Purchasing A Bike: When Is The Perfect Time

The best time to buy a bike depends on many factors and can be very individual. Nevertheless, according to experts, now is precisely the right time for price and availability. Checking prices and knowing the right time is also essential when placing a bet at 22Bet.

Buying a bike is (almost) always worthwhile. The only question is when is the best time. Whether for health, a sustainable transport transition, or due to the circumstances of the 2020/2021 pandemic, the bicycle industry is experiencing a boom, which is continuing. While the leisure market is more or less saturated, the demand for e-bikes and everyday bikes continues to rise.

Experts say now is the right time to buy a new (e-)bike. Here, you can find out why this is the case, what you can bear in mind, and which bike category this does not apply to.

When To Purchase A Bike: An Overview Of The Market

Sales of bicycles have quadrupled in the last 10 years.

To understand when the best time to buy a bike is, it’s worth understanding the bike market a little better. There are currently 82.8 million bicycles in Germany. Statistically, this means that almost every German has a bike or e-bike. Let’s take a closer look at the development of the past few years in figures:

Sales Figures

From 2012 to 2018, sales of bicycles in Germany increased by just one billion euros within seven years (from 2.3 to 3.07 billion).

From 2018 to 2019, sales rose by the same amount in just one year.

The first real sales boom came in 2020 in the first year of coronavirus: sales of 6.44 billion euros were generated in 2020. In other words, almost 2.5 billion euros of growth in just one year.

In 2021, sales of around the same amount were achieved, and in 2022, they were exceeded again by almost 1 billion euros (7.36 billion euros).

According to the ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband), there are three reasons for the quadrupling of turnover in the past 10 years:

• Increased demand
• Higher quality products
• A high proportion of e-bikes

Conclusion: More bikes are being bought, and more expensive bikes are being purchased with higher quality standards.

Bicycles And E-Bikes Sold

The total number of bikes sold to consumers in 2022 was 4.6 million. Of these, 2.2 million were e-bikes. Therefore, the market share of e-bikes was 48%, and the ZIV is forecasting further growth: “We expect e-bikes to overtake non-motorized bicycles in terms of unit sales for the first time this year,” says Managing Director Burkhard Stork.

Production Of Bicycles

A total of 2.6 million bicycles and e-bikes were produced in Germany in 2022 – more than ever before. This included 900,000 bicycles and 1.72 million e-bikes (an increase of 20% from the previous year). Another post-corona development is that production is shifting to production facilities within the EU and away from Asia.

The shorter distances and generally higher environmental standards resulting from “nearshoring” ensure greater sustainability in the industry (production and logistics).

The Price Trend In 2023

Want to buy a bike this year? The price trend shows when and whether this is a good idea. Shortly after the coronavirus boom, demand for bicycles fell again, but more (e-)bikes were continuously produced and delivered. This is because, during the coronavirus period, there were supply bottlenecks and increases in raw material prices. The bikes ordered were delivered and completed much later than expected. This led to an oversupply of bicycles in 2023 and, thus, to full warehouses at manufacturers and dealers.

Manager Magazin summarizes four reasons for the price reductions:

• Supply chains are easing
• Demand is falling
• Raw materials and transportation are becoming cheaper
• Online retailers fuel the price war

Prices have been slashed for the first time since the boom to boost sales. In September 2023, Bike Magazine reported that many brands and retailers had cut their prices by 20%, and some even more.