Trend towards motors: Will the normal bicycle be replaced by the e-bike?

The Pedelec, also known colloquially as an e-bike, dominates the bicycle market. Fewer and fewer people are opting for a conventional bicycle. What is the hype about the e-bike and why price is not always the deciding factor – a search for clues among manufacturers and users.

The fascination of e-bikes

Ulrike and Raimund Lowak from Schwäbisch Gmünd often and happily ride their new e-bikes. They ride comfortably up the mountain at 20 kilometers per hour, with the lush green of the forest shining on both sides. In the first few weeks after purchasing the bike, they have already ridden 1,000 kilometers on their Pedelec.

The additional power makes the journey to work or a weekend trip more appealing. “You simply have a larger radius,” said Ulrike Lowak. A normal bike is no longer an option for her. “Because you would always end up taking the car at the weekend.”

But the built-in tailwind comes at a price. The electric support costs several thousand euros. Ulrike and Raimund Lowak financed it with “bike leasing” through their employer. “You just have the monthly installments, which you can definitely manage. If I had to pay it all in one go, it probably wouldn’t be possible either,” says Raimund Lowak.

The e-bike dominates the bicycle market

Many people use bike leasing, including financing through installments, says bicycle dealer Klaus Grässle. He has been running a bicycle shop in Schwäbisch Gmünd for 40 years. E-bikes now account for 90 to 95 percent of sales in his shop, he says. “In the adult sector, ‘bio-bikes’ are practically extinct.”

Is the bio-bike, as the classic bicycle is now called in professional circles, also a relic from the past? Not quite, says Burkhard Stork, managing director of the Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV). “The classic bicycle will not die out. But one thing is absolutely clear: the e-bike is more economically interesting and also more interesting for the transport transition.”

This is also shown by the ZIV figures: In spring 2024, significantly fewer “normal” bicycles were sold than in the previous year. Instead of 800,000 in spring 2023, there were only 650,000 this spring, a decrease of almost 20 percent. Although the bikes with motor support are more expensive, the sales figures for e-bikes remained stable. Half of all e-bikes are financed through leasing, says Burkhard Stork.

But traditional bicycles are also sometimes financed through leasing. This is especially true for high-quality sports bikes, such as the gravel bike – a racing bike that is suitable for off-road use. These are currently particularly popular in the “normal” bike sector.

The future of the bicycle

The bicycle market has a good future ahead of it, says Stork, even if some segments will disappear from the market. “There will always be sporty and simple bikes, and a group of people for whom it is important to ride without motor support.”

Klaus Grässle’s bike shop also still has a few classic bikes that are powered solely by muscle power. Does it do any harm if the “normal” bike dies out? “I think there used to be wooden balance bikes, but they’re no longer available,” he says, laughing.