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Bicycles «made in Germany»
29 January 2025
The German bicycle industry combines tradition with innovation in an exemplary manner. Once the country’s first vehicle industry, today it is at the forefront of new developments and an important production location.
The German bicycle industry combines tradition with innovation in an exemplary manner. Once the country’s first vehicle industry, today it is at the forefront of new developments and an important production location.
Industry with a long tradition
The German vehicle industry has its origins in the manufacture of bicycles. Indeed, its roots extend back to the 1880s. The first German bicycle factory, Wanderer-Fahrradwerke, was established in around 1885. This company went on to also produce cars and became a part of Audi. A short time later, Opel, which was still producing sewing machines at the time, began mass-producing bicycles. The Mannesmann brothers also contributed to bicycle construction with roller-forged bicycle cranks and above all with the development of seamless rolled tubing for frame construction. By 1896, 200,000 bicycles had already been produced in Germany. In 1923, Opel was the first German company ever to set up a production line for the manufacture of bicycles, becoming the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world. A bicycle was wheeled off the production line every seven seconds – at the time, assembly line production was also being trialled for the automotive sector. As early as 1935, 2.2 million bicycles had been produced in Germany.
Germany remains a leading market for innovations and trends to this day and one of the most important bicycle markets and production centres in the world.
Germany remains a leading market for innovations and trends to this day and one of the most important bicycle markets and production centres in the world.
Bicycles and e-bikes «made in Germany»
In 2023, around 2.3 million bicycles and e-bikes were produced in Germany, manufactured by more than one hundred companies in their own factories or commissioned production plants in Germany. State-of-the-art facilities for bicycles and e-bikes «made in Germany» can today be found in many parts of the country.
The production processes are similar in most plants, optimised according to the respective local conditions or specs for the models to be produced. The tube frames are powder-coated and painted in the factories of many German manufacturers after a quality check – sometimes individually, according to customers’ requirements. While painting frames in-house may require a lot of energy, quality control and flexibility are decisive advantages. Decorations such as brand or product names are applied by hand, then fired. In other factories, the frames are delivered already painted and decorated.
Spoking the wheels, i.e. connecting the rim, spokes and hub, is another step that is mostly carried out by hand, although ultra-modern centring machines are today used to centre the wheels. The brake and gear cables and any other necessary cables are first fed through the frames. The finished wheels and other parts such as handlebars, cranks, pedals, mudguards, saddles and, where relevant, the engine (many of which are made in Germany) are gradually installed at the assembly stations. Following a quality check, the finished bikes are packaged and delivered to the retailer or directly to customers.
The variety of bicycles manufactured in Germany ranges from balance bikes and pedal bikes for children, folding bikes with or without an engine, compact bikes, city bikes, mountain bikes, racing and gravel bikes, special bikes, etc. through to a wide range of cargo bikes. Most German manufacturers mainly produce e-bikes. This is partly due to the increase in demand in recent years and partly due to the early acquisition of expertise and development of the corresponding products in Germany. Without the anti-dumping and countervailing duties on e-bikes imported from China, which were imposed in 2019, this diversity of production would not exist in Germany today.
Bicycles and e-bikes «made in Germany» are in high demand in other European countries. A total of more than 1.4 million units were exported from Germany to Europe in 2023, with the share of e-bikes also growing here, but still lagging behind that of bicycles. The main customer for both bicycles and e-bikes is the Netherlands, followed by Austria. Germany is the largest bicycle and e-bike market in Europe and the German bicycle industry is recognised worldwide for its innovative power. The new models and developments created here are attracting international attention. Market developments in this country are also often an indicator of global market developments. This can also be discerned at the world’s leading annual trade fair, Eurobike.
The production processes are similar in most plants, optimised according to the respective local conditions or specs for the models to be produced. The tube frames are powder-coated and painted in the factories of many German manufacturers after a quality check – sometimes individually, according to customers’ requirements. While painting frames in-house may require a lot of energy, quality control and flexibility are decisive advantages. Decorations such as brand or product names are applied by hand, then fired. In other factories, the frames are delivered already painted and decorated.
