JP LaMere launched his bike business at a time before electric bikes had gained much popularity in the U.S. Now, eight years later, they are his biggest selling point.
His shop, LaMere Cycles, has created an electric bike with some of the widest, or fattest, tires on the market — a move meant to aid bikers in thick snow. LaMere Cycles, now in Uptown, will be moving to a larger location in the next few months as a result of the business' growth — mirroring an ever-growing demand for e-bikes globally.
"It's a really cool, unique bike," he said. "Nobody else in the world has this right now."
E-bikes, bicycles connected to a motor, are becoming more common. Globally, e-bike sales are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 6% between 2019 and 2024, according to a Mordor Intelligence report.
The Asia-Pacific region specifically is both the fastest-growing and largest market, the report said.
In Minnesota, meanwhile, cyclists want fat tires to help shred through the snow.
The eSummit, LaMere's fattest e-bike, started with the idea of an e-bike built for tough terrain. He hadn't seen an e-bike on the market that could fit a rear tire as wide as 5 inches or with a 27.5-inch wheel. Fat-tire bikes like this typically take more energy to pedal, so an electric motor gives the rider a boost, LaMere said.
Using his experience with mountain bikes, fat-tire bikes and e-bikes, LaMere was able to design a bike-frame mold for a snow-ready e-bike. He sent the designs to a manufacturing company he uses overseas, which created the frames in four sizes, costing LaMere about $25,000.