The number of bicycles is on the rise because of the rising popularity of two-wheeled vehicles on the one hand and of the interest in a healthy lifestyle and environment on the other. However, the number of bicycles purchased every year remains lower than the number of cars (120,000 new and 500,000 used). At an average pridc per car of EUR15,000 for a new car and EUR4,000 for a used one, the auto market can be put at EUR3.8 billion.
The big gap in value also stems from the fact that Romanians buy some of the cheapest bicycles in the EU, unlike the Dutch, for instance, who pay EUR1,000 on average. Sales volumes also vary with the population of a specific country and with the appetite for bicycles and the development of the required infrastructure. Price, on the other hand, is influenced by the purchasing power of a country and its development.
However, the bicycle market reached an all-time high as a result of the upward trend of the economy and consumer spending and change in mentalities and a more active interest in environment and health.
Under the circumstances, sales in volume almost tripled in 2008-2017, while the average price doubled. However, it still has a way to go before beating car sales. The gap has narrowed from one bicycle to three cars in 2008 to one bicycle to 1.4 cars in 2017. The auto market changed, too, considering two thirds of the cars sold were new in 2008, compared with about a fifth today.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)