Spokes is a small bike shop located in Abbotsford, Melbourne. It mainly offers electric bikes from quality brands.
Disclaimer: I have not been paid to conduct this interview or promote the bike shop.
I have conducted this interview to share Spokes’ philosophy around electric bikes, how the community and customers have been engaged during their service, and how they have tried to reduce the carbon footprint during their operation.
I was happy to see how their knowledge and expertise have benefited the community, the environment, and bike riders.
Philosophy of Spokes and how e-bikes fit in it
Back 45 years ago, we started as a bike shop. From there, we moved into a family all-rounder general local bike store, and when I first started, it was still family orientated. I think it was 15 years ago Gary (founder of the shop) went over to Holland, and when coming back, he said:
“We need to migrate away from anything sportier or athletic and make it an everyday bike shop because normal people ride normal bikes.”
We still provide servicing for all types of bikes. Electric bikes came in very early, especially with the hills in Dandenong. We started with conversion kits and are still using the same philosophy: normal e-bikes for people and putting a smile on people’s faces.
Ways Spokes engages with the locals and promotes e-bikes
We don’t have any active promotion of them other than being here as a friendly face and willing to answer any questions.
Many people walk in the door knowing absolutely nothing about electric bikes, but they’ve got a friend who’s had one or wants to ride one, and they want to ask questions. All they want is not to be pushed to make a decision other than taking them for a spin. For us, it is obvious this is the way to promote e-cycles in the local community.
We have Yarra Boulevard directly behind us, so we can point customers to that area and let them try it.
In terms of community engagement, we have worked with local schools, with Ride2Workday and the Abbotford Convent; we want to be a friendly helpful local bike shop rather than an active, in-your-face marketing style.
“Whenever we can help raise funds for local schools, we will try to participate and support them.”
How do e-bikes sold at Spokes contribute to reducing the carbon footprint compared to traditional bicycles and cars?
Unlike traditional bikes, e-bikes are slightly higher, no matter what we have. Where they really compare is with cars or even electric vehicles. For instance, a cargo bike could carry many things, taking up minimal street space and improving mobility.
The things we consider before putting a brand on the floor are the packaging and the quality of the electric bike.
First of all, the brands we carry are approximately 90% plastic-free. All of their packaging is designed to be as eco-friendly as possible.
Secondly, we ensure that any model lasts at least five years. There is no point in bringing the world’s lowest-carbon e-bike and lasting only a few months, then having the rider buy another one or have to fix it in no time—the carbon sink would be lost. We don’t want that for our customers.
Our point of view is less about carbon and numbers because the numbers are tiny when it comes to bikes compared to other vehicles. It’s really about active transport; when people replace car trips with bicycle trips, they’re more active, using their bodies more, and if people integrate that into their day-to-day commuting, it is a win for everyone.
