ewheelers: the single site for all things micromobility

ewheelers, a newly-launched platform for the buying and selling of e-mobility solutions, wants to become the eBay of the micromobility world…

Can you give us a little background about ewheelers?
ewheelers was born out of the frustrations of a Yorkshire based e-mountain bike enthusiast looking to upgrade his e-mountain bike. Simon Capewell wanted to sell his old e-bike and buy a new one, but found there was no dedicated space to do this. 

Spotting a gap in the market, Simon decided to create his own website, ewheelers. A platform to buy and sell all e-bikes: road, mountain, hybrid, tricycles, cargo etc and accessible for all users: the dedicated, the starter, the commuter, the leisure cyclist. His vision was to not only create an easy way to buy and sell, but also to build a community and an information hub for life on e-wheels.

The e-bike market is growing exponentially, but it is currently very fragmented. ewheelers plans to change this as it develops into the single site for all things micromobility.

What makes ewheelers unique?
ewheelers is unique as it is the first player, a pioneer of this market. Of course, there are other places to buy and sell e-bikes, such as eBay or Facebook Marketplace. However, neither of these are national sites solely dedicated to micromobility.

By having a dedicated platform, buyers get more choice. They can browse and purchase from individual sellers, independent bike shops, retail chains, dealers and manufacturers. Likewise, sellers get to showcase their stock directly to interested buyers across the UK.

The inclusion of expert help and advice, a link to BikeRegister to ensure sales are genuine, and links with insurance companies mean that ewheelers is a trusted resource for first-time purchasers.

Unlike other sales platforms, we are fully supporting sustainability and the circular economy. Individuals can sell and buy their e-bikes, or use them as trade-in collateral when buying a new bike from our participating dealers.

In a rather bizarre twist of fate, COVID-19 has provided a significant boost to the cycling industry. What has been the impact on the launch of ewheelers?
There has been much-documented growth in the e-bike market. More people were getting out and exploring on two wheels. More people saw how this experience could be made more pleasurable with a little electrical assistance. As people began returning to their offices, they were also looking for a less crowded commute, but one that didn’t see them arriving to the office sweaty.

This e-bike boom saw manufacturers and distributors struggling to keep up with demand. It was this impact that was the driving force for the business. ewheelers would enable these new enthusiasts get their hands on an e-bike, new or second-hand.

What is your target market?
Our buyers, in the most simple terms, will be anyone looking to purchase or find out more about e-bikes. We know that there will be some – particularly commuters – who will know exactly what they want and use the site purely as a shop window. However, we want to be there to help the curious first-time purchasers. For them, we will have expert advice, events and forums to help them get the best bike for their needs.

We are not looking to convert the hardcore cyclists who will probably always see e-bike as cheating! Our target consumer customers are those looking to reduce their car journeys, those wanting to travel further faster or those looking to enjoy cycling without the grunt. We help them get their e-bike smile.

As for our sellers, ewheelers is working with independent bike shops, many of whom do not have their own e-commerce offering, as well as the bigger chains. We are partnering from the smallest outlet to the largest to build this e-wheeling community. We will also make trade-ins a possibility for all e-bike retailers.

Having just launched, what are your plans for the year ahead?
We have just launched the website and had our first Life On e-Wheels event. This took place at Hadleigh Park and gave participants a chance to try e-biking and e-mountain biking for the first time, both on the fantastic Olympic MTB course and on roads.

We’ve had some great feedback from this unique day, and definitely saw some e-bike grins. We plan to hold more of these events, inviting people to try e-biking on some of the most exciting trails around the country. These will be for first timers as well as those looking to try more challenging off-road routes on an e-bike.

As well as working with BikeRegister, we will be working directly with manufacturers. This will be for bikes as well as motors, accessories and clothing. The manufacturers will provide us with useful insights and special offers that we can share with the ewheeler community.

What sort of feedback have you received from the industry?
That there is a real gap in the marketplace! As the micromobility world increases into e-scooters, e-skateboards as well as all types of e-bikes (from road to cargo to mountain and beyond, two wheels or three, sole rider or tandem) then so will our offering. If it is electric, on wheels and a mobility solution, then ewheelers will be there.