For work, walks or shopping, cycling has experienced an undeniable boom since the start of the pandemic. Riding the wave, its electric-assisted version (VAE) sold like hot cakes. Fast and allowing the user to swallow the kilometers without too much effort, this mode of active transport convinces its followers to abandon their car every day.
“We still have some in stock, but we must not be careful about the colors and sizes of the bikes, let’s say,” laughs Robert Guimond, owner of the Quantum bike store, located a few steps from the canal bike path. from Lachine, in Montreal.
2020 is an “exceptional” year for pedelecs, says one who has specialized in the sale and manufacture of this type of bicycle for more than 20 years. Until a few months ago, he could not have predicted that the pandemic would have the effect of boosting sales.
“We could see that the electric bicycle was a little more popular every year. But there, in a few months, we experienced the growth that we would have had in three or four years. It’s impressive ! “
The same goes for E2 Sport, another essential pedelec in the city. Customers follow one another in the store on rue Notre-Dame. “There are some very popular models that are no longer in stock, we had to recommend some quickly,” said the manager, Nicolas Régis Lupien, taking advantage of a lull in the store to answer questions from Duty.
Several stores were thus taken by surprise this year, not expecting to see their products go so quickly. Even online, sales have exploded. “Our turnover has increased by 50% this year. Usually, 200 to 300 bikes are delivered per month; since this spring, it has been double, ”indicates Benoît Dumont, president of the company Téo Vélo, which also specializes in the sale of pedelecs, but only on the Internet.
In his eyes, this is not just a “pandemic effect” and this trend is here to stay. The more of these bikes on the trail, the more people will want to get hold of them, he believes.
It’s expensive a car, to buy, then [il y a] maintenance costs. It’s bad for the environment too.
For his part, Jeremie Tessier paid the price for this growing popularity. His research on the Internet was long and complicated: when the bike of his choice was not out of stock, it was the size that was the problem or the delivery. He finally received his bike in early July.
” I love it ! I can drive dozens of kilometers without feeling too out of breath. I can carry lots of things, I do my grocery shopping with it. And above all, I’m happy to have regained a taste for cycling, ”he confides.
The 38-year-old rode a lot of traditional biking until just a year ago. He used to travel on his two-wheeler the 20 kilometers that separate his house in Anjou from his job in the city center. But the heart surgery he underwent last fall – installing a defibrillator – was a game-changer.
“A traditional bicycle is good, but when your health is average and you are doing a job physical, reality catches up with you. In the evening, there is a lack of energy to cycle home, ”he says.
Back on public transport, his journey was extended by 15 minutes morning and evening. And when the pandemic hit Quebec in March, he had to think of a plan B. “Taking the bus and risking catching the virus when you have heart disease is playing with fire. COVID-19 was the kick I needed to buy an electric bike. “
Replace the car
Jeremie Tessier especially wanted to avoid buying a second car. He and his wife already have one, but use it as little as possible.
“A car is expensive, when you buy it, then [il y a] maintenance costs. It’s bad for the environment too. We really wanted to avoid making this choice, ”he explains.
Ghislain Lejeune has also dropped his car since moving with an eBike. This La Prairie resident who took his car every day to work in downtown Montreal said he had become “allergic to traffic” over the years. He therefore opted for a VAE in 2016.
“Even when it’s windy, when it’s snowing, I take it. It gives that little extra help you need to easily cover longer distances without getting discouraged. I’m over 50, I wouldn’t have done it every day with a traditional bike, ”he notes. He intends to get rid of his car soon: his son is already using it and plans to buy it back soon.
For Stéphane Le Doujet, the purchase of an VAE last April allowed him to keep a job during the pandemic. Employee in a restaurant that closed during the health crisis – and which has still not reopened to this day – he decided to deliver for Uber Eats full time.
“There was a lot of demand, but I wasn’t able to ride a traditional bike all day, every day of the week. It’s a lot of effort, your legs break at one point. It was out of the question to buy a car, so I took an electric bike, ”said the 34-year-old.
This means of transport allows him to travel greater distances, faster, and for a longer period. “I’m doing an easy 35 hour week on my bike now. I even use it outside of work. When you’ve tried it, it’s hard to stop. “
“This is really the biggest advantage: it allows you to go further and stay longer on your bike without difficulty”, adds the president of Vélo Québec, Suzanne Lareau. She sees it as a way to convince new followers and thus to grow the cycling community, while reducing the number of cars on the roads.
Change of mentalities
In a few years, Mme Lareau was able to see how the products on the market have diversified. There are now city, road or even mountain bikes with electric assistance. They are also lighter and cheaper. “These are still the two obstacles to buying an eBike,” she notes. But the more demand there is, the more attractive companies will make them. “
Mme Lareau also sees a change in mentality vis-à-vis the VAE which will make it even more popular. Long perceived as a bicycle reserved for older people, those in poor health or even the “lazy”, the VAE now attracts the youngest in search of active transport that can take them further.
An opinion shared by Robert Guimond of the Quantum store, who claims to see increasingly younger customers. “This negative vision is melting like snow in the sun. People see it as efficient and faster active transportation to get to work without breaking a sweat. It’s going to become a fad, but a fad here for good. “
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