The worldwide bike market experienced another turbulent year in 2025. Under these circumstances, "Pon.Bike stabilised its turnover at around €2 billion and remained a profitable business with positive operating earnings," owner Pon Holdings announced yesterday. One of the industry's largest bicycle manufacturers states that business again proved to be resilient thanks to its diversified portfolio and market position.

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.

The Dutch bicycle market has enjoyed favourable market conditions throughout 2025. According to the annual report from H&L Accountancy's benchmark group, average retail revenue increased by 5.3% across bicycle retailers in the Netherlands. However, at the same time, the gross margin decreased by 0.9 percentage points, bringing it to 28.0% as labour costs put pressure on margins.

The trade show landscape is adrift and in uncertainty since German industry organisations announced that they will pull out of Eurobike. For decades, the show served as a stable base for the bicycle trade. It was the place to be for the industry and was its window to the rest of the world. Since the organisations ZIV and Zukunft Fahrrad turned their back on Eurobike, this seems to be history, especially for the German companies. Even more telling, newcomers are jumping at the opportunity to capture the audience's attention.

Fatbikes have been flagged by the Union des Entreprises Sport and Cycle (UESC) as the overwhelming source of non-compliant e-bikes on France's streets, accounting for 94%. The union published a report last month raising the alarm on the increasing number of vehicles marketed in France as e-bikes that do not comply with current regulations.

As the world's leading bicycle component supplier, there is no better thermometer for the industry than Shimano. For fiscal year 2025, the Japanese manufacturer reported a 2.7% increase in net sales in bicycle components - a slight glimmer of hope that an industry rebound is imminent.