spectacle in the beginning,” Kathy said. “We would turn a lot of heads, answer questions and get a lot of stares.” Early e-bikes were somewhat clunky with large batteries and less than desirable aesthetics, but that began to change when more reputable bicycle manufacturers such as Giant and Specialized started producing e-bikes in the late 2000s. E-bikes slowly became lighter, more cost-effective and equipped with more energyefficient batteries, which meant longer range capabilities for riders. Eventually, Sterling believes, you may not even be able to tell the difference between an e-bike and a traditional analog bike. Along with technological advances, the e-bike form factor has also expanded to meet consumer needs and now users can find everything from commuters and hybrids to cargo bikes, touring bikes, gravel and e-mountain bikes. The McCords have seen the trend evolve firsthand at the Interbike International Bicycle Expo, the largest bicycle industry trade show in North America. “Each year the e-bike section would slowly get larger and larger,” Kathy said. “Until finally the last one we went to seemed more heavily skewed toward e-bikes than traditional bicycles.” Sterling said customers of Bend Electric Bikes run the gamut of age and ability. “Some are looking for a substitute for a car or to commute to work, others are simply looking to spend more time outside and just want to have fun,” she said. Kathy said she also sees many couples come in for e-bikes, which can be an equalizer for varying abilities and allow one rider the ability to keep pace with another. The boom in popularity of e-bikes over the last decade has helped propel the sales of Bend Electric Bikes and grow the company to seven full-time employees. This past year, the company saw its sales of e-bikes more than double due to a surging interest in bicycles during the pandemic, and Sterling said the company is on track for even more growth in 2021.
Specialized mountain e-bike
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