Ray Wookey to retire, Energise E-bikes branches to be sold

Ray Wookey, founder of Cycling Made Easy (latterly name changed to Energise E-bikes) is to retire and seek a buyer for his well-known electric bike retail businesses.

Ray has been a active figure in the UK cycle trade and in particular an early advocate of the force for good the e-Bike can be for people’s health and transport. Back in 2017 he was a driving force behind overturning a decision by the British Heart Foundation to ban e-Bikes from its London to Brighton rides.

Since that time his business has gone from strength to strength, delivering doubled sales amid Covid-19’s early momentum.

In an open letter to the cycle trade, Wookey writes: 

It seems like only yesterday that the concept of founding Cycling Made Easy surfaced, and ultimately came to fruition in 2011. Some of our loyal customers will remember our first store in the centre of Coulsdon, on Chipstead Valley Road. It was quite small, and we could show no more than 10 to 15 bikes with a compact service area in the basement.

How things have moved on! We now have a 2000 square foot showroom, with dual aspect, on the Brighton Road, and Lion Green Road and stock over £300,000 worth of e-bikes.

Since we opened, our sales have grown exponentially and we now have a thriving business in the remarkable growth sector of electric bikes. We have always sold exclusively e-bikes and in some ways we were ahead of the game in that the market in the UK has been much slower to grow than our close European neighbours, where growth has been stellar.

During the recent COP26 conference the government indicated their support for environmentally sound initiatives, a category into which the use of e-bikes fits very neatly.

Our second Energise e-bikes branch in Royal Tunbridge Wells (above) opened in 2015 and this has now developed into a significantly successful outlet, with a prominent position, in the heart of a wonderful town.

We have built a great team of professional committed people who work to look after our customers and welcome new prospective buyers into either branch to give a personal, attentive, and bespoke experience. Our USP is that of “customer service”.

We ensure that each e-bike sold is tailored to the needs and attributes of each individual customer, and we continue to support them with excellent after-sales service.

And then…

In 2020 the nation experienced COVID. For many businesses the pandemic was and, in some instances still is, a dreadful time. Without doubt COVID has affected us all.

The cycle industry, though, has benefitted from the many factors associated with the pandemic: people wanting to exercise, to travel to work in their own space and at their own time, to forgo holidays abroad and reallocate funds to the purchase of e-bikes.

The pandemic has accelerated the growth and acceptance of e-bikes and accordingly we doubled our sales last year and maintain steady growth through 2021. The challenge, which we met, as a result of great supplier relationships, has been to maintain satisfactory stock levels to ensure we maintain choice and a wide selection, to meet demand.

E-bikes have developed and are now very technologically advanced. They are viral. Once a person engages and buys one, they then encourage other members of family, friends, and work colleagues to follow suit to appreciate the freedom, the rediscovery of the joys of cycling, the saving of money and the associated health benefits.

Many years ago, Jim Knight, a local businessman, came to us and bought an electric bike. He was very enthusiastic about it and soon after, asked if he could join the company.

He quickly became a highly valued hands-on director, shareholder, and friend to the team, and more importantly, an amazing advocate for e-bikes.

Since then, he has made a wonderful contribution to the business, helping to mentor new employees, set strategy, and even (on occasion) servicing e-bikes.

So, we have a thriving, profitable and successful business in a growth sector, destined to grow dramatically, in the foreseeable future. We have a great website, good systems, and excellent supplier back up and know-how. We are now branded Energise E-bikes which is trademarked and reflects the intuitively active nature of the e-bike experience.

The future…?

Now is the time for me to step aside and let another person with youth on his, or her, side capitalise on and expand the business to fully exploit this remarkable opportunity. The company needs an experienced businessperson who is looking for a fresh challenge in our growing market.

So, if anybody knows such a person, please encourage them to get in touch. It would suit someone who has both business and entrepreneurial skills, and would be able to purchase the company, with a view to growing it and developing a myriad of exciting opportunities over the foreseeable future.

Having laid the foundations of a highly successful business in an environmentally significant marketplace, I would like to now step away and spend more time with family and friends (including some great e-bike riding ambitions). Of course, I will be happy to provide on-going support to the person who wants to share our vision and grow the business in this amazing marketplace.

Thanks for your support and encouragement over the last decade. The team here at Energise E-bikes will continue to work enthusiastically and with commitment to ensure that next decade and beyond will be successful.

Kind Regards,
Ray Wookey