MICROMOBILITY
Jon Cooper and Andy Fraser of York Cycleworks with Alan, the shop dog
REVVED UP F
www.bikebiz.com
Rebecca Bland looks at how the growing popularity of e-bikes is changing the face of independent bike shops
or bike shops and distributors across the country, the last few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster.
From an initial sales boom in lockdown to the long wait list for even basic parts, and then the new Brexit duties to deal with, there’s been plenty for bike shops to adapt to in recent times. And now, with the popularity of electric bicycles growing substantially in the last few years, the face of the independent bike shop is likely to look vastly different to pre-2020 as they adapt to a constantly changing industry. York Cycleworks is one such shop, as Jon Cooper discussed the changes the 40-year-old store has seen. “I think over the last couple of years what we’ve seen is a real change in the sort of customers that we get.
“Compared to what we’ve been known for and what we’ve typically done, we now get a whole different demographic in who are looking solely at e-bikes. They are now people who are over 60 who just want to get out and do stuff. “We have sold bikes across the spectrum of e-bikes, but
I’d say for us it’s typically hybrids. We have seen a quite considerable uptake on what we did last year and we’re always talking about them now which is great, because it means that we’re dealing with a wider range of people.” While previously the shop was regarded for its performance road and mountain bike expertise, it’s been welcoming e-bikes with open arms.
It’s a similar tale at the other end of the country for
Dave Mellor Cycles in Shrewsbury. Dave Mellor, co-owner and founder, has seen a real uptake in electric bikes since he began stocking them a few years ago.
October 2022 | 37
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