Electric bike sales increase in SA as commuters and families climb aboard

Could you ditch your gas-guzzling car for a clean, green way to get to school or work? Commuters are finding a new way to get around, and it’s increasingly popular.

Electric bike sales are surging as more people switch from polluting cars to battery-assisted pedal power for the school run and commute, retailers say.

National retail chain 99 Bikes says e-bike sales in SA have increased 92 per cent over the past two years.

“E-commuter bikes are currently the most popular category of e-bikes, followed by e-MTB (electric mountain bikes),” a spokesman said.

Most owners, 75 per cent, are over 45. More than half, 53 per cent, are commuters who used to travel by car before their e-bike purchase.

Will Rischbieth founded Will Ride E-bike Specialists at Stirling four years ago, then upgraded to larger premises with more staff on Glen Osmond Rd, Glenunga two years ago.

He has seen the biggest growth in e-mountain bikes “because people are wanting to get out and enjoy nature” but the commuter and cargo categories are “just starting to really take off now”.

“Sales and service revenue has tripled in the last two years,” he said.

“We have gone from employing four full-time staff to 10 full-time staff and we are still growing, looking for two more staff. “

Scott Pearce with a folding electric bicycle at Victoria Park. Picture: Matt Loxton

Will Ride has more than 50 e-bikes in their showroom and 20 test e-bikes for hire.

“We have many customers who have now travelled over 20,000km on their e-bikes,” Mr Rischbieth said. “Some commit to the commute rain, hail or shine from the Adelaide Hills to the city, and others are choosing to ride in once or twice a week.”

Electric Bikes Superstore Adelaide owner Scott Pearce opened a second store in Brighton, six times the size of the original shop at Kensington Park, in response to growing demand, which accelerated during Covid.

“Covid has put e-bikes in the spotlight but I think it’s a global trend and Australia is so far behind,” he said

“Covid has allowed us to play catch-up to some degree but we are still so far behind the eight-ball when it comes to the uptake of electric bikes as a form of community transport. I think infrastructure unfortunately is the biggest killer for that.”

The van Eyk family loves their e-bikes. Mother Andrea, father Philip, with Eleanor, 5 and Peter, 9, use two electric cargo bikes to get the kids to school in Colonel Light Gardens. Picture: Emma Brasier

Keen to reduce transport emissions, Andrea van Eyk of Colonel Light Gardens considered buying an electric car, but decided they were “still a little too expensive”. Then she discovered e-cargo bikes.

“These were certainly not cheap bikes, however with their ability to carry the kids and us and ‘all of the things’ easily every day, we were able to transition to a one-car family, instantly saving us thousands of dollars each year in parking, rego, insurance, fuel and servicing,” she said.

Originally published as Electric bike sales increase in SA as commuters and families climb aboard