Germany

Eurobike 2026 was in size a shadow of its former self, a far cry from the industry's leading trade fair it once was. The industry brought this debacle upon itself by no longer participating in what was once the largest bicycle show in the world. Obviously, the visitor and exhibitor numbers for this transformation edition didn't come close to what they were in the past, but that also reflects the current economics in the bicycle industry.

In 2024, a team of investors acquired the insolvent bicycle helmet factory of D-H-G Knauer GmbH Kunststoffverarbeitung. Since relaunching as KED Ahead GmbH, the new owners have made significant strides. It turns out it wasn't enough. The asset that was repeatedly touted as a key selling point - namely, the "Made in Germany" production facility in Freiberg am Neckar is now being phased out.

Bicycle tyre manufacturer Schwalbe has announced the completion of a long-planned generational leadership transition, with the new management structure taking effect on 1 January 2027. After around three decades in executive leadership, Frank Bohle, Andreas Grothe and Holger Jahn will step down from their managing director roles, while Nico Simons will remain Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for global sales.

The disruptive developments in the industry trade show landscape are the culmination of the difficulties the sector has been facing for some time. The opening day of Eurobike 2026 only confirmed the industry's current fragmentation of former, long-existing structures. Who is really going to support this industry in going forward, defend its interests, and facilitate its international gatherings?

Innovation, networking and the international bike community come together at Eurobike 2026, where the industry's leading minds, brands and trends converge in Frankfurt.

The announcement of the new trade show by the German industry association ZIV leaves companies facing a choice between exhibiting at Eurobike or the new event called 'towards tomorrow - European Bike Show'. The ZIV show will take place in Cologne and is scheduled from 6 to 8 September 2027. Eurobike 2027 is scheduled for 1 to 3 September.

On the question of when Bosch would introduce an e-bike hub motor, Bosch eBike Systems CEO Claus Fleischer always consistently stated that this was not part of their product philosophy. However, the market is changing, which has made Bosch decide to expand into an all-new category for them: the stylish urban e-bikes.

Heiko Müller is stepping back from the management of Riese & Müller after more than three decades with the company he co-founded. His departure at the end of July concludes the operational responsibility of the founding generation, after Markus Riese stepped back from management in 2022.

As the bicycle industry asks for better product data, three European bike-tech companies, NOCA, DST and BikeFolder have combined resources to connect PLM and PIM software, an independent industry data standard and aftermarket digital twins into one practical industry solution. The collaboration is being rolled out under the name Smart Bike Brand.

Bosch eBike Systems is entering the fast-growing second-hand e-bike segment with a digital certification scheme, marking a notable step in the professionalisation of Europe's pre-owned market. From July 2026, German refurbishment specialist Rebike will be the first partner to certify e-bikes with Bosch's smart system and mark them with the 'Certified by Bosch' certificate.

The e-bike market share could reach as high as 80% according to past predictions. Since the start of the sales boom more than a decade ago, it was uncertain what market share the e-bike would eventually take of the total bicycle market in Europe. The 80% outlook now seems exaggerated, as the Europe-wide market share remains stuck at just under 40%. What has put a stop to the growth of the e-bike market?

German e-commerce giant The Platform Group (TPG) states that it has "fully met" its annual forecast, with significant growth in revenue and earnings. "The organic growth of our platforms was consistently strong, enabling us to successfully decouple from the generally weak retail industry trend," founder Dr Dominik Benner states. The group's activities in the bicycle industry include three online platforms and one brick-and-mortar store.

A new industry congress, Towards Tomorrow - Cycling Industry Convention 2026, will launch on 5 November at WECC Berlin, bringing together stakeholders from across the German bicycle industry. The event is organised by German trade organisations ZIV, Zukunft Fahrrad and VSF (Verbund Service und Fahrrad) and marks the organisation's next step since departing from Eurobike.

The Dutch bicycle industry is less enthusiastic about Eurobike this year than ever before. Many (former) exhibitors have revised their strategies and are skipping the struggling trade fair, according to a survey by Bike Europe's sister publication, Tweewieler. Most brands have stated that they now prefer other ways of connecting with customers.

Messe Frankfurt has taken up the challenge of getting the derailed Eurobike back on track. The once-leading platform for the e-bike and bicycle industry has lost its glamour in recent years. "A key topic that emerged from the more than 50 industry expert interviews we conducted was Eurobike's lack of focus," Philipp Ferger, manager of Eurobike organiser Fairnamic, told Bike Europe in an exclusive interview. "Our first step was to put up an advisory board — a regular vehicle to exchange views with the industry for many trade shows at Messe Frankfurt."

In response to industry requests, the Eurobike organiser, Fairnamic, has decided to move the show back to the first week of September, starting in 2027. This was announced after the Eurobike advisory board convened yesterday in Frankfurt to discuss the results of around 50 industry interviews and the feedback from a customer survey. And the new date is not the only change to the concept of the once-leading industry show.

Bike Leasing company JobRad is accelerating its international expansion strategy with the launch of dedicated refurbished bike webshops in Austria and the Netherlands, marking the company's first direct entry into the Dutch market through its JobRad Loop platform.

German trade organisation Zukunft Fahrrad and not-for-profit initiative DiBike (Digitise Bike Business) have launched a new infrastructure endeavour designed to simplify service verification workflows in the growing German bicycle leasing market.