Evolving bike markets of Germany, the Netherlands, and France 

GERMANY

Bicycle sales in Germany down by 2.5%, less than expected

Massive discounting campaigns aimed at reducing inventory levels led to a decline in the average e-bike retail price and overall market value in Germany in 2024. Despite relatively stable sales volumes, total revenue from bicycles and e-bikes fell to €6.33 billion – a 10.1% decrease from €7.06 billion in 2023. Nevertheless, this figure remains significantly higher than the €4 billion recorded in 2019.

According to ZIV market research, 2.05 million e-bikes and 1.8 million regular bicycles were sold in Germany last year. The total market volume of 3.85 million units decreased 2.53% year-on-year from 3.95 million units. “The economic situation remains strained in our industry,” said Burkhard Stork, CEO of the bicycle industry association ZIV. “And it is not over yet.”

Production drops across bicycles and e-bikes

Industry output in Germany has returned to 2019 levels. In 2024, bicycle production dropped by 11.7%, from 726,000 units in 2023 to 641,000. E-bike production also fell, decreasing by 14.8% to 1,330,000 units, down from 1,561,000 the previous year.

ZIV made a comparison between production, sales and inventory level. “This overview shows that inventories will continue to be reduced gradually”, said Burkhard Stork. “If we look at the production figures over a longer period, we can clearly see the ramp-up in production during the Corona pandemic, and we can clearly see the production slow down returning to its pre-coronavirus level. E-bike production continues to be very strong, making it the backbone of the German bicycle industry.”

Excess inventory and trade landscape

Burkhard Stork also addressed the topic of excess inventory. According to ZIV’s statistics, imports of regular bicycles dropped by 30%, which is significantly higher than the 14% decline in local production. “Retailers will continue to receive their supplies from full warehouses rather than importing additional goods from abroad. This is where the high inventory levels are having an impact,” he said. “However, after inventory levels have normalised, we expect a further increase of imports again.”

ZIV also noted a shift in the source of imported bicycles. In 2023, some 49% came from other EU countries, while this increased to 53.1% last year. The share of bicycles imported to Germany from Asia fell from 46% in 2023 to 40.2% last year. The biggest supplier – Cambodia – lost a significant share in bicycle imports into Germany. In e-bikes, import share from EU countries is even bigger, around 75%, compared to 71% the previous year. Among the Asian countries, Taiwan (4%) and Vietnam (14%) remain the largest suppliers of e-bikes, although the volumes are limited.

Read the full report with graphs on the Bike Europe website

NETHERLANDS

Bicycle sales slip 7% in the Netherlands

E-bikes continue to dominate the Dutch bicycle market, with 409,467 units sold in 2024, capturing a 47.7% market share. Total bike and e-bike sales reached 858,126 units – a 7% drop from 919,101 in 2023. For the first time, fatbikes were included in official statistics, accounting for 111,556 units (13% of new bike sales) and significantly influencing total figures. Excluding fatbikes, combined sales would be 746,570 units, a 7.2% decrease from last year’s 804,101.

‘Fatbikes via shady sellers’

According to a spokesperson of the Dutch industry association RAI Vereniging, many Chinese counterfeit fat bikes came onto the road “via shady sellers”. It is doubtful whether the presence of the fatbike will continue to be so dominant in future sales statistics. There is a very strong call by politicians for additional measures to prevent tampering and the use of fatbikes by young teenagers.

Despite a conflict with European e-bike regulations, politicians continue to push for more restrictions on the use of fatbikes. Potential measures, like a mandatory helmet, could impact the sale of regular e-bikes as well and at least endanger other specific categories, like cargobikes, speed pedelecs and heavier e-bikes. Since this discussion seriously started last autumn, the distribution of fatbikes imploded.

E-bike market share under 50% again

E-bikes remain dominant in the market: 48% of new bicycles sold in 2024 were e-bikes, accounting for 72% of total market value. The inclusion of fatbikes in the market overview, plus the fact they are not regarded as e-bikes, drove down the e-bike market share from 56% in 2023. It is uncertain whether the e-bike has the potential to rise above 50% in market share in the coming years.

The city bike is still the dominant category in the e-bike market at 86.8%, where the remaining 13.2% is subdivided between 6 other categories. One of them is cargobikes, which are mainly sold with electric support, at 2.7% or 11,055 units. This low volume will raise some eyebrows in the industry as insiders estimate the total cargobike market between 50,000 and 70,000. The speed pedelecs lost even more ground in the Netherlands last year. In the 2024 market statistics the number of speed pedelecs sold declined by 19.5% from 3,966 in 2023 to 3,189 in 2024.

Read the full report with graphs on the Bike Europe website

FRANCE

French bike market contracts further in 2024

After a sharp market contraction in 2023, 2024 did not fully reverse the trend. According to the results of the 2024 French Cycle Observatory published by Union Sport & Cycle, the French bicycle market generated €3.232 billion in turnover, which was a 5.9% decline compared to 2023. In volume, 1,956,700 bicycles were sold, representing a 12% drop year-on-year, for a turnover of €2.003 billion (-8.3%).

The bicycle market already slipped to €2.182 billion in turnover in 2023, down 8% from 2022, with 2,321,000 units sold (-14% year-on-year). The 2024 results thus confirms a phase of adjustment, but also highlights the sector’s improved resilience: overall turnover has increased by 33% compared to 2019 over five years. 

E-bikes remain a market driver despite a slowdown 

The e-bike segment remains a major driver but showed an unexpected slowdown in 2024. With 565,225 units sold, e-bike sales fell by 16% year-on-year, following an initial warning sign in 2023 when sales dropped from 738,000 to 671,000 units (-9%). However, e-bikes still hold a strong position: 29% of all bicycles sold by volume and 58% by value, with an average price of €2,045 in 2024 (compared to €1,967 in 2023). Over the past decade, the market share of e-bikes has multiplied by 10. Today, e-bikes represent 43% of all electric vehicle sales in France (including cars, motorcycles, and scooters). 

Demand for regular bikes continued to decline, although some categories showed resilience. In 2024, 1,391,475 regular bikes were sold, down from 1,559,000 in 2023 (-11%). Mountain bikes, city bikes, and folding bikes remained in decline, while road bikes (+5% with 120,289 units) and gravel bikes (+13% with 74,619 units) posted growth.

P&A market: a slight decline but resilient 

The parts and accessories (P&A) segment also felt the impact of the tough economic environment. In 2024, it generated €1.116 billion in turnover, showing a modest -2.2% decline compared to 2023 (€1.142 billion). This decrease remains relatively minor given the pressure on consumer spending and confirms the resilience of the sector, which has grown by +30.6% since 2019 (€854 million). In comparison, the P&A segment had remained relatively stable in 2023, with only a -2% drop from 2022. Today, it remains a major pillar of the bike market, supported by increased demand for repairs, bike customisation, and regular maintenance. 

Another standout trend is the spectacular rise of the repair market. With turnover reaching €113 million in 2024 (+4.3% compared to 2023), the repair market has doubled since 2019 (+119%). In volume, 5.9 million repairs were carried out in 2024 – three times the number of new bikes sold. Already in 2023, the repair sector was valued at €111 million, having grown by 19% year-on-year.

Read the full report with graphs on the Bike Europe website