Between lockdown orders and work-from-home measures, COVID-19 has created a surge in demand for bicycles.
And as people and cities look for ways to utilize the open roads left behind by declining vehicle traffic, Denton-based electric cargo bike maker Bunch Bikes sees that trend continuing and sees its product poised to help bring Scandinavian-style bike culture to the U.S.
“The first time [I saw]… one of these bikes and I saw kids in it, I did this like double take like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve never seen such a thing,” Aaron Powell, Bunch Bikes founder, told NTX Inno. “What I like… is it connects the kids more with the neighborhood and the local area, because when you’re in a car and things are flying by and you can’t really hear anything because of road noise… but on a bike you’re experiencing it all right there — the sounds, the smells, the sights.”
Launched it 2017, Bunch Bikes was created after a summer trip Powell and his family took to Sweden. While there, Powell spent the days exploring the city with his wife and children on bikes with dedicated lanes free of the congestion of many U.S. cities. And when he returned, the experience began making him wonder why the biking culture that exists that hadn’t caught on across the Atlantic.
So, Powell created Bunch Bikes – a maker of electric cargo bikes. The company currently has a lineup of three different models, including the Original, the K9 and the Preschool, all of which feature a three-wheel bike with a large bucket-like attachment to help carry kids, pets or groceries. Powell said the bikes allow for more interaction with family and the community than a typical car ride would.
Since its founding Bunch Bikes has been featured in TLC shows and has been used by one of the local city councilman to help get in shape by biking to and from City Hall. Other cities have bought them to use in composting projects. Powell said the company has been largely bootstrapped since its launch, raising about $95,000 from family, friends and angel investors.
“It’s about the experience. There’s not really anything fun about going somewhere in a car with kids,” Powell said. “It’s a way to get deeper with the place that you live in and it’s not just about going from A to B, it’s about the process of going there.”
Like nearly every business, Bunch Bikes has been impacted by the pandemic. Powell said in March the company saw its expected spring sale boom dry up to almost nothing, leaving him to think about potential layoffs. However, in April sales exploded. It’s a trend that’s been seen across the country as people look for safe, outdoor activities amid the pandemic. However, Powell said the increased demand to Bunch Bikes and other cycles has created a shortage in product supplies
“It created this intense demand for bicycles. This year there’s been the biggest bicycle boom of all time,” Powell said.
While cargo bikes have existed in Europe for decades, electronic motor technology and the surge in interest have helped accelerate the adoption of the cycling culture in the U.S., Powell said. And it’s a trend he sees continuing in the future. Amid the pandemic, some cities have been experimenting with bike lanes and other walkability initiatives that could help make cycling safer and easier in urban centers. Powell said Bunch Bikes has moved from Phase One of its business, bringing the product to the U.S. market, to Phase Two, where it is able to innovate more in the category. The company has some upcoming product announcements in the near future, Powell said.
“With less cars on the road and people working from home, cities have been experimenting. They’re like, ‘Hey, let’s put in a bike lane here, let’s close this side street and make it for bikes, and they’re actually putting in more bike infrastructure now that there’s more bikes on the road. So this actually could end up being this permanent lift in this demand for biking and maybe it starts to become part of our culture,” Powell said. “When nobody was doing this, it was like is it because… people have tried and nobody wants them or is it just because no one has done it well yet? And it’s just because no one has done it well yet. There’s no reason these bikes aren’t here.”
