Cycling to work: How to make it structurally attractive

What if your employees could earn over €85 net extra every month by simply leaving the car at home? Many employers already have this option through the cycling allowance, but fail to communicate it. By actively promoting this benefit, you show you're investing not just in sustainability, but in your team's wallet and wellbeing.

Pillar 2 is broader than you think

Most employers know a bike fits in the mobility budget. But Pillar 2 goes much further. Employees can also use that budget for housing costs: rent or mortgage payments if they live within a 10 km radius of their workplace. That's often the first thing people think of, and rightly so: it can cover a significant chunk of monthly expenses.

On top of that, Pillar 2 includes sustainable mobility options: buying, renting, or leasing all kinds of bikes, from a regular city bike, mountain bike, and cargo bike to an e-bike and speed pedelec, including maintenance, repairs, and protective gear like helmets, gloves, reflective clothing, and lights. A train subscription also falls under Pillar 2, for those days when the distance is too far or the weather isn't cooperating.

Explain this full picture to employees and you immediately remove the most common practical objections.

Bike leasing: removing the purchase barrier

A quality e-bike easily costs over €2,500. Paying that upfront is a barrier for many employees. Joule, our bike partner and specialist in bike leasing, removes that hurdle.

With an average lease amount of €160.93 per month, via salary exchange or the mobility budget, employees more often choose a quality electric bike that actually makes their commute comfortable.

"Through bike leasing, employees get access to higher-quality models, like speed pedelecs for longer distances, with tax benefits that make a more expensive bike affordable." - Laurens Verbeke, Co-founder & CMO at Joule

Today, only 5 to 10% of bike plans run through the mobility budget. The rest goes via salary exchange. For companies already offering a mobility budget, that's a missed opportunity to optimise even further on tax efficiency.

The cycling allowance: mandatory, but rarely used as an asset

The cycling allowance is mandatory in the private sector, yet rarely used as a motivator. In 2026, the maximum tax-free allowance is €0.37 per kilometer.

Do the maths: an employee living 10 km from work who cycles three days a week earns over €85 net extra per month. Use concrete calculations in your internal communications. Once employees see what it means for them personally, the bike shifts from an option to a deliberate choice.

"Employees often don't know how much they can earn each month by getting on a bike. Once they realise, the bike goes from an extra option to a real motivator." - Laurens Verbeke, Co-founder & CMO at Joule

Companies that actively communicate the cycling allowance see it in the numbers too. Higher adoption, more employees actually cycling. That's not just because of the financial incentive. Joule works with those companies on concrete rollouts: test rides, targeted campaigns, a clear introduction at the start of the year. That's how a bike plan comes alive within an organisation.

Leasing and allowance: two things that reinforce each other

Legally, they're two separate instruments. In practice, they amplify each other. A good lease bike makes the car stay parked more often. Leasing gets someone on the bike. The allowance rewards every kilometre that follows.

"Bike leasing lowers the barrier to actually start cycling. Even without leasing, someone can still be entitled to a cycling allowance." - Laurens Verbeke, Co-founder & CMO at Joule

No more admin chaos

The biggest hurdle for HR is often the processing. Tracking rides, checking budgets, getting everything into payroll without errors, it eats up hours.

With Mbrella, you automate this entirely. Employees log their rides via the app, allowances and Pillar 2 expenses are calculated automatically and flow straight to your social secretariat. No spreadsheets. No manual checks after the fact.

Want to know how to set this up? Check our guides or request a demo

This article was written in collaboration with Joule, our bike leasing partner.