BEBA team up with Cytech and ACT

[Wisper Bikes]

Some great news for the industry!

Cytech teams up with BEBA for e-bike training | Bicycle business | News by BikeBiz

Best regards

David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

BEBA Press Release

British Electric Bicycle Association teams up with Cytech to deliver accredited Electric Bicycle Maintenance Training

London, 30th March 2010

As electric bicycles continue to represent a significant business opportunity for both independent and multiple bicycle retailers, BEBA and Cytech have teamed up to develop accredited electric bicycle maintenance training for cycle mechanics and bike technicians.

E‐bikes are surging in popularity with urbanites and regular cyclists. The added boost of an electric motor breaks down barriers to cycle use, making cycling more appealing and accessible to a much broader customer base. Electric Bicycle owners cycle much further than conventional bike owners, 821 miles per year compared with 123 miles per year.

With excellent value‐for‐money entry‐level e‐bike models through to the highest specification e‐touring and e‐sports bikes for the enthusiast, there really is an e‐bike to suit any life‐style, fitness level and pocket. As the choice of models and specifications continues to grow, retailers’ ability to provide their customers with knowledgeable e‐bike after‐sales‐ service and technical support becomes increasingly important.

‘One of BEBA’s roles is to create industry standards and service levels’, explains BEBA Chairman David Miall. ‘Teaming up with Cytech, the bicycle industry’s only accredited training scheme was the obvious solution to develop and deliver specialist accredited training for electric bicycles.’

ACT recognises the huge potential that the electric bicycle market offers the specialist retail cycle trade. Retailer education and training is the first step in realising the potential for sales and servicing of electric bicycles. Cytech is taking the leading initiative in partnership with BEBA to ensure that the retail sector benefits from this significant commercial opportunity.

Over the coming months, BEBA will be working with Cytech to integrate electric bicycles into the established Cytech technical training programme and develop an electric bicycle specific module, available within Cytech Three or as a standalone course. The Cytech Electric Bicycle maintenance and technical training will be available to BEBA members, cycle shop employees and members of the public through authorised Cytech Training Providers.

 

[Straylight]

Excellent news - nice one .

 

[flecc]

Ditto, excellent news indeed, and further evidence of the value of such an organisation as BEBA.
.

 

[Alex728]

will a list of participating shops be published?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Participating Shops

Hi Alex

Yes, BEBA, ACT and the new Electric Bike Magazine will be publicising lists of BEBA accredited shops and suppliers along with all shops that have an employee who hold the Cytech electric bike mechanic qualification.

BEBA will have a permanent link soon on Pedelecs. Potential buyers with then be able check out who are members of BEBA and therefore have agreed to work to the BEBA code of practice. The link will also be a portal to our membership application page so suppliers and retailers to join in.

All the best

David

 

[flecc]

It gets better by the minute David. Congratulations to all of you involved on such rapid and professional progress, starting from nowhere.
.

 

[Morag]

Excellent news.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

It gets better by the minute David. Congratulations to all of you involved on such rapid and professional progress, starting from nowhere.
.

Thanks Tony!

It has been a lot of hard work, and with Wisper growing at such an alarming rate it has been tricky splitting my time. The set up has taken longer than we all imagined but we seem to be on the road now.

I appreciate you support.

Best regards

David

 

[Dynamic Position]

British Electric Bicycle Association teams up with Cytech to deliver accredited Electric Bicycle Maintenance Training

Electric Bicycle owners cycle much further than conventional bike owners, 821 miles per year compared with 123 miles per year.

Where does this information come from David?

I averaged at least 1600 miles per year on my conventional Raleigh and on the ebike I'm probably only going to cover 1000 miles. Mind you the snow and ice has not helped. The snow has returned!

Can you keep us posted on the accredited Electric Bicycle Maintenance Training?

 

[themutiny]

"Electric Bicycle owners cycle much further than conventional bike owners, 821 miles per year compared with 123 miles per year"

Interesting statistic. Whilst I don't dispute the ratio, I am somewhat surprised by the figures. I'm only a leisure cyclist, but I do many more miles than that on both my unpowered and powered bikes. At least four times as many (can't be entirely sure, due to a depressing combination of stolen bike computers, problems with the non stolen ones, stolen bikes, duff batteries, etc etc).

