From pre-IPO acquirers to non-traditional investors and aftermarket economics, the next opportunity for bike startups may sit outside traditional cycling. After the capital reset, the cycling industry has been asking: when will investors come back? But maybe that is the wrong question.
The massive influx of non-compliant fatbikes in the Netherlands, combined with annoying user behaviour, prompted Dutch politicians to call for a wide range of restrictive measures. It gave the fatbikes a very bad image, prompting local distributor La Souris to find new markets abroad. Initially, investors were not eager to step in, but now La Souris has raised €6.5 mln from ING Bank to reach the company's strategy.
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?
In the Netherlands, fatbikes have become the new scooters. Not legally: a fatbike is still not a separate vehicle category. If it meets the rules for an electrically assisted bicycle, it is an e-bike. If it does not, it may quickly become something else, such as a moped.
China appears to be losing its foothold in the United States market, as first-quarter import figures reflect the lasting impact of US President Donald Trump's global tariffs. As markets adjust to last year's volatile rebalancing, a reshaped competitive landscape is emerging, with the old order fading across much of Asia.
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."
