Europe has spent years encouraging people to ditch cars and get around on bicycles and e-bikes instead. And in many places, it’s working. But all of those increasingly sophisticated electric bicycles have created an unexpected new problem: there aren’t nearly enough people to fix them.

Europe could need to recruit a staggering 105,000 additional bicycle mechanics by 2032, according to a new report on the continent’s cycling industry.

The NextGen Mechanics report, presented at the inaugural European Cycling Industries (ECI) summit in Brussels, estimates that Europe currently has around 175,000 bicycle mechanics. But Bike Europe says the industry is already short around 45,000 workers, and growing adoption of e-bikes, cargo bikes, bike leasing, and commercial cycling fleets is expected to make that shortage significantly worse.

By 2032, Europe could require nearly 247,000 mechanics in total – around 40% more than are working in the industry today.

Modern electric bicycles increasingly require more than the traditional assortment of hex keys that can solve most issues on a good-old-fashioned ten-speed. E-bikes can require electrical troubleshooting, firmware diagnostics, motor servicing, battery expertise, and specialized training that varies between manufacturers.

Cargo bikes add another layer of complexity (especially since nearly all cargo bikes sold in Europe are now equipped with electric motors), while growing fleets of rental, delivery, and leased e-bikes mean many bikes are accumulating mileage much faster than the average privately owned bicycle.

According to Shimano’s State of the Nation 2026 survey, 212 million Europeans experience some type of barrier when trying to maintain their bicycles.

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