What type of average is this, I'm guessing mean. I think median might give higher figures, depending on the sample size ?

 

[Mussels]

"Electric Bicycle owners cycle much further than conventional bike owners, 821 miles per year compared with 123 miles per year"

Interesting statistic. Whilst I don't dispute the ratio, I am somewhat surprised by the figures. I'm only a leisure cyclist, but I do many more miles than that on both my unpowered and powered bikes. At least four times as many (can't be entirely sure, due to a depressing combination of stolen bike computers, problems with the non stolen ones, stolen bikes, duff batteries, etc etc).

What type of average is this, I'm guessing mean. I think median might give higher figures, depending on the sample size ?

Which average is it, my guess is:
The Median average unpowered rider will travel maybe 15,000 miles in a year.
The modal average rider will travel zero miles in a year as his bike is in a shed gathering dust.
The mean average rider will only manage 123 miles because so many of them are unused.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Where does this information come from David?

I averaged at least 1600 miles per year on my conventional Raleigh and on the ebike I'm probably only going to cover 1000 miles. Mind you the snow and ice has not helped. The snow has returned!

Can you keep us posted on the accredited Electric Bicycle Maintenance Training?

It comes from a Leeds University report, I think it's nonsense too, but we need to publish figures we can verify.

I will certainly keep you posted re Cytech.

All the best

David

 

[eTim]

Good news indeed. Almost makes me want to retrain as a bicycle mechanic. But what are hourly rates? The minimum wage?

 

[Lloyd]

Trust me you don't want to. It is one of the few skilled jobs that is not recognised as a skilled job in terms of pay.

It does mean that the bike mechanic is a special breed of person though, driven by their love of cycling and all things related instead of their wageslip. Well that's the theory.........

 

[dan]

It comes from a Leeds University report, I think it's nonsense too, but we need to publish figures we can verify.

I will certainly keep you posted re Cytech.

All the best

David

the Leeds survey was done around 10 years ago and covered 150 Powabyke owners....Shortly afterwards a follow up survey was done with 606 Powabyke owners responding...This showed an average mileage of those responents to be 1263.4 miles per annum, many other interesting facts came out in that survey....This was in effect a one make survey conducted almost a decade ago, when all powabykes were 40 kilos and were powered by lead acid batteries, at that time Powabyke were the only company selling a large enough volume of bikes that made it possible to do the survey...Hardly relevent to todays market and quite surprising that BEBA should be quoting it in a press release

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Thanks Dan, I will get this sorted out now.

Best regards

David

 

[dan]

Thanks Dan, I will get this sorted out now.

Best regards

David

http://powabyke.se/survey.pdf

this is a link to the main points of the 606 people survey, you probably used the 150 person one that AtoB use on their site.

 

[Alex728]

the Leeds survey was done around 10 years ago and covered 150 Powabyke owners....Shortly afterwards a follow up survey was done with 606 Powabyke owners responding...This showed an average mileage of those responents to be 1263.4 miles per annum, many other interesting facts came out in that survey....This was in effect a one make survey conducted almost a decade ago, when all powabykes were 40 kilos and were powered by lead acid batteries, at that time Powabyke were the only company selling a large enough volume of bikes that made it possible to do the survey...Hardly relevent to todays market and quite surprising that BEBA should be quoting it in a press release

until the recent arrival of the X series your average Powabyke rider was +60 years old and most of them older still! Indeed although Powabyke has a good reputation amongst that demographic is is precisely that brand which has led to people in some regions (ironically those where Powabyke appears to have a strong market presence) viewing e-bikes as machines for the elderly!

 

[Alex728]

Good news indeed. Almost makes me want to retrain as a bicycle mechanic. But what are hourly rates? The minimum wage?

A few years back I was working as a relatively low rank Civil Servant in Reading, and saw an advert for a bike mechanic. Taking this career change (although arguably more value to society) would have meant a £2000 annual salary cut .