Bike riders are opting for a little electrical help to ease the strain on their muscles. (© Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller)
Unusually warm and dry weather conditions have been credited with boosting bicycle sales last year – with a greater proportion of cyclists opting to ease muscle strain with the assistance of e-bikes in Switzerland’s mountainous terrain.
On Tuesday, the cycling enthusiasts group dynaMot added more detailexternal link to figures put out by the Swiss Bicycle Suppliers Associationexternal link in March. DynaMot’s annual report on bike sales concurred that the number of e-bike sales soared by 28% last year, compared to a rise of 2.7% for all categories of bicycle.
Some 110,000 e-bikes were sold in Switzerland last year – the first time sales have exceeded 100,000 units.
Financial figures for bicycle vendors were even more impressive as Swiss cyclists tended to opt for more expensive electronic models. E-bike sales were therefore 40% higher as total bike revenues reached CHF1.77 billion ($1.76 billion).
The average cost of an e-bike (CHF3,500 or $3,472) weighs in three times higher than conventional bicycles. This makes the e-bike craze a welcome lucrative development for bicycle vendors.
The biggest growth of all was witnessed in the mountain e-bike category, with sales increasing by more than 50% last year. This confirms the trend of riders seeking a little help from electric motors.
The figures may also partly explain why there were more e-bike accidents last year. Some 309 e-bike riders were seriously injured, an increase of 38%, while 12 fatalities were recorded – up from 5 in 2017.
