On 11 August the Amsterdam court declared Accell Group bankrupt, a week after the group entered suspension of payments (Velora Cycling, Endurance.biz). Batavus, Sparta, Koga, Haibike, Ghost, Winora, Lapierre, Raleigh, Babboe: roughly 2,000 jobs in 15 countries, and one of the largest dealer networks in European cycling suddenly without a supplier. It is too early for conclusions, so here are three thoughts instead.

1. The dealers are the story, not the buyers

The trade press will now follow the investors. I would watch the shops. A dealer in Utrecht or Münster who has sold Batavus or Haibike for fifteen years woke up this week without a confirmed 2027 order book, without clarity on spare parts, and with warranty claims he cannot push upstream. His season planning cannot wait for a court process. That is the gap.

2. Doors that were closed are opening

In 2025 those dealer slots were taken. A new brand from Hungary, Portugal or Taiwan got a polite no. From this week the same shop owner answers emails from brands he has never heard of, because the alternative is empty floor space in March. I have seen this after every consolidation in this industry: the map redraws in the months after a large bankruptcy, then freezes again for years.

3. Lead with continuity, not price

Whoever approaches these dealers now should not talk about margin first. The dealer's pain is continuity: parts, warranty, a service partner in the country. A written two-year parts commitment is worth more this month than ten points of extra margin. And do not say "your brand is dying". It is in poor taste, and it may not be true.

I will write more once the trustees publish their first report. Until then: if you are a smaller e-bike brand, start your dealer list now. Not in September.