A Scottish e-bike retailer has experienced an 80% rise in e-bike sales and 200% rise in service sales during Covid-19 lockdown.
Sales of electric bikes at the Edinburgh-based Electric Cycle Company have increased by at least 80% during the 10 weeks of lockdown compared with the same period in 2019.
The Granton Road company said five new members of staff have been contracted and it has donated £1,500 to North Edinburgh charities during its busy period, through an online poll.
Neill Hope, managing director of the Electric Cycle Company, said: "Nobody could have foreseen Covid-19 occurring and the resulting demand for bikes. For obvious reasons, people have not wanted to use public transport during lockdown.
"They have also been avoiding non-essential travel by car. The streets have been much quieter and folk are definitely feeling more confident about cycling on the roads with family for their limited daily exercise or to get to work or to the shops.
“Our new customers are not only getting to grips with the many health and financial benefits of cycling for both commuting and exercise, but also quickly realising that e-bikes make the whole physical process even easier and more joyful than traditional cycling, despite the larger initial investment."
The majority of e-bikes being sold cost between £2000-£3000 and there has been an even split of male and female customers with an age range of between mid 20s to the over 60s.
The company said there has been a marked increase in younger women, especially health workers from the NHS, using the UK Government's Cycle to Work scheme or Scottish Governnment-backed e-bike loan scheme.
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