Service Is the Strategy: The E-Bike Industry’s Blind Spot

Most shops and brands are chasing sales — while the real opportunity is quietly passing them by.

The next big win in e-bikes won’t come from selling more. It’ll come from what happens after the sale. Here’s what most players are still missing…

The Real Business of E-Bikes Starts After the Sale

The global e-bike market is booming.
Sales are high — and rising.
Innovation is exciting.
Most players are chasing growth.

But behind the headlines and investor decks, something critical is being ignored:

• The real opportunity isn’t just in selling bikes.
• It’s in aftersales.

That’s when the customer comes back for help, trust, and expertise.
That’s where long-term value is created.
And it’s exactly where too many brands, shops, and startups are failing.

Because real, lasting customer support?
It can’t be faked.

So here’s the real question:
Are you selling bikes — or building a business?

Where the Industry Is Getting It Wrong

DTC brands are great at marketing and selling — but many collapse when it comes to service.
No real support. No helpful follow-up. Just frustrated customers after a season or two.

Traditional brands are still focused on stock, tariffs, and dealer politics — while customer expectations move on.

Shops? Many are waiting for “the old times” to return. But hope isn’t a strategy.
Mechanics burn out. Customers walk away. And profit stays low.

Everyone’s focused on getting bikes out the door.
Very few are thinking about what happens next.

The Untapped Opportunity in Aftersales

E-bikes aren’t simple bikes anymore.
They’re more complex, heavier, faster — and most riders can’t (or won’t) fix them.

That’s not a problem.
It’s a business model — for those who see it.

• Every e-bike out there is a recurring revenue stream
• Diagnostics, firmware updates, tuning, parts = real services, real margins
• Service centers earn €30–170/hour, plus parts, upsells, and trust

DTC brands ship without support.
Shops miss the upside.
Investors and startups chase shiny tech without a backend service strategy.

This isn’t obvious at first glance.
But it’s the smartest long play in the game.

What the Automotive Industry Got Right

The automotive industry has its problems. Cars are low-margin.
Aftersales is where the money is — often up to 50% of total profit.

The auto industry built the entire ecosystem around it. Why?
Because they think in lifecycles, not transactions.

Now look at the bike industry:
Booming sales, complex machines, millions of new riders— and no serious service infrastructure.

We treat it like a one-time sale.
And leave trust and revenue on the table.

What Happens When You Ignore Service: A Real Story

One local shop I know — let’s call it “Shop X” — sold 1,000 bikes/year for over 10 years.
They kept just 3 mechanics. Never scaled their service.

Over time, 4 new service centers opened nearby — and started taking care of their customers.

When the market slowed down, Shop X went out of business.

Why? They never built a foundation around:

• Service
• Recurring revenue
• Long-term customer trust

Now Scale That Up

What if you’re a network of 100 service locations?
Now imagine this same mistake — at scale.

• Tens of thousands of bikes sold
• Thousands of customers lost
• Hundreds of thousands in missed revenue

And yes — even the big brands and fast-growing startups are doing this.

What If Service Was Your Superpower?

What if service wasn’t the bottleneck — but your engine for growth?

• Predictable, recurring revenue
• Higher margins than sales
• Customer retention on autopilot
• A system you can optimize and scale

This is what I help businesses build.
I’ve helped bike shops grow service revenue by hundreds of percent.
I’ve helped brands and networks turn chaos into structure.
And I’ve helped frustrated teams become profitable, confident, and organized.

Whether you’re a shop or a global brand — the opportunity is right there.
You just have to build for it.

Want to Go Deeper? I Wrote Something for You

If this resonates with you — If you’re leading a shop, brand, or investing in micromobility…

Then I wrote something for you:
“Service as Strategy: Maximizing Opportunity in the E-Bike Market”
Discover how exceptional aftersales service creates new revenue streams, builds customer loyalty, and positions you as a leader in the fast-evolving e-bike industry. For brands, shops, startups, and investors.

A short, no-fluff guide that breaks down the real revenue drivers in today’s market:

• Why most shops and brands miss the long-term opportunity
• What’s actually working in service
• How to turn service into a scalable, high-margin business

It’s not a how-to manual.
It’s a wake-up call.
A lens to see the opportunity hiding in plain sight.

It’s free to download.

Get it here: https://www.ebikesteve.com/service-as-strategy-book/