The pandemic restrictions and a growing appreciation among consumers for electric bicycles has resulted in boosted sales at Bristol Bikes LLC, an independent distributor of several popular e-bike brands.
“The pandemic really opened up an entire new market,” said co-owner Mark DeFestano. “[Buyers] cleaned out all the traditional bike shops. And that’s when people really started getting interested in electric bikes.”
DeFestano, who relocated the business from Wickford in North Kingstown to a leased space on Bristol’s waterfront in 2014, said the technology is improving, while prices have been sliding. What used to cost more than $3,000 can now be had for $500.
And fate has dealt a generous hand. DeFestano has sold more than 20 bikes since the partial closure of the Washington Bridge in December.
“I had about eight couples come in that very first weekend,” he said. “They were all from Barrington and East Providence and because they worked in Providence, they were looking for a way to commute to work. And if I sold one, a few days later the other would come in and buy one so they could ride together when they weren’t working.”
The company also sells kits to convert traditional pedal bikes to electric bikes.
And the push to reduce carbon emissions led to the launch of the Erika Niedowski Memorial Electrical Bicycle Rebate Program run through the R.I. Office of Energy Resources that provides buyers a rebate if the bike is purchased from an authorized Rhode Island dealer.
Even though the incentive was decreased last year to $350, and $750 for income-qualifying applicants, the program has increased access to a wider market.
Before the program was launched, DeFestano said for years that he typically sold about 80 electric bikes per year. He sold more than 450 in 2023.
DeFestano’s first store started with a single brand, which wouldn’t allow him to sell bikes made by any competitors. The typical buyer was a baby boomer. Younger pedal-bicyclists were not yet on the concept.
“I would hear younger people saying things like, ‘What’s the point?’ and ‘Isn’t that cheating?’ ” he said.
That was fine until the growing popularity and falling prices upended the business model.
“As the industry was evolving, there were more brands coming around that were better and for less money,” said DeFestano, who added nine more brands after dropping his initial vendor, adding two more in 2023.
“The battery technology was improving. And there was more of a variety of sizes and styles,” DeFestano said. “Now everyone is buying them, from 18 to 80 years old. They learned the benefits and are realizing this could replace their car.”
With the warmer weather approaching, Bristol Bikes is gearing up for a profitable season. DeFestano expects more buyers now that it’s clear the Washington Bridge fix is going to take longer than initially anticipated.
Bristol Bikes also provides rentals, a service used mostly for visitors but also locals who are still on the fence about making the investment.
“The people that rent bikes, they just want to visit Bristol and go for a ride and then bring it back,” DeFestano said. “But because of the bridge, there are more people that are frustrated getting into Providence. Because of that, I think the state is going to continue to encourage people to use electric bikes.”
OWNERS: Mark DeFestano and Robin Paradis
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Electric bike distributor
LOCATION: 267 Thames St., Bristol
EMPLOYEES: Three
YEAR FOUNDED: 2014
ANNUAL REVENUE: WND
