The E-bis Cycling Adventure

Reliability the Key to Success

E-bis' adventure started in 2020, when it became the first Belgian company to (re)sell lease, rental and test bikes. E-bikes are circular products, but because they have already completed their first life cycle, trust is crucial to winning over consumers. That's why E-Bis invests a great deal in transparency: "every bike is sold with a complete history (date of first use, kilometres ridden, number of months in use, battery capacity, battery and motor report, etc.), with a one-year warranty and access to a service point," explains Willem Beeck, co-director of E-bis.

With this approach, E-bis lowers the barrier for consumers to select a used bike. Their model demonstrates that reliability and durability can go together perfectly well, and that a circular product can be at least as attractive and professional as a new one. As such, not only is their approach sustainable, but also commercially viable.

Since 2024, E-bis has also applied this circular model to leasing: they were the first bike store to offer circular bike leasing, with reconditioned ex-lease bikes being re-leased - a financially interesting and particularly sustainable concept. In the meantime, several other bike stores and almost all leasing companies now offer circular leasing, Beeck enthuses.

What Makes This Project so Special and Inspiring?

E-bis shows that circularity doesn't have be a niche story, but a realistic and scalable business model. The key? Smart collaboration. This project, set up by Ecoso and Blusser, connects social enterprises and mainstream companies in strong partnerships. By working structurally with social partners as well as professionally preparing used bikes for sale, E-bis is demonstrating how existing products can regain economic value. The model is relatively easy for other entrepreneurs to adopt, as long as they focus on the same combination of quality, transparency and partnership. As co-director Willem Beeck sums it up, "You can't do it alone! Focus on your expertise and what you believe in. Work with others. But surround yourself with organisations and/or entrepreneurs with the same DNA."

This kind of partnership is not limited to the chain of suppliers and customers. E-bis is also making a difference in the social domain. In the workshops, workers from the social economy are given the opportunity to gain experience as bike technicians and therefore increase their chances in the regular job market. In this way, the company is simultaneously building circular and inclusive growth.

Prepared for the Challenges of the Market ...

However, the road to success is not without its pitfalls. E-bis takes over bikes from leasing companies; as a result, bikes from about a hundred different brands have already passed through the hands of their technicians. That means adapting to the specific features of each brand, their computer programme, parts, etc. That is not always straightforward.

Moreover, the bike market is constantly changing and, in fact, has been completely shaken up in recent years: a strong rise in leasing and sales of new bikes, a scarcity of bikes and parts, and a shift from mechanical to electric bikes. All these changes are impacting the work of employees, who need time to adapt and train.

... But Above All: Nice Projects in the Pipeline

Thanks to the support of the FPS Public Health, through the BBBC Investment Fund, E-bis plans to develop its circular project even further in a number of areas. Top of the list is further professionalising the workshop and employees to always have the latest skills, and the ambition to offer their circular bikes throughout Belgium.

With this goal in mind, E-bis plans to employ more regular and social workers, and open new sales outlets. An aftercare service network was recently launched, with more than 20 locations. This is all in collaboration with other circular and social enterprises.

Visit the E-bis website for more information: https://e-bis.be/.