Paul's Cycles Dereham selling 25pc more e-mountain bikes

Paul’s Cycles, an independent retailer based in Dereham, said its electric bike sales had increased by a quarter since October, despite predictions they would drop off over the winter months. 

The shop said online interest in electric mountain bikes had also skyrocketed, with 74pc more people visiting that section of its website, plus a 13pc rise in page views for regular electric bikes.

Tom Thornley, managing director of Pauls Cycles ,which has opened a dedicated e-Bike Centre in Dereham (Image: Newsquest)

This recent success is the opposite of what’s being seen in the rest of the country.

UK e-bike sales fell by 12 pc in the past year, with general bicycle sales dropping to a 20-year low, according to the Bicycle Association.

But managing director at Paul’s Cycles, Tom Thornley, said he believes this could be about to change, with electric models starting to become more affordable.

“We are careful to curate the best value deals for our customers, hand-picking quality brands and models that we can offer at competitive prices.

“Historically mountain biking has a higher popularity over other disciplines making the increase in electric mountain biking over other e-categories a natural one. 

Tom Thornley, managing director of Pauls Cycles ,which has opened a dedicated e-Bike Centre in Dereham (Image: Newsquest)

“Anecdotally, we’ve seen a decrease in road cycling in recent years which may have seen riders transition to off-road over tarmac.

“As per recent studies we’ve conducted, this has been relative to riders feeling increasingly unsafe riding on Britain's roads.”

Building on this success, Paul’s Cycles said it was already making moves, with new brands identified for their range in 2024. 

Mr Thornley added: “Our interest is in offering well-considered selections from leading cycling brands with a great range of new electric options that will be sure to bolster our offering.”