Everyone is on their bikes - and yet bike companies are still suffering and reporting record losses. Brands such as Scor, YT and GT have been hit particularly hard. If you ask around in the industry, it is mainly gravel bikes that are currently being sold - mountain bikes, on the other hand, are considered slow sellers, not to mention models without a motor.
Why is this trend category stealing a march on mountain bikes? Scene veteran and designer Peter Denk has a simple answer: "Because everyone who buys a gravel bike now already owns one or two mountain bikes." The gravel bike as a second or third bike. Industry insider Jo Beckendorff has a different explanation: "There are many gravel bike buyers who have never ridden a sporty bike before - especially women." So a new group of buyers?
The fact is that the bike industry has been suffering for almost two years now - even the gravel trend is not working as an antidote to the falling demand. Scor, Pole, NS Bikes, GasGas and GT have already had to give up, and many other manufacturers are in the red. The outcome: uncertain.
Sales figures for gravel and road bikes rose from 178,000 to 238,000 - an increase of 33 per cent. The ZIV* has been recording the figures for gravel bikes separately since 2024. Accordingly, around 137,000 gravel bikes were sold in 2024, which corresponds to a share of around 58 per cent.
Source: ZIV www.ziv-zweirad.de
"The crazy thing is that, overall, companies are still selling as many bikes as before Covid (2019)," says Beckendorff. He explains the downward spiral as follows: During the boom years of 2021, orders were excessive. Supply bottlenecks from Asia created a false demand because many bike companies placed multiple orders.
Manufacturers then invested in larger production facilities in Asia, in more staff and in logistics. But then came the saturation that many manufacturers did not want to see in the gold-rush mood: Ordered goods filled the warehouses, liquidity was lacking. This was compounded by market saturation, inflation and a reluctance to buy due to the tense economic situation (Ukraine war, trade dispute, etc.).
The result: a Discount battle. "Although there are signs of a slight recovery and bikes are still being sold, the high discounts mean that manufacturers are keeping far fewer of them," says Beckendorff. If you ask around in the industry, hardly anyone dares to predict when the curse will end after all the misjudgements.
Many do not expect the all-clear even in 2026, while others see a significant recovery in the second half of 2026. For the time being, customers will benefit from continued discounts - at least as long as their favourite bike brand is still on the market.
And gravel bikes? They are still attractive and are selling well. "Gravel biking is sexy, trendy and moderately priced, plus there's the bikepacking trend, which is only cool on a gravel bike," summarises Thuringian bike shop owner Stephan Herrpfad.
Interview with designer and scene insider Peter Denk
BIKE: Peter, why are gravel bikes so trendy - and why are mountain bikes losing out?
Peter Denk: Because most gravel bike buyers already own one or two mountain bikes. Everyone I know has bought a mountain bike during corona. But now it's still too early for a new one - so they buy a road bike or a gravel bike.
What is the fascination for you?
Gravel biking is new, fresh and, above all, the only vehicle that has made bikepacking cool again. Multi-day bike tours are actually a wonderful thing, but from the outside it seems pretty uncool - completely wrongly, in my opinion. Thanks to gravel bikes, things have changed and it's cool again. Almost all the new gravel bike owners I know have bought an arse rocket and gone on tour or have at least decided to go on an overnighter.
But isn't that also possible on a mountain bike? Has the MTB industry done something wrong that the marketing experts did right with gravel bikes? Are mountain bikes too complex?
No, I don't see it that way. A hardtail is just as complex - or uncomplex - as a gravel bike. Sure, there's the suspension, but that alone doesn't make the difference. I think the feeling of nature is different: with gravel biking, you're less involved in trails and more interested in making kilometres and exploring new things. That makes it more consistent. And yes, somehow mountain bike tours like that just aren't cool. I have to admit, I feel the same way. A mountain bike with flatbar handlebars would often be the better choice.
Maybe that's the appeal - because it's a new challenge. At least on trails.
Exactly. Many are bored by the extremely powerful bikes and the increased riding technique on many trails - the challenge is simply missing. The gravel bike creates a new attraction. I compare it a bit to the telemark trend in skiing back then: at some point, many skiers switched to telemark because it was "fresh" and challenged them in a new way. However, as we know, the trend didn't last long. Today you hardly hear anything about it. I'm convinced that the fascination with gravel biking will last longer.
Laurin Lehner
Editor
