After several challenging years for the bicycle industry, the Austrian industry and market proved remarkably stable in 2025. It went back to normal. In 2025, Austria's bicycle and sporting goods retail sector sold approximately 389,000 units.

GfK research in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium highlights four trends in purchasing behaviour and priorities when buying an e-bike. The e-bike is no longer just a recreational luxury but is increasingly becoming a serious mobility alternative that influences daily travel behaviour.

Although the March Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) data points to sustained improvements in new incoming order levels and the own purchasing levels of bicycles, the assessment of the current industry situation remains poor or average at best. Business sentiment has failed to recover from the drop following Eurobike 2025.

For the first time since 2020, the United Kingdom's cycling market has returned to growth in 2025, reports the UK Bicycle Association (BA). Total market value rose 5% year-on-year to reach just under £1.9 billion (€2.2 billion) in 2025, returning close to 2022 levels after several years of decline.

The latest edition of Bike Europe magazine (issue 1/2026) is now available to read online in our digital magazine section. This edition highlights cautious optimism voiced amid ongoing ­industry doubts. The inventory situation — the big hurdle of the past years — is also stabilising.

The bicycle industry is entering a new phase of digital maturity. Connected e-bikes, rider apps and smart diagnostics are generating unprecedented volumes of user data, turning bikes into "a data collector on wheels." Bike Europe sat down with Paolo Balboni, an expert European lawyer specialised in privacy, data sharing and cybersecurity law, to better understand how companies can mitigate risk and stay compliant.