Charged up: Bend bike shops seeing demand spike for electric bikes

'Just this month, we’ve sold so many bikes -- it’s crazy'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Electric bikes are a hot product in Bend, as more people experience the outdoors with an assist to their pedal power.

Eric Power, the owner of Bend Velo bike shop, said Tuesday the demand for electric bikes at his store has doubled within the last year.

Power says he believes it's due to people being outside more during the pandemic, and also trying to be eco-friendlier around the city.

“An e-bike can really assist in that, because you don’t necessarily arrive to work all sweaty and tired," Power said. "You’re fresh, you got to ride in and again, you’re helping out the environment by not driving a car.”.

Ryan Ray, general manager of Pedego Electric Bikes in Bend, says electric bikes allow almost anyone to be active and enjoy bike riding in a way they maybe couldn’t any more.

“We find that we have a ton of customers who either have mobility issues, cant really keep up with the bike riding they used to do in the past, and they just really enjoy having an e-bike to gain that flexibility again,” Ray said.

That’s something Powers agrees with as well.  

“It just makes the whole experience a little easier, but you’re still getting plenty of exercise," Power said.

Ray says his electric bike business has tripled during the pandemic. He feels grateful to see his business thrive, at a time where others are not.

“I mean, just this month we’ve sold so many bikes -- it’s crazy,” Ray said.

Both businesses believe that demand for electric bikes will keep rising, as the quality of the bikes has gone up and the cost is getting more affordable.