If traffic is backing up on the western feeder road in Frankfurt, this is exceptionally a good sign these days.
Because there will be another fair.
After the corona pandemic suffocated all public activities, manufacturers and visitors are apparently longing for personal contact again.
When it comes to mobility in Frankfurt, everyone thinks of the IAA motor show, but it was driven to Munich and had a rather disappointing premiere there.
Holger Apple
Editor in business, responsible for “Technology and Engine”.
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The Eurobike has also moved, from Friedrichshafen to Frankfurt.
You should have a more successful start on the Main.
From this Wednesday until Sunday, 1500 exhibitors will be showing their new bike products.
Only half of the exhibition center designed for IAA dimensions is used for this, the bicycle has a different status than the car.
Still, some would say here.
The bicycle should make the world better and more sustainable, it was said at the beginning.
And Gunnar Fehlau from the press service Fahrrad, which represents various brands, said: "We're in the mood for Frankfurt."
Continued delivery bottlenecks
The desire manifests itself in Halls 8 to 12. The Eurobike wants to be a bicycle fair with a sporty background, mountain bikes, which is demonstrated above all in Halls 11 and 12 with cheerfully fresh stands.
The mood varies between jubilation and lamentation, because the industry reports good sales, but also some problems.
“2021 was a record year for the bicycle and e-bike industry in Germany and Europe.
Despite Corona, war in Europe and inflation, the industry was able to almost maintain the record level in the first half of 2022.
The leasing of high-quality bikes is also responsible for this," says the ZIV bicycle industry association.
The production of bicycles was around 580,000 units in the first half of the year, which is 3 percent less than in the first half of 2021.
The production of e-bikes has reached 800,000 units and is thus just below the previous year's figure.
In terms of production, the e-bikes are now ahead of the classic bikes for the fourth year in a row, but the situation is different in terms of sales.
“Two million of the 4.7 million bikes sold last year were e-bikes.
We think that the share will level off at around 50 percent," says Thomas Geisler from the bicycle press service.
Of course, it really depends on the segment.
In the mountain bike sector, the ratio is 5:1 for the electric drive.
On the racing bike, on the other hand, pure muscle power is usually required.
7 million bikes sold last year were e-bikes.
We think that the share will level off at around 50 percent," says Thomas Geisler from the bicycle press service.
Of course, it really depends on the segment.
In the mountain bike sector, the ratio is 5:1 for the electric drive.
On the racing bike, on the other hand, pure muscle power is usually required.
7 million bikes sold last year were e-bikes.
We think that the share will level off at around 50 percent," says Thomas Geisler from the bicycle press service.
Of course, it really depends on the segment.
In the mountain bike sector, the ratio is 5:1 for the electric drive.
On the racing bike, on the other hand, pure muscle power is usually required.
Empty showrooms in retail are a thing of the past, but not every bike is still available.
Customers sometimes have to fall back on a previous year's model, make concessions to their desired configuration or do without their favorite color.
The ZIV observes particular difficulties in the supply of drive components for e-bikes such as batteries, displays or chips.
Many companies tried to move frame production from China to other countries, such as Taiwan, Vietnam or Cambodia.
The delivery routes remain tense, the number of available containers is too small, the source and destination ports are overcrowded.
Onward transport within Europe suffers from a lack of workers.
Improvement is probably not in sight until the end of 2023.
First dream
Potential buyers are obviously annoyed by this, and specialist retailers are reporting declining customer frequency.
Inflation and fears of a recession are also weighing on sentiment.
According to reports, the top price ranges are still doing well, but cheap bikes are selling much more slowly.
Meanwhile, the dealers are happy about full order books in the workshops, but suffer from the lack of skilled workers there.
Two-wheeler mechanics are missing everywhere.
A reorganization of training is already being discussed in the industry, and working hours are also part of a debate.
Mechanics typically work every Saturday, and here, as in many other sectors, there is a desire for more family-friendly solutions.
At the Eurobike, however, the aim is to start dreaming and to awaken the desire for a new bike.
Some manufacturers are remarkably big on this.
The stands from Shimano and Bulls, for example, are of a size reminiscent of the best times at the IAA.
The American manufacturer Specialized, who likes to take special paths, also drives off the straights in Frankfurt and only comes to the fair on the weekend intended for the general public because it expects the most from direct contact with the end customer.
In this way, everyone approaches the new location in Frankfurt in their own way.
A first assessment will be possible on Sunday.
And although that doesn't really suit cyclists at all, there are some who would like a lot of traffic jams at Westkreuz.