Last year, a record number of speed pedelecs – 23,681 – were registered in Belgium, both new and used. “2025 was a record year for second-hand speed pedelecs (9,623 units, +24%) and the third best year ever for new ones (14,058 units, +2.6%),” explains Filip Rylant, spokesperson for mobility federation Traxio. “All in all, this makes 2025 the best year ever.”
High-speed bicycles remain a popular mode of transport, especially in Flanders. A staggering 97.5 percent of all high-speed bicycles are registered in Flanders.
However, the number of new speed pedelecs registered by private individuals has fallen sharply again this year (-22.7%). While private individuals accounted for almost half of sales in 2023, their share fell to 33.2% in 2024 and to 24.8% in 2025. Leasing companies are now the big winners.
Leasing gains popularity
In East Flanders, the market grew by a whopping 34.6%, thanks to leasing contracts; in most other provinces, however, the number has fallen.
In the southern part of the country and in Brussels, high-speed bicycles remain a marginal phenomenon, partly due to weaker cycling infrastructure, lower congestion levels, heavy traffic in Brussels, and the competition with regular bicycles and scooters in the 30 km/h zones.
Leasing, in particular, is gaining popularity. It is the ideal way to get employees on their bikes. It allows them to purchase an expensive (electric) bike in a tax-efficient way, a purchase they might otherwise never have made.
Two-thirds of all registered speed pedelecs (62.4 percent) were purchased by companies for their employees. This allows them to outsource maintenance, insurance, and residual value.
Barely profitable
However, bicycle dealers are not happy with the growing popularity of leasing contracts. They have to give up a significant share of their profits and, on top of that, they have more work with leasing customers, because there is more administration involved, bike dealers explain.
As a result, chains such as Bike Republic (part of Colruyt) or Lucien (D’Ieteren) are barely profitable or even loss-making.
While margins may be under pressure, the Belgian bicycle sector has nothing to complain about in terms of volume. Last year, sales rose by 7.7 percent to 250,400 bicycles, while turnover increased by 11.8 percent.
