Austria joins th e-bike boom

[flecc]

We're used to the idea of e-bikes selling in vast quantities in The Netherlands and Germany, but now Austria has reached almost 20% of all bicycles sold being e-bikes and their e-MTB market is booming as well. KTM there are building a new factory to replace the old one and aim for 2019 sales to be almost double 2017's.

If only we in the UK had 20% bikes sold being e-bikes, that would be half a million new ones hitting the roads every year, instead of more like a tenth of that. Difficult to conceive now that Britain was the leader in creating a consumer market for them back in the 1980s.
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[seosamh1977]

It'll get there, ebikes in shops all over in the last year or so I've seen. Loads of people with them on the cycle forums too.

 

[chris_n]

E-bike hire is a massive thing in Austria. Last year we had a new hire place open in the valley. They started with about 10 mainly Haibikes, this year they have about another 15 new ones. The hire place in the village where I am will not be replacing his mountain bike bike fleet, all new bikes are E-bikes.
When I go out for a ride whether in the mountains on my E-bike or down in the Inn valley on my analogue bike with the wife most of the bikes we see are E-bikes. Just this morning I was doing a short transit section in the Inn valley and passed 2 couples on front motor IGH step throughs and a group of about 20 older people on a group ride on hired Bosch crank drive bikes.

 

[tommie]

Terrain would have a lot to do with it i guess!

 

[Fat Rat]

It'll get there, ebikes in shops all over in the last year or so I've seen. Loads of people with them on the cycle forums too.

We can only hope
There's definitely more in shops now thou , which can only be a good sign

 

[Trevormonty]

It'll get there, ebikes in shops all over in the last year or so I've seen. Loads of people with them on the cycle forums too.

More people have them more they spread good word and their friends get try them. I've been accountable for 4 friends buying them, with one plan on another for his wife, but I think its more for him.

In two since I've had one commuter ebikes have gone from handful to around 5-10%.

 

[chris_n]

Terrain would have a lot to do with it i guess!

Certainly in the mountains where I am that is the case.
The Inn valley is flat, the cycleway follows the river Inn all the way from Switzerland through Austria until it joins the Danube. The section through the Tirol is 230km of mainly purpose built traffic free track!
Loads of mainly German companies run multi day trips both on ebikes and analogue bikes, shipping your luggage from place to place for you.

 

[EddiePJ]

Certainly in the mountains where I am that is the case.
The Inn valley is flat, the cycleway follows the river Inn all the way from Switzerland through Austria until it joins the Danube. The section through the Tirol is 230km of mainly purpose built traffic free track!
Loads of mainly German companies run multi day trips both on ebikes and analogue bikes, shipping your luggage from place to place for you.

Deutschland per Rad entdecken, always leaves me in awe of available cycle routes. http://www.eurovelo.com/en/cycling-in/germany/adfcs-brochure-deutschland-per-rad-entdecken

 

[chris_n]

Our valley is not called Wildchönau (wild and beautiful valley is the translation) for nothing. All taken in the last couple of days.

No wonder people want to ride E-bikes here!

 

[EddiePJ]

Very jealous.

Still, I have next week in Nurnberg, then heading down to Switzerland the following week, clipping Austria on the way down.

 

[oyster]

If only we in the UK had

... bike shops that actually have the bikes we want to buy.

Sure, some of that (a lot?) is location, but we are struggling to find an ebike that is suitable for partner - even to try. By far the majority of bikes have not been in S or XS sizes in the shops so not possible to try. Add on the other requirements, the weeks and weeks delay to get one in, and we simply are failing.

 

[chris_n]

Very jealous.

Still, I have next week in Nurnberg, then heading down to Switzerland the following week, clipping Austria on the way down.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

 

[VictoryV]

where is Julie Andrews in the photo?

 

[chris_n]

where is Julie Andrews in the photo?

That was in Salzburg, I'm in Tirol

 

[Monty's Dad]

Our valley is not called Wildchönau (wild and beautiful valley is the translation) for nothing. All taken in the last couple of days.
View attachment 25419 View attachment 25420 View attachment 25421 View attachment 25422 View attachment 25423
No wonder people want to ride E-bikes here!

What a beautiful part of the world you live in.

 

[chris_n]

What a beautiful part of the world you live in.

I've only borrowed it, I really live in the grim mining area in the North East of England. While it lasts (we will have to see what Brexit brings) living here for the biking in the summer and skiing in the winter suits us perfectly. We go back to the U.K. for spring and autumn.

 

[chris_n]

Just to highlight the different terrain here, 2 rides one yesterday,

And one today (unpowered)

 

[EddiePJ]

Very nice Chris. I have just made it to Switzerland and the weather isn't exactly great.

The Km's have certainly racked up getting here this time. A tad under a 1,000km to my friends house near Nurnberg. A 630km day trip to another friend on the Czech Rebulic border. Another 300km day trip to somewhere else in Germany the name of which has slipped my mind. Then finally a further 560km today, taking in the edge of Austria, then on to Lauterbrunnen. With roughly another 950km back to the UK next week, I shan't be rushing to do very much driving when I get back to the UK.

All the above and I just got in one short ride in Germany, which had me hiding from German game keepers, swarms of horse flies, and getting soaked in a heavy down pour. Sadly the weather doesn't look great here for the next week, so I might well have to alter my planned rides.

 

[EddiePJ]

I forgot to say that seemingly every other bike in Germany is an ebike, and I'm still amazed every time that I visit the country, by the endless cycle routes.

Also interesting was the strong hold that KTM seem to have throughout Germany. It appears from what I saw, to be one of the most dominant brands. Corratec are another, with Kalkhoff thrown in for good measure, but only the Panasonic and Bosch systems.

Hitting Switzerland, the first ebike that I saw was a Stromner, followed by Trek.

I also saw a brilliant looking Hercules step through ladies shopping bike that had a very clever rear shock absorber system.