Battle for the future: Eurobike modifies concept
TOUR
· 21.11.2025
At the beginning of November 2025, the two industry associations - the German Bicycle Industry Association ZIV and the German Bicycle Association Zukunft Fahrrad - announced that they were ending their cooperation with the Eurobike trade fair in Frankfurt. "We could not recognise that both shareholders were supporting measures with the same consistency that would be necessary to make the trade fair fit for the future of the bicycle industry", explains Bernhard Lange, ZIV Executive Committee member and Managing Partner of Paul Lange GmbH & Co. KG, explains the decision. According to their own statements, the two associations represent around 240 companies and members from the bicycle industry.
What will become of the Eurobike?
The consequences of this decision are not yet foreseeable. Eurobike, founded in Friedrichshafen in 1991 as a pure mountain bike trade fair in contrast to the established trade fairs such as IFMA in Cologne, had developed into the leading international trade fair for the bicycle industry over the years. However, the cramped situation at the exhibition centre and in the Friedrichshafen region hindered the further development of Eurobike. Numerous well-known manufacturers had already turned their backs on the trade fair. In order to counteract the further loss of importance, Messe Friedrichshafen entered into a joint venture with Messe Frankfurt. The joint venture Fairnamic, in which Messe Friedrichshafen holds 51 per cent of the shares, has been organising Eurobike on the Messe Frankfurt exhibition grounds since 2022.
Setbacks despite the bicycle boom
Despite the bike boom in the coronavirus years, Eurobike had to accept further setbacks at its new location. The number of exhibitors fell from 1900 in 2024 to 1800 last year to 1500 this year. The range of topics covered by Eurobike has become ever broader and, at least in theory, extends from high-end road bikes and e-bikes of all kinds to electric cargo bikes and other forms of micro-e-mobility. Recently, however, large and important specialised trade purchasing associations such as ZEG and BICO have stayed away from Eurobike, as have almost all the major international brands. In recent years, the latter have switched to presenting their new products to their specialist dealers at in-house exhibitions.
Unclear profile of the Eurobike?
The two associations, which have now cancelled their cooperation with Eurobike, surveyed their members in detail about their experiences after this year's trade fair. The result of this feedback process was a "10-point Eurobike 2026 plan", which served as the basis for the talks with the trade fair organisers. Essentially, the aim is to emphasise the profile of Eurobike more clearly and to present the various aspects of cycling such as sport, leisure and everyday mobility on an equal footing. The ZIV and Zukunft Fahrrad are also calling for bicycle-related topics such as transport & logistics, fleet management, commercial use and child and family mobility to be firmly anchored in the range of topics covered by Eurobike. Furthermore, the idea of Eurobike separating electrically assisted or powered bicycles and small vehicles into a separate trade fair ("Mobifuture") is rejected.
Eurobike management reacts
The Eurobike trade fair abandoned this plan just a few days after the two industry associations pulled out. "We have taken the time to listen, reflect and understand our stakeholders. As Eurobike, we are in contact and are fully prepared for dialogue," emphasises Fairnamic Managing Director Stefan Reisinger. "We listen to the industry and make new offers. Eurobike will also be open to everyone in 2026." The trade fair continues: "Innovative and forward-looking mobility concepts will continue to be presented together with sporty bicycles, leisure vehicles and the mobility all-stars of today such as e-bikes, cargo bikes and many others under the Eurobike umbrella. In 2026, no Mobifuture event will be co-located with Eurobike."
No Mobifuture trade fair, new advisory board
Following this decision, Eurobike has also established an advisory board to intensify the dialogue with the bicycle industry. It will be chaired by Stephan Kurzawski, member of the management of Fairnamic shareholder Messe Frankfurt. Further appointments to the advisory board are currently being made behind the scenes. Eurobike expressly wants to attract associations, institutions and initiatives relating to bicycles, e-bikes and ecomobility to participate. The Advisory Board will support the conceptual development of Eurobike and advise the trade fair team on strategic and programmatic issues. In the past, the bicycle industry, and in particular the two associations that have terminated their cooperation with Eurobike, have repeatedly criticised the lack of opportunities to have a say and shape the concept and direction of the trade fair.
