Bicycle Market 2025: Industry hopes for a "new normal" after sales decline

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The German bicycle industry, consisting of the Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV), the Service and Bicycle Association (VSF), and Zukunft Fahrrad, has presented the figures for the German bicycle market for 2025. The associations hope for better business this year after another slight decline in sales in 2025.

According to the association, revenues of 5.85 billion euros were generated in 2025. This corresponds to a further decline of 7.7 percent compared to the previous year, making it the weakest result since the Corona boom – however, sales remain significantly above pre-Corona levels.

Sales at pre-Corona level, revenue far above

Thus, the German bicycle industry is roughly back to pre-Corona levels in terms of bicycle and e-bike sales, while revenue is still significantly higher. "A new normal has indeed emerged," said ZIV Managing Director Burkhard Stork at the press conference. "The bicycle industry has not only withstood the fluctuations of recent years but has consolidated at a high level," according to ZIV.

The number of bicycles sold only slightly decreased from 3.9 to 3.8 million, according to ZIV. The market share was 52.7 percent for e-bikes and 47.3 percent for classic bicycles. With around 2 million e-bikes sold, sales remained at a high level.

In addition, customers were able to benefit from high discounts, especially on e-bikes, as the average price fell by 3.8 percent to 2550 euros. Conventional bicycles cost an average of 500 euros, as in the previous year. Prices were pushed down by discount campaigns in almost all model groups, with high-priced racing and gravel bikes stabilizing the average. According to ZIV, the inventories that were rapidly filled after Corona could continue to be sold off, "a normal level should be reached again by the end of this year," the association stated.

According to Burkhard Stork, the bicycle industry is stabilizing at a consistent level: "Demand for bicycles is less dependent on the economic cycle than often assumed. Overall, the bicycle industry remains a reliable guarantor of long-term value creation." He also noted that the product mix is shifting slightly. The proportion of classic bicycles is currently increasing, while the e-bike market is slightly correcting itself at a high level.

Trekking bikes particularly in demand

In terms of models, the trekking bike remains the most popular bicycle with a market share of 38 percent in Germany. This is followed by the city bike with a distant 14 percent, and then the gravel bike with a share of ten percent. Cargo bikes currently account for two percent of the market. The association notes that cargo bikes have consolidated their position.

Looking only at e-bikes, e-mountain bikes are in first place with 38 percent, followed by e-trekking bikes with 24 percent, e-city bikes with 19 percent, and e-cargo bikes with 9.5 percent.

Growth in leasing and refurbishment

Regarding sales channels, about two-thirds of bicycles are sold through stationary specialist retailers, with another 24 percent sold through specialized online retailers. However, sales in specialist retail decreased by 6.8 percent. Average purchase prices remained high: customers pay 1445 euros for classic bicycles and 3972 euros for e-bikes in specialist retail. According to the VSF, the development in workshop services is pleasing: they increased in revenue by 13.5 percent, and the association generally hopes for stronger workshop business. The vast majority of workshops plan to expand their service offerings.

Company bike leasing represents a significant driver of average prices per bike in VSF businesses, with a revenue share of almost 42 percent. With subsidies from employers and tax advantages, customers are increasingly opting for more expensive and better-equipped models. However, the number of new company bikes leased in 2025 was 720,000, five percent lower than in the previous year. According to Zukunft Fahrrad, only eleven percent of the approximately 22.6 million people eligible for leasing utilize these options. Currently, according to the association, more than 340,000 companies offer company bike leasing as a benefit to their employees.

A side effect of company bike leasing is leased bikes returning to the market, which flow into the refurbishment market. According to ZIV, these professionally reconditioned, often high-quality used bicycles now represent a "significant share of the total market." Since 2023, the number of refurbished bikes sold annually has increased by around 192 percent, according to data from the associations.

(afl)