Spoking the wheels, i.e. connecting the rim, spokes and hub, is another step that is mostly carried out by hand, although ultra-modern centring machines are today used to centre the wheels. The brake and gear cables and any other necessary cables are first fed through the frames. The finished wheels and other parts such as handlebars, cranks, pedals, mudguards, saddles and, where relevant, the engine (many of which are made in Germany) are gradually installed at the assembly stations. Following a quality check, the finished bikes are packaged and delivered to the retailer or directly to customers.
The variety of bicycles manufactured in Germany ranges from balance bikes and pedal bikes for children, folding bikes with or without an engine, compact bikes, city bikes, mountain bikes, racing and gravel bikes, special bikes, etc. through to a wide range of cargo bikes. Most German manufacturers mainly produce e-bikes. This is partly due to the increase in demand in recent years and partly due to the early acquisition of expertise and development of the corresponding products in Germany. Without the anti-dumping and countervailing duties on e-bikes imported from China, which were imposed in 2019, this diversity of production would not exist in Germany today.
Bicycles and e-bikes «made in Germany» are in high demand in other European countries. A total of more than 1.4 million units were exported from Germany to Europe in 2023, with the share of e-bikes also growing here, but still lagging behind that of bicycles. The main customer for both bicycles and e-bikes is the Netherlands, followed by Austria. Germany is the largest bicycle and e-bike market in Europe and the German bicycle industry is recognised worldwide for its innovative power. The new models and developments created here are attracting international attention. Market developments in this country are also often an indicator of global market developments. This can also be discerned at the world’s leading annual trade fair, Eurobike.
E-bikes are the dominant electric vehicle on the German market
In 2023, more e-bikes were sold than bicycles for the first time, namely around 1.9 million bicycles and 2.1 million e-bikes. The number of e-bikes produced by German manufacturers already exceed the number of bicycles they produced back in 2019.
Bicycle and e-bike production in Germany (in million units)
In recent years, e-bikes have contributed significantly to increasing companies’ turnover. By 2023, sales were twice as high as in 2018 and even four times as high as in 2013. E-bikes are thus a driver of sales, turnover and innovation in the German bicycle industry. In 2023, the sale of bicycles and e-bikes in Germany generated turnover totalling just over €7 billion. For cargo bikes in particular for which demand has increased steadily in recent years, an engine is a decisive factor for many buyers.
In recent years, e-bikes have contributed significantly to increasing companies’ turnover. By 2023, sales were twice as high as in 2018 and even four times as high as in 2013. E-bikes are thus a driver of sales, turnover and innovation in the German bicycle industry. In 2023, the sale of bicycles and e-bikes in Germany generated turnover totalling just over €7 billion. For cargo bikes in particular for which demand has increased steadily in recent years, an engine is a decisive factor for many buyers.
High production depth for parts and accessories – not just «everything from Asia»
Contrary to popular belief, a whole variety of high-quality bicycle parts and accessories are manufactured at production facilities in Germany. Spokes, chains, lights, helmets, mudguards, pannier racks, bells, locks: there’s a manufacturing company in Germany specialising in almost every part of a bicycle! The production depth is very high, too – from the plastic granulate for the housing to the finished bike light, in some places everything takes place in one factory. Some companies have their own electroplating facilities for handlebars, seat posts or lamp housings, for example. Start-ups from the automotive industry are building innovative gear hubs in Germany, and new drive and gearshift systems are being developed and manufactured here. There are some hidden champions as well as producers of world market-leading products. By far the highest quality hub dynamos are developed and produced in Germany.
Bicycle frames are currently mostly produced outside of Germany. Exceptions include limited series and customised products. Aluminium frames are mainly imported from China. Bicycle frames made of carbon are predominantly produced in Taiwan, where a great deal of expertise has been developed over the decades. A bicycle frame (and parts) production facility has also been established in Portugal, which already supplies several German manufacturers. Even though most of the battery cell production for e-bike batteries takes place in China and entire battery packs are also imported from Asia, battery packs for e-bikes are also produced in Europe and in Germany. Drive systems for e-bikes are being developed in Germany by a growing number of German manufacturers (often with roots in the automotive industry) and are often also manufactured here – sometimes with very high production depth.
