Better late than never. We have switched to a new reporting dashboard and been deep down the rabbit-hole rebuilding reports.
Since 2024, we’ve been tracking marketplace data each quarter to spot trends on our platform. With Q1 2025 wrapped up, we have fresh insights into buyer interest, category shifts, and emerging patterns.
Dive into the full report below to see what we found:
Demand is Up
Enquiries are up 10.5% year on year for Q1 2025.
Enquiries (responses to ads) are not a direct measure of sales, but they are an excellent indicator of demand, and we assume that there is a correlation with sales.
Enquiries by Category
Mountain bikes (hardtail and dual suspension) make up 40% of enquiries, with road at 27%. The relative ‘newcomers’, Electric bikes and Gravel bikes, both sit at 5.7%.
Gravel grows
Interest in gravel bikes continues to trend up, increasing by 15% year on year for Q1. The Western Cape dominates with 43% of enquiries, as we continue to see a rise in gravel events.
Dual Suspension Mountain Bikes send it
Enquiries on dual suspension mountain bikes are up an impressive 21.6% year on year in Q1 2025, and a staggering 40.6% on the preceding quarter. Making it the biggest growth category for the quarter. As the mainstay of South African cycling, this is a very positive indicator of health, both in our marketplace and the industry in general.
Road Bikes are rolling
Road bikes have seen a moderate 4.9% increase in enquiries year on year, but an impressive 24% jump on the previous quarter. The demand spike in Q1 is particularly pronounced on the road, likely driven by seasonal riding conditions.
The under R25k price band makes up over 58% of enquiries, with R25-R50k another 25%.
E-bikes continue to climb
E-bike enquiries have grown another 20.9% year on year, with the biggest increase in leads initiated in Gauteng.
Hardtail Mountain Bikes lose traction
Hardtail mountain bikes are down 9.7% year on year. The category is likely losing market share to gravel bikes and more-affordable dual-suspension bikes. Nearly 95% of enquiries are in the under R25k price bracket, confirming that these are largely entry-level purchases.
Conclusion
The first quarter of 2025 has delivered promising signs for the South African bicycle market, demonstrating robust growth across key segments. Dual suspension mountain bikes led the charge with significant year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter increases, indicating strong market health and consumer confidence. Gravel bikes continued their steady ascent, and are especially popular in the Western Cape. E-bikes also sustained impressive growth, particularly in Gauteng. While hardtail mountain bikes experienced a slight decline, likely influenced by the shift towards more affordable dual suspension and gravel alternatives, overall, the market remains dynamic and positive.
We look forward to seeing how these trends evolve throughout the year. Keep an eye out for our Q2 insights.
Disclaimers:
- We are reporting on data from the Bike Hub marketplace only, which may not reflect the wider industry.
- Unique enquiries count one enquiry per user per ad, even if the user clicked multiple times or used multiple contact methods.
- User region data accuracy is based on IP address geolocation services by MaxMind, with 60-80% accuracy.
Have questions?
Like us, you might end up with more questions than when you started. Pop your questions in the comments, and we’ll do our best to answer them.
Thumbnail image credit: ChatGPT 03
