German bicycle is advancing in the Netherlands
We see more and more Kalkhoffs, Pegasus and Cube bicycles on the Dutch roads. What makes the difference?
Is that the German quality, or the internationalization? It is a fact that German bicycles are conquering an increasing market share on the Dutch market. How is that possible?
An important reason is that German bicycles generally score well in bicycle tests by organizations such as the Consumentenbond, the Fietsbond and ANWB. What also counts is a different view of business management. German manufacturers are generally family businesses and Germans are much more fond of quality than the Dutch. The Dutch have traditionally been very price conscious. But now that more and more Germans are cycling, the German bicycle market is also maturing.
But now there is also a clear trend towards quality bicycles on the Dutch market. An electric bicycle can cost quite a bit, if you can leave the car behind in return. And this makes German bikes more and more interesting. Because quality, that is something that you can entrust to Germans.
Kalkhoff
For example, you can think of the German brand Kalkhoff. Kalkhoff, more than a hundred years old and once the largest bicycle brand in Germany, has been flourishing again in recent years after its takeover by the Dutch Pon group.
Kalkhoff bicycles achieve victory after victory in technical tests by, among others, the Consumers’ Association. Two of the five Consumers’ Association test winners, the Kalkhoff Image 5B Belt BLX and the Kalkhoff Endeavor Plus 625Wh, are from this brand. You could somewhat compare Kalkhoff with the Dutch Gazelle.
Pegasus
Pegasus is currently the best-selling German bicycle brand and is also becoming increasingly popular here in the Netherlands. These slightly cheaper quality bicycles were created by ZEG, an intensive collaboration of bicycle specialists, and are therefore well tailored to what customers are looking for.
And, of course, the bikes are solidly put together. The Pegasus bicycles are bicycles that are acceptable in the eyes of bicycle specialists. So with vehicle technology things are going well. A good example of affordable top Pegasus technology is the Pegasus Ravenna Belt.
In terms of quality, Pegasus bicycles are not much inferior to those of Kalkhoff. Pegasus bicycles are assembled in South East Asia by Cambodians and Vietnamese, but under German quality supervision. That is why the quality of these bikes can still be called good. In terms of design philosophy, Pegasus corresponds to a mid-range or top-class Cortina, or a Batavus.
cube
Cube is a young mountain bike brand, started as a sideline income by the Bavarian mountain bike fanatic Pürner.
Like their boss, Cube employees are generally young, but good at their job and know how to assemble bicycles well. That is why the Cube mountain bikes and e-bikes are very popular among mountain bike enthusiasts.
And you see Cube bikes popping up more and more in the Netherlands.
Where Cube was an exclusive mountain bike brand in the past, the range of Cube is expanding more and more. There are now Cube cargo bikes, Cube touring bikes, a Cube speed pedelec and now even a Cube electric folding bike. The Netherlands has no specialized mountain bike builders. Logical, because we don’t have a lot of steep hills in this little country. So there is not really a comparable Dutch brand.
