Local E-bike auction draws an eclectic crowd

As the surge in the use of E-bikes continues to rise dramatically in Holmes County and surrounding areas, one area auctioneer created plenty of opportunity for those searching to purchase a new E-bike.

On Tuesday, June 18 at the Winesburg Heritage Center, close to 230 E-bikes were up for grabs as several area bicycle shops sent prior years’ models to the auction block.

Steve Chupp Auctions hosted the event, and while he did something similar in 2019, this one was quite different.

“We did one of these in 2019, just for David Mullet of Holmes County E-bikes,” Chupp said. “This time we’ve got seven different bike shops participating, so it has taken on a very unique look and feel.”

Chupp said many of the E-bikes are models that were overstocked during the COVID era, when the E-bike craze really took flight.

However, when he floated the idea out there to the area bicycle shop owners, he said he didn’t expect to get the overwhelming response he received.

“I didn’t expect anything close to this,” Chupp said. “We have all of the name-brand bikes. Who knows? This could be the beginning of an annual deal.”

He said while this year’s inaugural event probably won’t be a home run, it could be the start of something that could rapidly grow and develop a big following in the future.

The crowd that showed up was an equal mix of Amish and English buyers, all looking to find a good deal on that perfect E-bike.

In addition to the crowd that showed up at the auction house in person, Chupp said they had a large online presence bidding at the auction as well.

“I’ve been surprised by the number of non-Amish people who are bidding,” Chupp said.

With more trails cropping up around the state that cater to bicycling, Chupp said more and more people are purchasing E-bikes for leisure activity.

Steve and Laura Clark from Akron saw the auction advertised online and decided to make the trip to Winesburg to possibly invest in a couple of bikes.

The biggest challenge for them was they are newcomers to the E-bike trend, so they were relying on the advice of those who know a lot more about them to guide them in the right direction.

“This is all new to us, but we’ve been talking to a few shop owners and they’ve all been really kind,” Steve Clark said. “We’re looking for something we can spend time riding together to just enjoy some leisure time.”

The Clarks said it was fun but almost overwhelming to explore all the available options.

With E-bikes having become so prevalent in this area, especially among the Amish community, Chupp said it has changed the face of how members of the Amish community are able to travel, making transportation to everyday events much more possible for daily travel.

One area Amish man who wished to remain anonymous said of the E-bike trend, “The E-bikes have changed the landscape of the Amish community as much as anything. It has given many people tremendous independence. It used to be you’d see people going into town once or twice a day when they used to go to town once a month. That was the culture. It’s changed things immensely in terms of ease of travel.”

He said the Amish community continues to work hard on promoting and teaching E-bike safety, as the community continues to get used to sharing the roadways with bicycles that allow riders to go much faster than ever before.