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Eurobike. That big, German, European, bike show, hosted in the city which the European Central Bank calls home – Frankfurt….. Oh, hold on a minute, that’s what I said last year….
And here’s the thing: As time passes, even what stays the same is no longer the same. The world in which it exists is changing (has changed) and, as a result, so has our view of these things.
To the credit of the Eurobike team, they are all over this. Change. Reinventing the show.
A few, obvious, headline examples of this:
- Embracing eMobility
- Championing active travel
- Locating the show in a city where active travel is high on the agenda
- Giving their platform and voice, supporting lobbying for cycling infrastructure
- Continuing to offer the sport and leisure sector a high-quality event platform
Now, it’s important to acknowledge that how we, the trade, the media, and the public, see and experience the show has changed. In some instances, radically.
What we expect of Eurobike has, as a result, also changed.
If we’re all wearing rose-tinted glasses for Friedrichshafen, that drunken nostalgia isn’t going to keep us in business. Ask anyone who’s ever tried selling new old stock of a 3 + years old bike: The public doesn’t want it, even at an absolute bargain, you’re-losing-money-on-it, price. Still not convinced? Ask the team who delivered Interbike.
So, what is Eurobike in 2025?
2025 sees the show switching to a 2.5-day trade, 2.5-day public format. A smart move (IMHO) given the show’s home market, Germany, is the biggest e-bike market in Europe*.
Would being able to sell from stands, on the public days, make the show more commercially appealing? Big question. I don’t profess to have the answer. All I can say is that in an omnichannel world, it’s certainly something most prospects and customers would likely expect.
*Notice I mentioned that Germany is the biggest e-bike market in Europe. Because it’s not the biggest in the world. Getting into the weeds of ‘what-is-an-eBike’ here, as, depending on what you include, when using the e-bike naming convention, the biggest market would be the Southeast Asian market, where the Eurobike organisers have Asiabike Jakarta – a unique show which brings together all elements of eMobility and EV, on 2, 3 or 4 wheels.
Now, where are a significant number of today’s most influential voices in the cycling industry coming from?
That’s right, the auto, motorcycle, and LEV industries.
Askoll. Bosch. Brose (Yamaha). Classified. E2Drives. Gates. Gobao. Mahle. Niche Mobility. Pinion. PON. Porsche e-Bike Performance (Fazua). Valeo. ZF. And then there’s Also., who joined the sector this year with a small operating budget of “$105 million ….”
What is the single biggest thing happening in the auto industry right now? The transition from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to Electric Vehicles (EV).
Now, how might that impact the Cycling Industry?
What might that do for the Total Addressable Market (TAM)? For engaging a new-mobility curious audience spanning the ‘inquisitive-to-enthusiastic’ spectrum?
Not interested in all these auto industry-related examples and comparisons?
Ask Specialized about the launch of a ‘brand-first’ Class 3-enabled e-bike. Or Trek, who introduced the brand’s first-ever throttle-assist e-bike. Then ask why both are conspicuous by their Eurobike absence… whilst, in one way or another, a significant number of those auto industry-related brands will be at the show – formally, or informally, directly, or indirectly.
So yes, Eurobike has most definitely changed. And this is most definitely a good thing.
Does this mean those who attend and who exhibits at the show will also change? Very likely. Is that a bad thing?
What is most definitely not up for debate: Change is essential.
Being a driver of change is being the captain of your own ship, not a passenger in someone else’s.
Hats off to Stefan Reisinger and team for steering Eurobike on an essential, new course. Final destination to be confirmed. General direction – a new future.
