Relative stability for Germany’s bike market + bricks & mortar remains king
The ZIV – Germany’s Bicycle Industry Association – has published its annual bicycle industry data for 2024, revealing relative stability for Germany’s bike market, not least in terms of eBike’s share of overall sales – the sector branded the “backbone” for the industry.
As seen in the UK cycling industry, bicycle and eBike sales were down in Germany in 2024 compared with 2023. A total of 3.85 million vehicles were sold in Germany (2.05 million eBikes and 1.8 million bicycles), representing a decrease of 2.53% compared to 2023 (2023: 3.95 million). For comparison, UK bicycle volumes were down -4% while eBike volumes were down -5%.
Sales remained relatively stable in 2024, like the year before: Total sales of bicycles and eBikes amounted to over €6.33 billion (2023: €7.06 billion), a decline of 10.3% compared to the previous year, but still significantly higher than 2019 sales (€4 billion).
Despite comparable changes in fortunes in 2024, Germany’s eBike market remains streets ahead of the UK’s: The 2024 share of electric bicycles sold in Germany remained at the previous year’s level at 53%. In unit terms, the UK’s eBikes take up just 9% of the overall bike market.
Bicycle prices
Across all sales channels – specialist retailers, online, self-service stores, etc – the industry recorded an average gross price of €500 for bicycles in 2024 (2023: €470) and €2,650 for eBikes (2023: €2,950). Discount campaigns in retail reduced the prices of eBikes by an average of 10.1% in 2024. The price of non-motorised bicycles increased by 6.4%. The ZIV believes that the share of bricks-and-mortar retailers in the bicycle industry remains very high at 70% (2023: 74%), as competent on-site advice plays an important role for customers.
“The economic situation in our industry remains tense. And we’re not over it yet. Nevertheless, the declines are smaller than expected. We currently expect the market to normalise from 2026 onwards,” said ZIV Managing Director Burkhard Stork.
“Many dealers and manufacturers still have high inventories,” said Katharina Hinse, Head of Economic and Industrial Policy at ZIV. “The record year of 2022 was an exceptional high that is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. Nevertheless, demand in the bicycle market remains extremely stable over a period of several years. There is no reason to assume that the bicycle and eBike market as a whole could decline in the coming years.”
Bicycle production
In 2024, the German bicycle industry produced 1.97 million units, roughly equivalent to that of 2019. Production of conventional bicycles decreased by 11.7% to 641,000 units (2023: 726,000 units). Production of eBikes fell by 14.8% to 1,330,000 units (2023: 1,561,000 units). Given the crisis affecting the German economy as a whole, the cumulative decline of 13.8% for both bicycle categories is relatively moderate compared to 2023, judged ZIV. “The eBike remains the backbone of bicycle production Made in Germany,” said Katharina Hinse of the ZIV (German Bicycle Association).
The number of traditional bicycles in Germany grew to 73 million. Last year, the association estimated the number of eBikes for 2023 at 11 million. Based on new findings on scrapping, the ZIV has retroactively revised the figures for previous years upwards. The current inventory for 2024 is 15.7 million eBikes. This means that there are a total of around 89 million bicycles and eBikes in Germany.
Gravel bikes and road bikes in particular performed exceptionally well (ZIV reported these separately in its data for the first time). So-called bikepacking, i.e., traveling with a bicycle and luggage, is gaining importance for tourism throughout Europe. Children’s and youth bikes are also showing positive market development – another marked contrast with the UK.
The workshop
Compared to the previous year, the Bicycle Retail Association Verbund Service und Fahrrad (VSF) reported a sales decline of almost 3%, continued high inventory levels, and a significantly lower average selling price. “The sales decline was expected following the boom in previous years and does not worry us. Furthermore, almost 80% of the retailers surveyed predict a normalisation of inventory levels before the end of this fiscal year. This is good news for the bicycle trade and for the industry, which will benefit from curated ordering behaviour,” says Uwe Wöll, Managing Director of the VSF. The sales decline is primarily due to strong discount campaigns.
“Almost 90% of businesses are recording a significant increase in workshop turnover,” reported Wöll for the VSF, which, together with BIKE&CO, represents a significant part of the stationary bicycle retail trade.
Hope for a dry spring
Katharina Hinse added: “2024 was challenging, but we are slowly seeing light at the end of the tunnel. We anticipate a challenging 2025 and hope for a good spring business. The first signs of improvement are already evident in the repair and accessories business. We expect a significant improvement for our industry from 2026 onwards.”
“A large proportion of the vehicles sold in Germany are produced in our country. We expect the future federal government to recognize and promote the potential of our future industry as part of the domestic economy,” added ZIV Managing Director Burkhard Stork.
