Question for the manufacturers

[IR772]

Looking at the new Fat bike Trex is designing for Woosh I started wondering.

What percentage of your ebike sales are never used?

When I say never, perhaps used 3 times or less before they get dispatched to the back of the garage or shed.

Is it as high as 40 or 50% and if so do you design with this in mind.

 

[trex]

they probably have no way of knowing for sure. Those that don't get much used will probably be sold on, so I should think not a high percentage.

 

[RobF]

No maker will ever admit to deliberately designing a bike not to last.

However, I've spoken to people in the trade who reckon the cheapest Halfords bikes were designed on the basis they would be lightly used over a short period of time.

 

[trex]

RobF, I think the OP asks the same question to all manufacturers. Do you think if the bike is expensive, is it more likely or less likely to stay in the shed?

 

[RobF]

It will be less likely because a greater percentage of expensive bikes will be bought by experienced, committed cyclists who know what to expect from a bike.

Seems to me Halfords sell a lot of cheap bikes to people who just 'fancy a bike'.

Nothing wrong with that, but when they get on it and find they can barely cycle up the street due to no bike fitness, the bike goes in the shed and doesn't come out again.

 

[flecc]

Seems to me Halfords sell a lot of cheap bikes to people who just 'fancy a bike'.

And not just Halfords. it's true of the whole UK cycle trade.

For many years bikes and cars sold at the almost identical 2 millions of each every year, but in recent years bikes with 3 millions have outsold cars by around 40 to 50%.

So if the bikes were being used there would be far more bikes than cars on the roads, but clearly that is a very long way from true.

Although a more expensive e-bike is likely to be used more, there's plenty of evidence that many are used very little or only initially, despite being kept for three or more years.

I'd guess in most of those cases it's due to believing them to be "electric bikes" with more capability than they have, rather than actually being "electric assist bikes". The trade is largely to blame for that through not using the assist word.
.

 

[RobF]

I certainly don't blame Halfords, when a customer asks for a bike there's no reason for them to say: "Yes, but you should realise you won't get more than a mile without working at it."

Where Halfords scores for this type of sale is the position of their stores.

They take advantage of those who see a visit to the retail park as a recreational outing, often buying stuff for the sake of it.

 

[Artstu]

My e-bike carries me 4 to 5 times further than my car does most years, if I didn't ride an e-bike I guess the ratio would swap to driving 20 times or more than cycling.

 

[Kudoscycles]

I don't think any supplier would like the thought that his bikes are left unloved in the shed soon after purchase. It must happen but less so with e-bikes,the purchaser often does good research and finds the right e-bike for their purpose,I suspect cheap normal bikes are often bought on impulse and the novelty soon wears off.
I have many customers who had pretty much given up on cycling but their e-bike allows them to select the best bits of cycling and as a result they use the bike more often and go further.
The long climb up a gradient on a normal bike at 4 mph,in a low gear,against head wind and rain nobody could describe as fun,but on ab e-bike in higher gear at 12 mph?
The ride down to the local village in 35 degrees,hot,sweating is that fun?,but whizzing along at twice the speed,the wind keeping the body cool a whole different experience.
E-bikes can make cycling fun and thus it is an experience to look forward to.
KudosDave