Dutch Swapfiets pioneer celebrates 10th anniversary (update)

Ten years ago, the Dutch Swapfiets was founded, the world’s pioneer of ‘bike as a service’. Three student friends from Delft wanted to offer people a reliable and rock-solid bicycle without any fuss. This is how the first bicycle subscription was born.

The formula is quite simple: Swapfiets members always have a working bicycle for a fixed monthly amount. And if there are any unexpected problems, the bike will be repaired in the store within ten minutes or replaced immediately without extra costs. Swapfiets provides service in 45 European cities.

‘Carefree cycling experience’

The small business that started by tinkering with 40 bicycles grew into a movement of more than 270,000 European city dwellers who would rather use a bike than own one. Many start-ups hardly survive the first few years, but Swapfiets has become an indispensable part of the street scene even after ten years.

Swapfiets intends to bring carefree cycling to all major cities and is committed to a system change in the mobility industry. “We continue to build more livable cities by offering people a carefree cycling experience,” says Marc De Vries, CEO of Swapfiets since 2021.

Amsterdam, ‘city of Swapfiets’

Today, the company is profitable in 75% of its operating cities. Major cities such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen continue to grow rapidly, with Amsterdam being the largest market with more than 65,000 members – one in thirteen bicycles in the city is a ‘Swapfiets’. The company has members in 45 European cities and uses five different types of bicycles.

The iconic blue front tire and the unique bicycle subscription revolutionized the mobility industry. In the first four years, Swapfiets expanded to sixteen cities in the Netherlands, followed by cities in Belgium, Denmark, and Germany.

In Belgium, Antwerp and Brussels are the most essential municipalities for Swapfiets , with 5,000 and 3,800 members, respectively. Ghent has 3,200 members but shows the fastest growth. In Brussels, 60% ride an e-bike; in Ghent 46%.

First e-bike

In 2019, Swapfiets had 100,000 active members, and the company added the first e-bike to its range. Growth continued in the following years in several other countries, such as France, Spain, the UK, and Austria. In the meantime, the micro mobility provider has 270,000 members in eight European countries, among them also Germany and Denmark. The average age of all Swapfiets members is 30 years, and the oldest member is 83 years old.

Swapfiets is taking an essential step in developing the next generation of e-bikes, focusing on safety, modularity, and circularity. The company has the knowledge and technology to integrate fully circular parts into every type of Swapfiets.

Future-proof

In this way, current parts in existing bicycle models are being replaced step by step by better circular alternatives to make the entire fleet future-proof. Today’s Swapfiets Deluxe 7 is now 88% circular. The innovation process involves collaboration with other pioneers, including a manufacturer focusing on a complex part like the battery.

With the increasing crowds on cycle paths, Swapfiets focuses on improved visibility through all-around bicycle lighting, reflective paint, and advanced braking technologies, such as a simplified braking system, for an even safer riding experience.