The Netherlands

Following well-documented financial struggles over the last few years, Accell today has stated that the last debt reduction has further stabilised the company, "while additional funding enabled Accell to accelerate the execution of the final steps of its transformation." As it prepares for this season with a sharpened portfolio of new models and a significantly leaner build after divesting non-core brands, is the once mighty Accell Group now out of the woods?

As Europe continues to see widespread adoption of the bike-leasing model, the development of two new programs shows how the model is diversifying. The standardised bike-leasing format has taken over corporate offices, offering employees an alternative path to bike ownership with swanky new e-bikes for a reduced overall cost.

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.

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.

A recent consumer survey across Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands shows distinct differences in purchasing behaviour and e-bike-buying priorities.

Steel lies at the heart of vanRaam's production history. This has since been expanded to encompass a unique set of in-house production competencies in its bicycle factory in the Netherlands. The 13,500-square-metre facility features in-house frame production, robotic welding, 3D laser cutting, CNC machining and wheel production. All the reasons for Bike Europe to take a look at 'The Factory Floor' of adaptive bike manufacturer… vanRaam.

About six years ago, Dutch company Tiler introduced an innovative charging tile that allows e-bikes to be charged via the kickstand. In recent years, Tiler was active in the Benelux B2B market and recently introduced a charging tile for consumers. Financial issues from the past, however, have forced the company to apply for bankruptcy, despite encouraging signs of market acceptance. But the story doesn't end here; Founder Olivier Coops is confident of a rapid restart.

The total market value in the Netherlands surged by more than 60% in the past 10 years, driven by the rising average retail prices for e-bikes. In 2025, combined bicycle and e-bike sales totalled at €1.533 billion, a 1.3% decline from 2024. Market growth over the past years has masked declining sales volumes. In 2025, the market experienced a further 7% decline in units. At the same time, the average price increase of e-bikes and bicycles combined exceeded the rate of inflation more than twice. To what extent will consumers continue to pay the ever-increasing prices?

The Dutch manufacturer Gravaa, which developed a unique tyre pressure system based on a pump integrated in the hub, has gone bankrupt. They became known as pioneers of a technically impressive system that allowed cyclists to adjust tyre pressure from the handlebars while riding. "Without fresh funding, there was unfortunately no other viable option," wrote Gravaa, in a statement.

HEERENVEEN, the Netherlands - Velo-ce S.R.L. today announced the acquisition of the titanium bike brand Van Nicholas from Accell Group. The Italian company Velo-ce, renowned for its meticulous in-house bicycle production and state-of-the-art facility near Milan, will now take full responsibility for the production and distribution of Van Nicholas bicycles.

NEW YORK, United States - Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Accell Group's long-term credit rating at 'CCC', indicating that the company remains under significant financial pressure. While Accell is making progress in its turnaround, its current position is still fragile, mainly due to weak market conditions, high debt levels and limited cash generation, the agency determined.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - The Dutch bicycle market has enjoyed favourable market conditions throughout the year. According to the third-quarter report from the benchmark group of H&L Accountancy, the average retail revenue in the Netherlands increased by 5.4% compared to the same period last year. It is probably not the best quarter of the year, but the market is still buoyant.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Two heavyweight names from the e-bike and automotive industries have failed to successfully launch a new e-bike brand. Soon after Porsche AG and Pon Holdings established the joint venture P2 eBike GmbH in 2022, investors openly stated that creating a new e-bike brand was not the best way to move forward in the industry.

HEERENVEEN, The Netherlands - The final Batavus bicycles have rolled off the assembly line in the Netherlands, marking the end of an era for the Accell Group as it opts for centralised production in Hungary. It also marks the end of 45 years in the bicycle industry for Accell stalwart Menno Visser, who is now retiring. Having started at Batavus on the assembly line, he worked his way up to commercial director and spent the past years as a project manager at Accell. In an exclusive interview, he reflects on industry changes and his vision for the future.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Benelux countries and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are joining forces with MyBike and other bicycle registration systems to tackle cross-border bicycle theft in a structural way. The partners presented a joint position paper in Brussels this November with concrete recommendations for a systematic European approach to organised bicycle theft, which often crosses borders.