A representative study of 25,000 participants from across Europe has revealed that people in Europe are cycling less because they find it difficult to access bicycle repair and maintenance services. The survey was conducted by component manufacturer Shimano as part of the "State of the Nation Report" for 2025. While Germany remains a stronghold of cycling with a bike ownership rate of 74.1 per cent (current ownership), the new data shows that the country's service infrastructure cannot keep up with demand. This is leading to a 'capacity crunch', with cyclists having to wait a long time before they can get back on the road. The report looked at how people in Europe rate cycling infrastructure, child cycling safety and the quality and availability of bicycle maintenance and repair. This is the fourth edition of the "State of the Nation" report, which was first published in 2020.
Study: Maintenance problems in Germany particularly serious
In Germany, 46.6 per cent of those who have ever owned a bicycle have experienced obstacles during maintenance. The nature of these obstacles differs significantly from the rest of the continent. While Southern Europe struggles with a lack of shops, in Germany it is the availability of appointments. 33.1 per cent of people with maintenance problems cite long waiting times at bike shops as the main reason - the highest percentage across Europe. Almost half of all Europeans who own or have owned a bike reported problems: 20.3 per cent cited high costs as the reason, 15.3 per cent a lack of local bike shops or unfavourable opening hours and 11.8 per cent long waiting times.
Study shows effects on driving behaviour
The consequences of the maintenance problems are considerable: of those who encountered obstacles, 26.9 per cent said they had tried to repair the bike themselves. 21.8 per cent relied more on other modes of transport, exactly 20.7 per cent cycled less frequently and a worrying 16.4 per cent stopped cycling altogether. Extrapolating the results of the representative survey, 121 million people across Europe are cycling less due to maintenance-related problems. Of these, a projected 65 million cycle between 25 per cent less or no longer at all. These results highlight a structural risk for cycling in Europe: if it seems complicated, expensive or inconvenient to keep a bike in good working order, this can have a significant impact on continued use.
Safety concerns for children
In many European countries, people feel that progress in child road safety is stagnating or even regressing. This stagnation poses a long-term risk to cycling, as children who do not feel safe cycling are less likely to develop habits that will stay with them into adolescence and adulthood. Less than two-fifths of respondents across Europe say that cycling has become safer for children in the last twelve months. In Germany, 65 per cent of respondents say that it has not become safer for children to cycle in their neighbourhood in the last 12 months. When asked about solutions, there is a clear generation gap: young people (18-24 years) cite financial support for high-quality bicycles and safety equipment as the most important factor for greater safety, while people over 65 are in favour of awareness campaigns. When asked what measures their region should prioritise, people across Europe cited child-friendly infrastructure as the main priority.
Perception of infrastructure varies according to the study
This year's report comes to the conclusion that there are considerable differences between countries in Europe when it comes to the population's perception of cycling infrastructure. Looking at the net difference between agreeing and disagreeing with the statement "The cycling infrastructure in my region has improved in the last 12 months", Poland (plus 47.7 per cent), France (40.2 per cent) and Finland (33.1 per cent) are at the top, while Greece (minus 18.8 per cent), the Czech Republic (minus 17.8 per cent) and Bulgaria (minus 4.7 per cent) have the lowest values.
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Established cycling countries with challenges
Interestingly, the Netherlands (up 4.1 per cent), Belgium (up 8.9 per cent) and Denmark (up 7.6 per cent) are all among the seven countries with the lowest figures. As all three countries have long been regarded as pioneers in cycling, this may come as a surprise. However, according to the authors of the study, this discrepancy does not reflect a failure, but increased expectations. In mature cycling markets, people are becoming accustomed to good infrastructure and their expectations continue to rise. This represents a clear challenge for the industry: If leading markets lose momentum, they may also lose their role as reference points for growth, innovation and cultural leadership.
Germany lagging behind according to study
Germany ranks among the countries in Europe with the lowest perceived improvement in infrastructure. Only 41 per cent of Germans state that the cycling infrastructure in their region has improved in the last 12 months. Interestingly, the report found a gender gap in perception: female respondents were 8 percentage points more likely than male respondents to say that cycling infrastructure had improved. Ties van Dijk, Advocacy Specialist at Shimano Europe, describes the report as a "wake-up call for everyone who cares about the future of cycling in Europe." He sees "millions of people who would like to cycle but are held back by barriers that shouldn't exist, from lack of availability and complex maintenance to concerns about children's safety when cycling."
Methodology of the study
The data was collected using an online questionnaire provided in the participants' native language in collaboration with panel partner Panel Inzicht. The survey ran from 4 to 29 September 2025 and the sample was nationally representative of adults aged 18 to 79, using quotas based on age and gender. These quotas were created using the latest data from local statistics offices. The researchers weighted the sample to reflect the actual age and gender distribution of the population in each country.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
