Toowoomba residents embrace e-bikes during COVID-19
MORE Toowoomba residents are ditching their cars for e-bikes, with shops reporting a big jump in sales of bicycles with electric motors.
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MORE Toowoomba residents are ditching their cars for e-bikes, with shops reporting a big jump in sales of bicycles with electric motors.
Bikeline Toowoomba owner Marcel Govers said he moved a few e-bikes a week, and the numbers had only increased during the COVID-19 period.
"If you don't have the fitness to go and ride in Toowoomba, where we've got so many hills, the e-bike can basically help take out those hills," he said.
"We're seeing so many people make that transition from not cycling at all to riding an e-bike.
"I've spoken to many people who are getting rid of a car and getting an e-bike.
"We've sold a few e-bikes every week - it's a big part of our sales.
"It's battery-operated, so you charge them at home and they run for 60-70km.
"It's a heavy bike, but it's got that motor to take away that weight."
Mr Govers said he would like to see governments invest more into cycling infrastructure to meet growing interest in the activity.
"The infrastructure is not necessarily always there for people to have that comfort to get on a bike and cycle to work or school," he said.
"With COVID, we're seeing a lot of people taking up cycling, and that's a good jump.
"A lot of cities worldwide are taking that opportunity to also invest in their infrastructure, but I'm not seeing that too much here.
"I'm hoping we take this opportunity to also invest in that infrastructure, even something as simple as painting a line on a road."
Jonny Sprockets Bike Shop head technician Damien Neylon said more people were taking up e-bikes for mountain biking, particularly with the more expensive models.
We probably are about 50-50 between traditional and e-bikes in the way of high-range models," he said.
"We're getting people who generally wouldn't want to get into mountain biking.
"What we've noticed is a lot more people are keen to get into it, and we're getting more people into the mountain biking club.
"I've been riding them for three years now, and I won't go back, because there so much fun."
While e-bikes can go into the thousands, you can get entry level bikes for less than $900.