Bicycle frames are currently mostly produced outside of Germany. Exceptions include limited series and customised products. Aluminium frames are mainly imported from China. Bicycle frames made of carbon are predominantly produced in Taiwan, where a great deal of expertise has been developed over the decades. A bicycle frame (and parts) production facility has also been established in Portugal, which already supplies several German manufacturers. Even though most of the battery cell production for e-bike batteries takes place in China and entire battery packs are also imported from Asia, battery packs for e-bikes are also produced in Europe and in Germany. Drive systems for e-bikes are being developed in Germany by a growing number of German manufacturers (often with roots in the automotive industry) and are often also manufactured here – sometimes with very high production depth.
The bicycle – an economic factor beyond production
In addition to the production of bicycles, parts and accessories, other bicycle-related products and services help to create value in Germany. A number of federal states have recognised this and are exploring the economic potential of bicycles. North Rhine-Westphalia[1] and Rhineland-Palatinate[2] published their own studies in 2024, for example.
Specialist retailers and the workshops usually associated with these are important pillars of the German retail trade and are also have a presence in rural areas. The fact that cycle tourism is also an important economic factor has already been recognised in many regions, even if the potential is far from exhausted.[3] Overnight stays, bike hire and tourism offers provide employment and revenue potential here.
Company bike leasing schemes have contributed significantly to the growth in the bike industry in recent years, with turnover among leasing providers increasing almost fivefold since 2019.[4] Bike sharing schemes, software solutions and bicycle logistics are other services boosting bicycle-related sales in Germany.
Specialist retailers and the workshops usually associated with these are important pillars of the German retail trade and are also have a presence in rural areas. The fact that cycle tourism is also an important economic factor has already been recognised in many regions, even if the potential is far from exhausted.[3] Overnight stays, bike hire and tourism offers provide employment and revenue potential here.
Company bike leasing schemes have contributed significantly to the growth in the bike industry in recent years, with turnover among leasing providers increasing almost fivefold since 2019.[4] Bike sharing schemes, software solutions and bicycle logistics are other services boosting bicycle-related sales in Germany.
Production location with potential for the future
Medium-sized companies, many of which have been family-owned for a long time, make up a large part of the German bicycle industry. They are firmly rooted in their respective regions and offer jobs and added value away from large conurbations. The long tradition of the bicycle industry in Germany and the future viability of bicycles as a product offers the ideal conditions for Germany to remain the industry’s leading market, in the future if the framework conditions are right.
Footnotes
[1] Kompetenznetzwerk Umweltwirtschaft.NRW (2024): MIT RÜCKENWIND – Branchenbericht zur
Fahrradwirtschaft in NRW. Commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MUNV). Düsseldorf.
[2] Rudolph F.; Butzin A.; Terstriep J. (2024): Wirtschaftsfaktor Radfahren in RLP. Bedeutung und Zukunftsperspektiven. Commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz.
[3] Cf: ADFC Bicycle Travel Analysis 2024 or SINUS-Institut: Fahrrad-Monitor 2023.
[4] Deloitte und Zukunft Fahrrad (2024): Der deutsche Dienstradleasing-Markt.
Fahrradwirtschaft in NRW. Commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MUNV). Düsseldorf.
[2] Rudolph F.; Butzin A.; Terstriep J. (2024): Wirtschaftsfaktor Radfahren in RLP. Bedeutung und Zukunftsperspektiven. Commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture Rhineland-Palatinate. Mainz.
[3] Cf: ADFC Bicycle Travel Analysis 2024 or SINUS-Institut: Fahrrad-Monitor 2023.
[4] Deloitte und Zukunft Fahrrad (2024): Der deutsche Dienstradleasing-Markt.
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Document created| 29.01.25