While the UK trails behind its European counterparts* in embracing the electric bike, at Paul’s Cycles we have seen e-bikes continuing to thrive.
As the eco-friendly e-bike continues to be a key player in the global movement to reduce car dependency, the UK is not playing game. While electric bike sales are reportedly on a downward trend* in the UK, we’re seeing a different picture. At Paul’s Cycles, we have seen a surprising surge in demand for electric bikes, harnessing a growing buzz around e-bikes in their potential to reshape green urban mobility.
In the last three months, our electric bike sales have risen by 25% – emerging as a sign of progress in the market. And, it’s just about to hit its stride in 2024, widely dubbed as “the year of the e-bike”.
Managing Director at Paul’s Cycles, Tom Thornley, thinks the cost of living crisis has a hand to play in significantly influencing buyer decisions. The recent sales growth has primarily been driven by our strategy to focus on good offers: “We pride ourselves on our ability to curate the best value deals for our customers, hand-picking quality brands and models that we can offer at competitive prices.” says Thornley.
Despite colder weather in the last three months, interest in electric mountain bikes shot up by 74% at Paul’s Cycles compared to the previous quarter. Thorney says: “E-MTBs give riders the confidence to go further and explore new places, knowing that they have that added assistance to get back home. It could be said that this has made MTBing more accessible and inclusive for broader ages, health and fitness levels. Whilst the increasing sight of electric MTBs at your local trails, means more riders are naturally becoming all the more curious!”
“Historically MTBing has a higher popularity over other disciplines making the increase in e-MTBing over other e-categories a natural one. Anecdotally, we’ve seen a decrease in road cycling in recent years which may have seen riders seek out off-road over tarmac. As per recent studies we’ve conducted, this has been relative to riders feeling increasingly unsafe riding on Britain’s roads.”
Building on this success, we are already making moves with new brands penned for our range in 2024. Thornley says: “Our interest is in offering well-considered selections from leading cycling brands with a great range of new electric options that will be sure to bolster Paul’s Cycles offering.”
Pushed by increased environmental awareness and tech advancements in battery and motor efficiency as well as weight, the future of electric bikes continues to be bright. A practical choice for navigating cities and short commutes, e-bikes also offer fitness benefits for consumers increasingly conscious about health and lifestyle choices. Government policies are supportive of developing cycling infrastructure – with e-bike sharing schemes in regular use nationwide. As the market continues to diversify, the e-bike market is poised for sustained growth in this country, and we aim to be at the forefront of this sustainable shift.
Sources:
*https://www.cyclingelectric.com/in-depth/european-electric-bike-sales-overtake-bicycle-sales
**https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/bike-sales-hit-new-historic-low-as-cost-of-living-crisis-bites
