Webinar insights & recording: From data to decisions
Generating data is easy. Making it useful? That is where the real challenge begins.
We hosted a webinar with industry experts gathered to discuss a massive paradox in the e-bike world: brands are sitting on data, yet the industry doesn’t quite use it to its full potential
The panel featured Juansi Vivo (Industry advisor and expert), Steffen Dautzenberg (Lead Product Manager for Digital Services at Riese & Müller), and Julien van Winden (Product Manager at Veloretti). Panel host was our own Sten Soomlais. CPO of COmodule. They broke down how they use data, why the industry is stuck in its comfort zone, and how brands can start small to turn raw data into actual consumer value.
Here are the key insights and the recording of the discussion.
1. How did we get to all this data?
For both Riese & Müller and Veloretti, collecting data wasn't the initial goal, it was a byproduct of solving the bike security problem.
In 2018 Riese & Müller launched a premium e-bike bundled with theft insurance and a GPS recovery service. Five years later, that premium peace-of-mind service has expanded to 10 European markets, resulting in a cloud database tracking over 100 million ridden kilometers.
As a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, Veloretti entered the urban e-bike market in 2021, and connectivity was mandatory to compete with brands like VanMoof or Cowboy. Because they sell and service their bikes directly, they possess a complete data ecosystem, including riding behavior, purchase history, geographic layout, and exact maintenance records.
“The data is a nice side effect of the initial use case, but it has led to a cloud full of raw data which is nowadays pure gold.”
2. Why does the e-bike industry ignore its own data?
Juansi pointed out a glaring disconnect between what e-bike data shows and what manufacturers are actually building.
The battery size paradox
Riese & Müller's data shows that the average e-bike commuter rides only 5 to 6 kilometers per day. Despite this, the industry is locked in an arms race to build heavier motors with bigger batteries.
Juansi argued that if brands actually listened to the data, they would design lightweight urban commuting bikes with smaller batteries. This would lower retail prices, making premium e-bikes accessible to a much broader demographic.
The manufacturing blindspot
Many bike brands possess years of highly automated factory data mapping exact assembly and turnover times. Yet, instead of using this data to establish responsive, "just-in-time" manufacturing loops to handle demand spikes, they still rely on traditional, rigid year-long dealer ordering programs.
Why is the data being wasted?
The panel agreed on three main barriers:
Resource constraints. Most internal data teams are incredibly small (or non-existent). Software teams are usually fully consumed by basic app development rather than data analysis.
Comfort zone. Relying on bigger batteries and standard upgrades keeps brands in their comfort zone.
Analysis paralysis. Data often uncovers complex human behaviors that require deep psychological research to solve, rather than simple engineering fixes.
3. Practical steps on how to become a data-driven bike brand
For brands sitting on unutilized data, the speakers offered actionable advice to get momentum without drowning in analytics.
Start with low-hanging fruit
Steffen recommended introducing data to the wider company in a playful, low-stakes way. He presented raw data to his sales team disguised as a quiz: “How many times a day do you think our cargo bike model is ridden?” The results clearly showed distinct lifestyle curves. The cargo model peaked multiple times a day (school runs, grocery trips, sports), while urban commuter bikes showed sharp morning and evening spikes. This simple exercise instantly aligned the sales and development teams on who they were building for.
Start small and target specific problems
Julien warned against launching massive, all-encompassing data projects. Instead, treat data points like breadcrumbs. Identify one specific operational bottleneck, such as a component that is failing prematurely in the workshop, and use targeted data queries to trace the root cause.
Audience questions
The webinar concluded with an audience question-and-answer session that highlighted the technical realities of managing connected fleets:
What about GDPR & privacy? Strict compliance is mandatory. At Riese & Müller, bikes leave the factory completely "dead and stupid." Data tracking is strictly opt-in, and users can use the digital app features while keeping GPS location completely disabled.
How big are the data teams? Surprisingly small, if not non-existent. Both Veloretti and Riese & Müller admitted that their dedicated data management teams are incredibly lean.
Is theft data actually useful? Steffen shared an instance where a stolen cargo bike's GPS tracking allowed police to map a thief's entire midnight route, helping them uncover a broader battery-theft ring. In another case, data logs showing a tracker's internal temperature hitting 85 degrees provided the exact proof an insurance company needed to verify a house fire claim.
Final thoughts
The consensus is clear, the micromobility industry has the data and the drive to become data-driven, it’s just a matter of getting the right resources and stepping out of the comfort zone. The brands that win the next decade won't just be the ones building bigger batteries, they will be the ones that use their data to truly understand the daily habits of the rider.
