Cycling Visionaries Awards - Project Details

JobRad - the bike commuting concept

We are LeaseRad, an independent ecological company which aims to promote the use of bikes in business life. Our new, innovative commuting transportation concept JobRad allows employees to lease bikes via their employer, enabling them to save up to 40% of the original purchasing price. JobRad makes bikes available independent of the size of the company.

A German trend researcher from our time once said: “The future belongs to the bicycles” (“Dem Fahrrad gehört die Zukunft”), and we couldn´t agree more. Founded in 2008 by Ulrich Prediger, LeaseRad tries to bring that future closer by integrating bicycles into business life, opening up a whole new market of potential bicycles customers.
Three months ago, the company introduced a new business concept, JobRad, offering employees the possibility to lease bicycles, Pedelecs and E-Bikes via their employer and making it attractive due to its many advantages, among which costs advantages.

With our innovative concept we are pioneers in Germany and we play a leading role in the national lobbying to improve the business cycling climate. Thanks to LeaseRad close cooperation with other organisations groups, it is now possible in Germany to get a business bike with tax benefits (the so called 1%-regulation). In the past this regulation was only available for company cars but since the end of 2012 companies can also apply it to bicycles and e-bikes. The 1%-regulation is one of the cornerstones upon which JobRad has been build. We promote the use of a bike for commuter traffic by creating substantial advantages for both employees and employers, acting as a catalyst between companies, employees and bicycle shops.

--- How does JobRad work? ---
The employer enters into an agreement with LeaseRad for JobRad and informs his/her employees about the company’s new offer. Employees who are interested can go to one of the participating bicycle shops (JobRad-Dealer) for personal advice. JobRad is available for all bicycles, Pedelecs or E-Bikes. After signing a contract with their employer, the employees can pick up their dream bicycle at the JobRad-Dealer.

The clue: instead of paying directly in the shop, a small part of the gross monthly wage will be withheld by the employer, which will be used to pay the leasing rate. Consequently, the employee has substantial cost advantages due to the reduction in taxable income.

Everyone benefits: the employees, the employers, the bicycle shop and the environment. And LeaseRad brings everything together.

--- What are the advantages of JobRad? ---
Advantages of employees:
- Cheaper bikes: saving up to 40% compared to direct purchase.
- Every three years the newest bicycle.
- Leasing offers the possibility for the employer to subsidize the bike, making it even more economic for the employee to lease the bike.
- Well insured: cheap and easy.

Advantages of employers:
- Highly motivated employees without additional cost.
- Active contribution to environmental protection, traffic improvement and employees´ health.
- Creates a positive, sustainable and innovative employers image.
- Reduces parking costs.

Advantages of bicycle shop:
- Reaching a new target group, employees, including people who did not cycle before.
- Selling more bicycles.

Advantages for environment: more people using bikes instead of cars!

JobRad has a large market potential. But launching JobRad is only one step in the right direction, a lot more lobbying and promoting has to be done in order to create the real change in the mind-set of people. To let them see the bike as a possible, viable and healthy alternative to traditional commuter traffic. LeaseRad is a German start-up company, currently still very busy with establishing its place on the German market. But we are very motivated to create positive change in the world and we would be proud to participate in Velo-City and help create a bicycle revolution on global level.