Like many at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, co-founder of Ullswater eBikes Steve Sykes suddenly found himself facing redundancy and out of work.
With a mortgage to pay and two kids to support, Steve and his partner Sarah searched for a new direction.
With the roads quiet as a result of the lockdown, Steve would often take his nine-year-old son Noah out cycling, who had a keen interest in anything electrical or mechanical.
One day, inspired by the lack of cars on the road, Noah suggested: ‘why don’t we start a business renting out ebikes to tourists so they don’t use their cars?’ And Ullswater eBikes was born…
Steve and Sarah initially bought two ebikes, storing them in their garden shed, and delivering them to guests staying with local accommodation providers. A neighbour then offered him a spare shed to use as a workshop as the business started to grow.
Gaining a Level 2 Cytec qualification in bike maintenance and undertaking training to become a Bosch ebike service centre, Steve quickly became an expert bike mechanic.
The Lake District National Park Authority was setting up its own ebike hubs at the time and, before long, offered Ullswater eBikes a proper base at the Tourist Information Centre in Glenridding.
While the location of the new workshop was perfect with lots of passing traffic, some of Steve’s equipment wasn’t up to the job of dealing with the increase in business.
Due to the weight of ebikes (which can be up to 25kg) a special, heavy-duty lift is needed to service them. Without this, Steve found himself having to spend three to four hours to deep clean and service just one ebike. He was also unhappy relying on chemical cleaners which are harmful to the environment.
That’s when Steve decided to apply for a grant from Cumbria Business Growth Hub. After a straightforward application process, Steve was awarded a capital grant through the Rural England Prosperity Fund, supported by Westmorland & Furness Council and Cumbria Business Growth Hub.
With the grant funding Steve was able to buy an Unior electric bike stand, which is designed to take the extra weight of ebikes. He also purchased a Rowasher parts washer which uses natural bioremediation to deep clean mechanical parts. This drastically reduces the waste fluid during bike servicing, allowing them to handle oil-based waste in an environmentally friendly way.
The impact of the new kit was felt immediately. It now takes Steve just 23 minutes to service an ebike and he barely needs any chemicals when cleaning. With the extra time saved, Steve can focus on maintaining the fleet whilst taking care of both the environment (and his back!).
Steve has also been able to start offering bike servicing to visitors. Cyclists, with both traditional and electric bikes, are able to come down off the fells, drop off their bikes with Steve and pop next door for a coffee. When they return, their bikes are cleaned, inspected and serviced ready to be taken home.
Steve said: “The grant has given us the freedom to really focus on keeping our fleet in top shape and offer new services to customers. It’s hard to describe the level of difference it has made.
“At Ullswater eBikes it’s our goal to provide an alternative, more environmentally friendly mode of transport for visitors to the Lake District with the hope of a cleaner, greener, and less congested future for both our sons.
“With the new equipment afforded to us by the grant, we’ve been able to consolidate and start to grow our business while also introducing more sustainable business practices.
Applying for the grant through Cumbria Business Growth Hub was an easy process from start to finish. The Growth Hub staff were there to help every step of the way with no pain at all!”
