In a recent interview with the German magazine Handelsblatt, Burkhard Stork of the industry association ZIV reported that the German Bicycle Market saw another decline in volumes in 2025.
The German bicycle market is starting 2026 in a more sober mood than the show floors of 2020–22 ever suggested. According to a report in the German magazine Handelsblatt that cites the industry association ZIV – The German Bicycle Industry, ZIV CEO Burkhard Stork says that the long-anticipated turnaround did not materialise in 2025 and volumes fell again – extending the slump into a fifth consecutive year.
The 2024 figures show why the correction continues to bite. Germany sold 3.85 million bikes and e-bikes in 2024, down 2.5% year-on-year, marking the fourth annual decline in a row at the time. That result set the stage for 2025: dealers entered the season with stock still to clear, and discounting stayed on the menu across broad parts of the market.
The Handelsblatt article argues that many companies misread the early-pandemic rush as a “new normal” rather than a pull-forward of future purchases. At the peak, Germany sold around five million bikes instead of the “usual” four million, and the uncomfortable question now is whether the market can sustainably absorb much more than that long-term average.
The pain, however, is unevenly distributed. Some brands and segments are navigating the downturn better than others – and at least one price bracket appears almost immune. Handelsblatt reports “no consumer restraint” for bikes in the high-end sector, underscoring that performance products can still drive spending even in cautious times. For many dealers, this split defines the day: value seekers compare discounts and financing, while high-end buyers ask for race-level specs, limited builds, and immediate availability.
There have also been glimmers of a turn. In the first quarter of 2025, ZIV reported end-customer sales up nearly 11% year-on-year to 885,000 units (385,000 bikes and 500,000 e-bikes). But the association warned that early-season numbers can mislead and noted that April and May did not keep the momentum, leaving the spring outlook only slightly positive at the time. By January 2026, the verdict for the German bicycle market is blunt again: the hoped-for turnaround did not arrive and liquidity remains tight for some companies.
For exhibitors and buyers, the implication is a shift from “growth stories” to “durability stories.” The most convincing pitches now centre on leaner assortments, better forecasting, and clearer value propositions—plus a bigger emphasis on aftersales. With Germany’s installed base of bikes and e-bikes continuing to expand, workshops, spare parts and service plans are becoming the most dependable revenue lines.
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