ZIV expects that the situation for bicycle, e-bike, bicycle parts and accessories manufacturers and retailers will remain tight this year. "We are still moving towards normalization of the bicycle market. We see the light at the end of the tunnel in 2026, which marks the end of difficult times," said Burkhard Stork. In addition, since the year-on-year growth rate in 2024 is very weak, the double-digit growth data cannot yet be used as proof that the market is returning to normal.
On the eve of the Eurobike Show, the German Bicycle Industry Federation (ZIV) released market data for the German bicycle industry in the first quarter of 2025. ZIV CEO Burkhard Stork said: "At present, the overall sentiment in the bicycle market has improved, including bicycle parts and components, and the economy remains stable."
Sales status
According to the German Bicycle Association (ZIV), terminal sales in the German bicycle market in the first quarter of 2025 were higher than in the same period last year. As of the end of March, bicycle sales were 385,000 units, an increase of 10% over the first quarter of 2024 (350,000 units). E-bike sales reached 500,000 units, an increase of about 11% over the first quarter of 2024 (450,000 units). Overall, bicycle and e-bike sales reached 885,000 units in the first quarter of this year, an increase of nearly 11% over the first quarter of 2024 (800,000 units). According to ZIV data, sales fell slightly in April and May, so the year-on-year growth in the whole spring (as of the end of May) was only about 5%.
Good sales in recent months have further reduced inventory levels across the industry, especially in the retail sector. Demand for sports bikes, especially road bikes and gravel bikes, remains good. In the e-bike sector, electric mountain bikes were highly sought after at the beginning of the year.
Production
According to the German Bicycle Association (ZIV), in the first quarter of 2025, German manufacturers produced around 520,000 e-bikes, an increase of nearly 16% year-on-year. In the same period, a total of 240,000 bicycles were produced, an increase of nearly 10% over the same period in 2024. A total of 760,000 bicycles and e-bikes were produced, an increase of nearly 13.5% over the same period last year (2024: 670,000). Burkhard Stork emphasized: "The first three months of the year can only serve as a limited indicator for annual forecasts, because usually during this period, preparations are made for the peak sales season and pre-production is carried out for the next quarter. The data has limited reference value and does not fully represent the actual sales situation throughout the year."
Import and export situation
In the first quarter of 2025, Germany exported about 182,000 bicycles, which is almost 25% more than in the same period last year (146,000). E-bikes were exported at 156,000, which is almost 7% more than in the same period of 2024 (146,000). Overall, bicycle and e-bike exports (338,000) were about 16% higher than in the same period last year (292,000). In the first quarter of 2025, Germany imported 439,000 bicycles and 202,000 e-bikes, which is about 30% and 24% more than in the same period of 2024 (bicycles: 339,000; e-bikes: 163,000), respectively. As a result, imports in the first quarter of this year (641,000) were almost 28% higher than in the same period last year (502,000).
