Chris Froome divides opinion with topic even MORE controversial than disc brakes — shows off his new "trendsetter" Crocs; Reaction to bike shops urging MPs for changes to Cycle to Work scheme + more on the live blog

And we thought disc vs rim brakes was a big debate... whether Crocs are fashionable and whether they're suitable footwear for grown adults might just be even bigger...

Grand Tour winner ☑️
Olympic medalist ☑️
Fashion trendsetter ❔❕

If you see the 2024 peloton wearing @Crocs in the coming months, we’ll know @chrisfroome started the craze 😉#YallaIPTpic.twitter.com/TfHwUyo4FG

— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) January 25, 2024

Exhibit A:

As a person living with someone who got a pair for Christmas too I'm going to have to watch what I say here. The durable quirky-looking footwear has exploded in recent years, Crocs growing to a multi-billion dollar company and their squidgy shoes being seen on the feet of celebrities around the world. And I've got to admit, even as a sceptic, they do feel good...

Time for some more Croc praise (plus Luke asking the important questions)...

Although Mr Froome might be a tad disappointed to hear he's been stripped of that fourth yellow jersey due to an anti-fashion violation.

Rapha, Palace and EF Education-EasyPost also might have something to say about the "trendsetter" tag. You might remember that trio collaborating during the 2022 Tour de France, producing an eye-catching switch-out kit for the race (and a range of products including EF-branded Crocs)...

And a trip down memory lane and into the comments section on our story on that tells you all you need to know about the divided public opinion on Crocs (don't tell Joey Barton, GB News and Laurence Fox, we really don't have the energy for Crocs to become a new culture-warring frontier or anything more than a bit of light-hearted Friday live blog fun)...

Exhibit C:

"Crocs on an adult are just code for 'Yes, I have given up; thank you for asking!'"

"£35 for a pair of flipflops? I'll just stick to my local flipflop dealer that sells a few pairs at £5 each."

"The only people who don't like Crocs are people who've not worn Crocs (that's a science fact)."

"No, I won't be wearing the Crocs, as I am an adult."

"I actually want a pair of the Crocs. Shoot me now."

The marmite of footwear. You can leave your disc rotor ranting in 2023, Chris...

> Orange Bikes put up for sale and deemed "unable to continue trading" by administrators

> "Cycle to work schemes are sucking the lifeblood out of cycle shops": Bike shops tell Parliamentary Committee of "need for urgent systemic change" to Cycle to Work scheme

Plenty of reaction to the Association of Cycle Traders, on behalf of more than 500 bike shops, and senior representatives from Balfe's Bikes and JE James, meeting with MPs to urge changes to the Cycle to Work scheme. With comments about it being too complicated, excluding many people (some of whom would benefit most from such a scheme), that manufacturers should contribute to fees, unequal distribution of costs and fees, plus many more concerns...

But what do you think? Have you bought a bike through the scheme? Any problems? Do you work in a bike shop? Is it, as Mark James of JE James suggested, "sucking the lifeblood out of cycle shops"?

boxrick: "The big issue with Cyclescheme [a provider of the Cycle to Work scheme] is that it is confusing and benefits highest earners. Whilst it is great if you are in the position to benefit from it and can navigate the pains. It doesn't make much sense from a fairness point of view."

zweiblumen: "The Cycle to Work scheme is not now and never has been fit for purpose. I've bought probably half a dozen bikes while working for employers that operate the scheme and never once considered using it. So I pay for a bike out of my pre-tax salary and at the end of the contract I don't own the bike, and if I want to keep it I must pay the 'market rate' for the used bike that I've ridden from new? Erm, no thanks! The fact that the retailers are also suffering under the schemes is no surprise at all."

super_davo: "I've used the scheme loads of times and helped lots of others use the scheme and you're painting a horror story that doesn't exist in practice. You apply for a voucher and you get deductions from your gross salary over a year to pay for that voucher. This can be a very useful way to lower your salary if you're in one of the very high marginal rates (e.g I've used it to dip under high income child benefit charge).

"At the end of the period you either have to pay "a fair market value" charge to your employer which is c25 per cent of the price (i.e. less than the tax+NI in the first place) or you tick a box 'to extend hire' for 4 years and pay nothing. Whilst technically you do not own the bike either during the initial hire or extended period, I have never heard of any company ever asking for the bike back. If you don't trust your employer and think they might you probably should be looking for an new one.

"If you leave during the initial hire period then you have to pay the amount net out of your severance. If you leave during the extended period you don't pay anything. The scheme is far from perfect though. It clearly royally screws the retailers. It benefits high earners the most, whilst locking out the poorest that could benefit from it the most due to minimum wage boundaries. It hasn't been updated in 15+ years so it's now a mess of fudge over fudge like 'extended hire periods' and use of consumer credit licences to keep pace with the price of bikes.

"The very fact that so many companies have sprung up to run the admin is proof in itself of that."

Or those on low income. The ctws only benefits the more wealthy who can often afford the bikes anyway. Who uses a £10k to commute?

— Darren (@darrenvs650) January 26, 2024

Get rid of cycle to work & remove VAT on bikes etc. Not every employer offers such a scheme & there are those who are retired, unemployed or on benefits who may want to cycle. The health benefits of cycling should be seen as zero rated under health care.

— Nicola James🚜 (@nljames62) January 25, 2024