New-bike sales in France fell 6% to 1.836 million units in 2025 against a fall in the overall cycling market value, even as repairs and second-hand purchases took a larger share of consumer spending.
Total bicycle-market revenue declined 4.8% to €3.11 billion, according to figures presented by the Union Sport & Cycle at Vélo in Paris on April 24 – for comparison the 2025 figure for the UK bike market was £1.9bn, or roughly €2.22bn. The smaller fall in revenue than unit sales indicates that market value held up better than demand for new bicycles.
The industry also remains 23% above its 2019 value, before the Covid-19 pandemic produced an exceptional increase in demand followed by shortages, higher production and excess inventory.
Spending has shifted towards second-hand bicycles, a trend that has been well-observed in other markets. The repair sector grew 13.3%, with professional repair revenue reaching €128 million, while the number of repair operations rose 5% from 2024 and 53% from 2019. Sales of used bicycles through refurbishers and retailers increased 14%, excluding transactions directly between consumers.
Parts and accessories revenue edged up 0.3%. French bicycle production also increased 3.4% to 512,000 units as domestic new-bike sales contracted.
Patrick Guinard, president of the UESC’s Cycle Commission, described the industry as a replacement market in which experienced owners are more selective about their next bicycle. “They are looking for a model that better matches their use and are becoming more demanding,” he said to Le Telegramme.
Electric-assist bicycles remained responsible for more than half of French market value, but their sales fell 16% year on year. Gravel bikes moved in the opposite direction, rising 18% to 75,000 units, compared with only 3,700 sales in 2019. Children’s bicycle sales grew 2% after 12 consecutive annual declines.
UK growth meets continued industry distress
The French figures contrast with the UK, where total cycling-market value increased 5% in 2025, its first annual growth since the lockdown-driven boom of 2020. The Bicycle Association’s report covers retailers representing about 70% of the market by volume and valued the sector at just under £1.9 billion.
UK mechanical-bike volumes rose 6%, electric bicycles gained 2%, parts and accessories increased 1%, and service sales climbed 8%. Electric-bike value rose 10% despite the smaller increase in units, helped by demand for higher-priced products including electric mountain bikes.
That growth followed several years of falling sales, however, and brought the market only close to its 2022 level rather than its early-decade peak. Favourable spring and summer weather also supported recreational and family cycling during 2025, a factor that may not repeat every year.
The industry’s financial position remains more fragile than the latest retail numbers suggest. The Dutch holding company of Accell Group and its subsidiaries were declared bankrupt on August 11, six days after entering court protection, when the owner of Raleigh, Lapierre, Haibike and Batavus said it could no longer pay debts as they fell due.
In 2024, Accell’s revenue fell 22% to €1.009 billion as it faced excess inventory, weaker post-pandemic demand, restructuring costs and the recall of Babboe cargo bikes. The proposed sale to Tri Star E-Moving collapsed on August 4, shortly before the insolvency proceedings began.
France and the UK show that consumers are still spending on cycling, but they are doing so differently. New bicycles are recovering in parts of the UK market, while French customers are extending the lives of existing bikes or choosing professionally refurbished models.
For manufacturers and retailers, that points to a recovery divided by country, product category and business model. Accell’s court-appointed curators are now examining potential sales and restarts, while Quanta Capital’s stated interest in buying the group remains subject to due diligence, investor approval and the Dutch insolvency process.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
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