FEATURE THE RISE OF E-MTB
Rebecca Morley takes a look at the mountain bike sector, the benefi ts of riding electric, and what’s behind the rise in popularity
ycling of any discipline and its benefits are well known across the cycling and micromobility industries, particularly as we move towards more sustainable forms of transport and a healthier form of living. And one area that seems to be growing in the UK is mountain biking.
C According to figures from the Bicycle Association (BA)
in January 2023, total UK mechanical bike volumes fell 22% to an estimated 1.88 million units in 2022, 27% below pre- Covid levels in 2019, but gravel bikes were a rare stand-out performer, with volumes up 8% in 2022 versus 2021. And even though e-bikes have reportedly been more stable, overall volumes have plateaued since 2020. This is in contrast to much of the rest of Europe, where, according to 2022 sales statistics reported by national European industry organisations, e-bike sales volumes increased by double digits last year, replacing demand for mechanical bicycles. Market research firm Mintel does however predict a return to faster growth in the market from 2024 onwards.
www.bikebiz.com
“E-bike growth in Europe continues unabated,” Andrew
Lally, digital marketing manager at Cycle Revolution told BikeBiz. “This is a direct result of two very important factors that the UK seems to have difficulty in addressing: infrastructure and culture.
“If you compound this with seemingly endless waves of political uncertainty and the recent cost of living crisis it’s not really much of a surprise that although Europe’s figures are in double digits we’re struggling to keep up.” But one area of cycling that seems to be growing in the UK is MTBs and e-MTBs, the latter presenting an opportunity of opening up the sport to a wider demographic of riders. To quote mountain bike commentator Rob Warner: “Electric mountain bikes represent the most significant thing to happen to mountain biking since mountain biking”.
Sweetheart sport Speaking to BikeBiz, Adam Browne, director of Advanced Bikes UK, said: “Mountain and e-mountain are bucking the trend and experiencing substantial growth (along with the whole
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