mode it behaves like a bicycle and cuts off at 25 km/h, and it's Bike to Work eligible, while a removable 48V battery is rated for up to 120 km. It's a more powerful machine that can be unlocked for higher speeds on private land, so we'll always set it up correctly and explain where you stand before you ride away. A brilliant shout if your week mixes city streets with rougher weekend spins.
Engwe Engine X — best compact folding fat bike
The Engwe Engine X (€1,379) is the sensible, fully road-legal folder of the bunch. It runs a genuine 250W EU-compliant motor, pedal-assist only, cutting off at 25 km/h, so it's treated exactly like a bicycle on Irish roads and needs no tax, insurance or licence. You still get the comfort you'd want: 20-inch fat tyres, dual suspension front and rear, Shimano 7-speed gears and dual disc brakes, plus a removable 48V battery rated up to 120 km. And it folds down small, to roughly 81 by 38 by 76 cm, so it slips into a car boot or a flat with ease. If you want fat-bike comfort without a single worry about the rules, this is your bike.
Engwe M20 26Ah — best for serious range
For the rider who wants big, confident range and real presence, the Engwe M20 26Ah (€1,399) is hard to beat. Its trick is the dual 48V 26Ah battery setup, which Engwe rates for a genuinely enormous range of up to around 150 km, so you could go a fortnight of commuting between charges. Fat 20-inch tyres, dual suspension and a comfy saddle keep the long rides easy on the body. It's one of the more powerful models we carry, so the rule is the same as the M9: ride it in its road-legal pedal-assist setting on public roads and save the full power for private land. Come and have a chat and we'll set it up right for how and where you ride.
Engwe Engine Pro 2.0 — best full-suspension folder
Right at the top of the e-bike allowance, the Engwe Engine Pro 2.0 (€1,499) is a full-suspension folding fat bike that eats up bumps and still folds away when you're done. Adjustable front suspension, dual rear shocks, Shimano Altus 8-speed gears and hydraulic disc brakes make it the plush, go-anywhere option for riders who want maximum comfort. Like the M20, it's a more powerful model, so keep it in its road-legal pedal-assist mode on public roads and enjoy the full power on private land. It sits bang on the €1,500 limit, so it's fully covered by the scheme with nothing to pay up front. You can browse the whole Engwe range on our Engwe electric bikes collection.
A quick, honest word on the law
It's worth being clear, because it matters. An e-bike with a motor up to 250W and pedal-assist that cuts off at 25 km/h meets the EU pedelec standard and is treated just like an ordinary bicycle here: no tax, no insurance, no licence. The Pixar C1 Pro, Engwe L20 Boost and Engwe Engine X are all genuine 250W pedelecs and sit neatly in that camp.
The livelier fat-tyre models, the Engwe EP-2 Pro, Pixar M9, Engwe M20 26Ah and Engwe Engine Pro 2.0, can do more than that, so they aren't blanket road-legal pedelecs in full-power mode. On public roads they should be ridden in their road-legal pedal-assist setting, with full power kept for private land. It's nothing to be nervous about, we'll happily talk you through exactly what suits your situation. Better a two-minute chat now than a surprise later.
Paying the balance, warranty and where to find us
If the bike you fancy is a touch over your allowance, or your workplace doesn't run the scheme, there are still handy ways to spread the cost. We offer Humm and Klarna instalments, so you can pay over time rather than all at once. Every bike we sell comes with a one-year limited warranty, and because we're a real shop with real mechanics, you've somewhere local to bring it if it ever needs a look.
You'll find us at Fashion City, Ballymount, Dublin, and we deliver right across Ireland if you can't make it in. Call in for a spin, have a chat, and we'll help you match the bike, the scheme and your budget without any pressure. If you'd like to keep browsing first, have a look through all our electric bikes or the Bike to Work eligible range, and remember: if it's a Pixar you're after, we're the only place in the country to get a genuine one, warranty and all.
Have a think about which rider on that shortlist sounds most like you, run the numbers on our savings calculator, and come talk to us. There's no better time to let the taxman help pay for your next bike.
