[DEMO DAYS]
Beyond Cycling Infrastructure
E-Bike Demo Days: Proof that Active Travel Works
Denbies Wine Estate installed the Surrey’s first modular solar-powered e-bike charger for sustainable tourism — but utilisation was low. Here’s how a single demo day turned curiosity into commitments, sales, and measurable CO2 savings.
By the Numbers:
28+ test rides completed across the day
7x E-bikes sold subject to Ride2Work approval
133% increase in solar charger utilisation
112g CO2 saved / 56 carbonless miles generated from event-day rides
150+ registrations, with 18.67% conversion to a test ride
(Figures drawn from Denbies’ solar charger session data and Solarcycle’s on-the-day registration and sales log.)
Transport Situation
Numbering over 160+ staff onsite and over 4,000+ visitors per year, Denbies wine estate car park facilitates thousands of visits by car. The NetZero wine producer — first in the industry to purchase the UK’s leading modular solar-powered e-bike charger — was looking for methods to reduce emissions onsite and improve staff health and wellbeing, with e-bike charging central to their plan.
Friction
Despite an ideal location in the Surrey hills and a purpose-built charging facility, visitors’ e-bikes were frequently seen parked in Denbies’ ample cycle parking — yet charging session data showed utilisation was still low, at less than 1 session per week.
Climate Vision
Denbies conceived the idea of a cycle day to drive awareness of active travel benefits among staff and the local Surrey hills community. Solarcycle, who run similar events across the NHS, brought in key cycle industry partners: Estarli E-bikes, who provided a multi-discipline range from gravel to fold-up and touring bikes, and Carolyn from the Green Commute Initiative, who explained the tax savings available through the UK’s leading salary sacrifice scheme.
The day included live demonstrations from Paul Stratford at Solarcycle on safely charging e-bikes with 100% green energy, sponsored by Denbies and Surrey County Council.
Results
The event was one of Solarcycle’s best-attended to date, with 150+ visitors and 28+ registered riders – many of whom were first time riders! These figures were set against a target of 100 visitors — so we were pleasantly oversubscribed. Beyond the atmosphere, the day converted into measurable outcomes.
7x e-bikes sold on the day, with more pledged
18.7% of visitors requested Ride2Work info
4 weeks Charging session data shows 133% higher utilisation in the month of the event vs. the month before
Learnings
This event confirmed Solarcycle’s core thesis: Buying an e-bike or installing a charger isn’t enough on its own to shift behaviour. Five ingredients made this particular day work — from six weeks of pre-event marketing and video, to visible C-suite support, to KPI tracking already in place before the event began.
Read our full breakdown: 5 Things Every Cycle Demo Day Needs ➔
Above all, we had Denbies’ full buy-in — an unwavering commitment to spreading the word to the right people. The setting helped too: seating and cover near the outdoor café, locally roasted coffee, and food to keep everyone happy before and after their rides.
One visitor, who commutes by car despite living nearby, summed up the friction we’re up against: “Riding to work on the local cycling lanes would make sense, but with no one else doing it, you feel vulnerable being the only person cycling”.
That’s the gap organisations like Denbies are positioned to close — by investing in the right infrastructure, backing it with financial support, and showing commitment visibly, with leadership seen riding e-bikes themselves.
Want a demo day like this for your organisation? See our Cycle Demo Days ➔ (link to new Services page)
“Riding to work on the local cycling lanes would make sense, but with no one else doing it, you feel vulnerable being the only person cycling”