ARGE Fahrrad reports sales of 389,000 bicycles to Austrian sports and bicycle retailers in 2025. This corresponds to a decline of 1.7 per cent compared to the previous year. However, total sales will rise to 1.097 billion euros, which corresponds to an increase of 3.9 per cent. E-bikes account for 79 per cent of sales. The figures show a market that is stabilising after difficult years and is generating significant growth momentum in individual categories. According to the press release, the association sees positive signals for the Austrian bicycle market. After the intensive sales in the 2024 season, the stock situation has stabilised. In 2025, only selective sell-offs took place, which led to a significant easing of the remaining stock situation.
Gravel bikes as a growth driver
Gravel bikes are developing into the strongest growth category in the Austrian bike market. With 29,000 units sold, the category recorded an increase of 48.3 per cent. For non-electric gravel bikes, the increase is as high as 74 per cent. Demand is broadening and, for the first time, increasingly includes the entry-level segment. Men and women alike are turning to these versatile bikes.
Hans-Jürgen Schoder, spokesman for ARGE Fahrrad, sees this development as a signal in favour of the diversity of bicycle use. People are looking for experiences, want to be out and about and stay active at the same time. Gravel is developing into a lifestyle-orientated category with a growing number of events and high demand for specific clothing and accessories. Bikes are also increasingly being used in everyday life and are expanding the spectrum of mobility to include a sporty form of transport.
Children's bikes grow
It's not just gravel bikes that are growing: children's bikes are also recording strong growth in 2025. A total of 64,000 children's and youth bikes were sold, which corresponds to growth of 9 per cent. According to the press release, parents are increasingly focussing on quality, which is particularly noticeable around Easter. Sales during this period were above average. E-bikes in the trekking and SUV e-bike categories are also providing impetus. These everyday e-bikes with profiled tyres, suspension forks, sturdy frames and comfort-oriented equipment recorded an increase of 18 percent.
E-bike share reaches new high
E-bikes maintain their high market share at 57 per cent. The share of e-bikes for adults is 69 per cent - a new high. In comparison: in Germany, the e-bike share in 2025 was 53 per cent, in Switzerland 41 per cent. In Austria, e-bikes are heavily used for leisure and tourism. According to the association ARGE-Fahrrad, the market situation in 2025 was challenging for individual retailers and the dynamics varied from region to region and company to company. "With reliable funding structures and a consistently expanded cycling infrastructure, the existing potential for everyday use, and thus for the mobility transition, could be exploited much better," explains the Austrian industry association ARGE-Fahrrad.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
