ON THEIR bikes
Action Bicycle Club’s Charlotte Bebbington and Ken Ching are riding the popularity wave for urban cycling and electric bikes – operating from the new heart of bicycle-mad Christchurch.
When graphic designer Charlotte Bebbington met e-bike manufacturer and enthusiast Ken Ching in Shanghai it was a match made in heaven for the future of cycling in Christchurch.
Having both lived in Shanghai for a decade, they knew that getting around by bike is the best way to navigate a city, make friends, keep fit and encourage a good lifestyle.
The couple relocated to Charlotte’s home town of Christchurch in 2015 with the dream of designing their own bicycle and pursuing their interests in health, the environment and liveable cities.
From a distance they had seen the societal impact of the Canterbury quakes, but as the years passed and things started moving on they could also see the opportunities emerging.
“With a fresh pair of eyes and no emotional baggage it was much easier to see the positive side of things, roll up our sleeves and get on with making our mark on the new Christchurch,” says Charlotte.
As for Ken – he was keen to contribute to the rebuilding of Christchurch by applying his knowledge and experiences with everyday cycling across the world.
“After all, Christchurch has a very rich history and tradition of cycling,” he says.
In just 12 months, Action Bicycle Club, located in Walker Street, on the CBD’s fringe, has made solid progress. The couple have gone from conceptual drawing board to producing their own line of bicycles, as well as sourcing and curating a range of everyday cycling products.
“As a business, we're still really in the early stages,” says Charlotte, “getting our brand out there and clearly defining what that is, and honing in on our niches.”
The couple admit that the pace of progress in Christchurch is far from that of Shanghai, and people are more risk averse. Despite that, Cantabrians are still receptive to new things.
Ken says it’s natural in this day and age as business owners to have an “uneasy sense of urgency”.
He says it’s important to have a strong vision and goal for the near future and know with certainty which actions to take towards that goal.
For Charlotte and Ken, business was always about being in or near the CBD. They’ve seen the risks business owners have taken to create the city’s “beautiful new cosmopolitan and trendy hub”.
“Because we are still quite a small group it's a bit like a community with lots of opportunity for collaboration,” says Charlotte.
She believes in recent years the city has been entangled with bureaucracy and people have been forgotten along the way. Now she sees a real creative culture emerging and small businesses are popping up again. There’s a real sense of a growing community.
“As more people gain the confidence to invest their creative energy into Christchurch it's going to be an awesome city to be part of,” she says.
Ken says that while the CBD redevelopments are very promising, there needs to be more empathy and emphasis for young start-ups – such as more affordable rents.
“Otherwise it’s too focused on large corporations, franchises, mega-brands and anchor projects, which reduces the bite-sized interactivity that creates unique characteristics and keeps a city looking fresh and busy.”
Positive future
Charlotte and Ken see nothing but a positive future for Action Bicycle Club, in light of the massive uptake of urban cycling – driven, in part, by the increasing popularity of e-bikes.
“We know that the best cities of tomorrow will have the majority of citizens choosing active or public transportation,” says Charlotte. “So part of our goal is always to support individuals and businesses who make the bicycle their preferred mode of transport.”
Christchurch will always be bike-friendly – blessed with a flat and reasonably compact urban area, and with more inner-city living on the horizon.
Electric bikes help bridge or ease the gap for people to get on a bike in situations where they wouldn't otherwise (for example, hills, winds, age, fitness). Looking ahead, the sale and service of electric bikes will grow substantially, and Ken says they are already looking beyond the individual rider.
“Electric-assisted bikes create new commercial practices and activities such as zero emission logistics or mobile vendors. And electric cargo bikes can assist families moving children and larger loads around the city,” he says.
“Beyond the everyday bicycle and practical accessories, that is where we are heading.”