Bicycle Brands Are Electric About The Future

Electric bikes may not have the same juice as a Vespa, but major bike brands Schwinn, Trek, and Giant, are revving up to roll out new models. These next-generation e-bikes are a little more stylish, lighter, and charged. How cool is riding a bike with an electric sensor that knows when you need a push up a steep hill?

In ten years, the emerging e-bike market has grown from virtually nonexistent into an $11 billion global market, reports the NY Times. Roughly 80 percent of e-bike action resides in China, followed by Europe. Interest is spurring in India and the United States.

Eco-friendly Hero Electric, a division of India’s largest bicycle manufacture, now has seven e-bike models and expects sales to increase from 100,000 units sold in 2009 to 250,000 in 2012. An estimated 20,000 to 25,000 e-bikes were sold in the US last year, says bicycle industry consultant Jay Townley. Held back by the recession and unemployment, overall bike sales are down from 18 million units sold in 2008 to an estimated 12 million in 2009, he says.

But the future looks bright for bicycle brands.

More people are on bike paths and lanes, up from 40 million to 44 million bike riders, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. “Once the US economy gets better, we will hear the hum of e-bikes all over the country,” says Townley.

E-bikes are catching on as product becomes more readily available. Mass retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Sears are peddling lower-end models, while Best Buy is stocking its stores with mid-level e-bikes. Price ranges from $1,500 to $3,000. The optibike, the Ferrari of e-bikes, can cost upwards of $13,000.

E-bikes come in two makes. One is akin to a traditional bike with pedals but has a battery-powered motor attached to assist the bicyclist. The other is a moped-like vehicle that is throttle-driven. Bicyclists can travel no more than 20 miles per hour, which is the federal speed limit. But enthusiasts can boost their e-bikes to have a top speed of 30 mph or more. Anyone looking for bike that excels 50 mph might as well get a motorcycle, says Bert Cebular, owner of New York’s largest electric bike store, NYCeWheels. Since opening its doors in 2001, the business has grown 30 percent to 40 percent per year.

Who’s the fan base? Recreational users – over age 40 crowd – who ride e-bikes for exercise (with a little boost), says Eric Bjorling, brand manager at Trek Bicycle in Wisconsin. The other group is commuters – ages twenty-something and beyond – who use e-bikes to travel to work or lug goods (one can attach a cutesy basket to the handlebars or back bracket).

Bike dealers see it as an uphill battle targeting diehard cyclists who perceive e-bikes as lame or peddle assistance as cheating. But for the family guy, an electric-assisted bike is a nice alternative to gas guzzling cars or crowded public transportation, without the grunting, heavy breathing, or dripping sweat that comes with riding traditional bikes.