"With hindsight, I wouldn’t have started my store six years ago," the owner of a local e-bike shop in the UK recently told me. "But now things are really taking off." He tells me that over the last few months, he’s seen an increased interest from potential customers due to the bikes becoming more affordable, better looking and more practical to own.
In both the US and the UK, we’re also hearing from manufacturers that sales of electric bikes are starting to pick up, and it's the same story in Germany, where e-bikes enjoyed a particularly strong growth of 11.5% in 2015.
In Holland, too, e-bike sales are booming. According to the Dutch industry-association Rai, and reported by Bike Europe, sales grew 24% in 2105 giving e-bikes a massive 28% market share. That growth comes at the expense of city bikes, which saw sales decline, while sales of road and mountain bikes continue to grow.
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In Holland and Germany, it seems that e-bikes are fulfilling a particular role, which is to enable people to cycle further on their daily commute than they might otherwise, and to arrive there sweat-free.
A recent survey by Shimano – which make the Shimano STEPS range of e-bike components – revealed that Brits are attracted to e-bikes for the same reasons. Its survey found that 34% of respondents would choose an electric bike over public transport for their daily commute, saying that not turning up at hot and sweaty was a key reason for choosing a bike with electrical assist.
Taking it off-road
What about e-bikes for leisure? A second survey, also carried out by Shimano, found that 37% of Brits would consider buying an e-bike for leisure purposes. Almost one in four respondents (23%) said that getting less tired during an adventurous ride was the biggest advantage, while 22% appreciate being able to maintain a constant speed, even with a strong wind or climbing a hill.
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