Electric bicycles have seen their popularity soar in recent years, but 2021 marked a historic year in the cycling industry, as, for the first time in the Netherlands, more e-bikes were sold than regular bicycles.

Electric bikes now more popular amongst cyclists than regular bikes

2020 was already a record-breaking year for the e-bike, as more and more Dutchies warmed to the idea of an electric bicycle. This trend continued last year, when 52 percent of all bikes sold in the Netherlands were electric - an increase of around 2 percent compared to the year before.

According to the Bicycle and Automotive Industry Association (RAI Vereniging) and the trade association BOVAG, e-bike sales now account for more than 76 percent of the total turnover from bicycle sales. 

2021 saw bicycle sales fall across the Netherlands

While producers of e-bikes will surely look back on 2021 as an extremely profitable and successful year, bike sales on the whole experienced a slight drop last year. In 2020, the number of bikes sold rose by 9 percent compared to 2019. 

In 2021, however, sales fell by almost 16 percent, from 1,1 million to 923.000, due to delivery issues and delays as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In spite of this decrease, 2021 was still the second-best year ever for Dutch bicycle sales, RAI and BOVAG report.