JohnB ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
saying :

But then the last cycle I bought contributed around five times
more in tax to the country's coffers than most people pay in VED
:-(

Eh? You spent FIVE AND A HALF GRAND ON A BICYCLE?

Nope.

puzzled
But you said you did.

Nope.

The VAT on a £5,500 bicycle would be £819, which is (slightly under)
five times the £165 VED.

My word. You have a calculator.

Good job one of us has.

And isn't £165 the top end of the scale? Is that the average paid?

You said "most people pay", not average - and I would lay odds that "most"
VED are top-whack - certainly I would think that "most cars" are larger
than 1549cc - although that may have skewed since the introduction of the
CO2-based VED.