Bicycle sales in Belgium up nearly 8% in 2014

Last year in Belgium there were a total of 436,549 bicycles sold, about 30,000 more than in 2013 (+7.5%), according to a study of Belgian bicycle dealers conducted by the organisers of the annual bicycle fair Velofollies.

Velofollies surveyed 1,552 Belgian bicycle dealers and found that 45.5% of the dealers sold more bikes last year than in 2013, while about 23% reported falling sales. In total there were about 436,549 bikes sold by private dealers in 2014, or 30,457 more than the previous year. The figure does not include bicycles sold through wholesale distribution or sold directly by companies to their employees.

"The fact that bikes are increasingly making their way into Belgian traffic can only be a good thing,” said Pieter Desmet of Velofollies. “It’s a positive development for the mobility problem, our ecological footprint and our health.”

The study shows that electric bicycles (pictured) also booked great sale results last year, with a 23% increase on the global share of the Belgian bicycle market. City bikes continue to hold a market share of about 25%.