The Compatibility Problem Is Solved. Here's the Proof.
What happens when 6.6 million sessions validate a breakthrough technology.
For decades, the cycling industry has accepted compatibility uncertainty as an unsolvable problem. Too many bikes. Too many components. Too many standards.
Bike Matrix questioned that assumption. Then they proved it wrong at a massive scale, with one of Europe's largest cycling retailers.
The Compatibility Problem Is Solved. Here's the Proof.
What happens when 6.6 million sessions validate a breakthrough technology.
For decades, the cycling industry has accepted compatibility uncertainty as an unsolvable problem. Too many bikes. Too many components. Too many standards.
Bike Matrix questioned that assumption. Then they proved it wrong at a massive scale, with one of Europe's largest cycling retailers.
The Compatibility Problem Is Solved. Here's the Proof.
What happens when 6.6 million sessions validate a breakthrough technology.
For decades, the cycling industry has accepted compatibility uncertainty as an unsolvable problem. Too many bikes. Too many components. Too many standards.
Bike Matrix questioned that assumption. Then they proved it wrong at a massive scale, with one of Europe's largest cycling retailers.
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Problem
Component compatibility uncertainty blocks purchases, floods support, and drives returns.
Solution
Bike Matrix compatibility checking integrated into the BIKE24 shopping experience.
Test
50 days,
6.6M sessions,
A/B test on parts traffic.
Result
Among users that engaged with Bike Matrix, BIKE24 saw significant increases in conversion rates and average order value, noticable reduction in returns and a very high satisfaction rate.
Takeaway
Customers want to
shop "by bike."
This partnership
proves it
scales.
The Test That Changes Everything
Bike Matrix partnered with BIKE24 - Europe's leading cycling retailer with 4.5M monthly visitors and 90,000+ products - to run the most rigorous test of their compatibility solution.
50 days. 6.6 million sessions.
Millions of real customers shopping for real parts.
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"When the product team first presented Bike Matrix to me, I was immediately convinced. It helps our customers find compatible parts for their bikes quickly and reliably - real added value for every cyclist. At the same time, it reduces customer service inquiries and prevents returns. I'm convinced that in the future, a tool like this will become indispensable. Bike Matrix has a real opportunity to become an industry standard in the cycling sector."
-Andrés Martin-Birner, CEO of BIKE24
Fast Facts
+69%
CONVERSION RATE INCREASE
+12.1%
BOOST IN AVERAGE ORDER VALUE
-10%
DROP IN RETURN RATE
+89.4%
INCREASE IN AVERAGE REVENUE PER USER
The Challenge
Peter Ebert, BIKE24, summed it up perfectly: “Will this part fit my bike? might be the most expensive question in cycling - not just in money, but in time and frustration, for both riders and retailers.”
Compatibility confusion causes buyer uncertainty, which manifests as:
-
High cart abandonment
-
Lower conversion
-
Costly returns
“When someone searches for brake pads and finds 250 options, the first question isn't 'which is cheapest?' It's 'which ones will actually fit my bike?'”
The Solution
BIKE24 implemented Bike Matrix, a software compatibility solution built by industry experts that can assess the suitability of components against a selected bike.
The technology is designed to integrate seamlessly, working with existing retailer experiences, without disrupting checkout flows or requiring platform rebuilds.
How it works
-
Riders select their bike
-
Bike Matrix checks the store's inventory
-
Compatible results are shown instantly against the store’s product listings
-
Riders check out with confidence
Bike Matrix has built proprietary compatibility logic that understands actual component-to-component interaction rules. Not just basic filtering or AI, but the nuanced compatibility that even expert mechanics verify carefully.
“One thing truly stood out for me: 24% of our surveyed customers said they “wouldn’t want to buy components without it anymore.” Riders went from uncertainty to full confidence - because of Bike Matrix. That's the kind of customer experience transformation you can't fake - it has to actually solve a real problem.” -Peter Ebert - Digital Product Manager / BIKE24
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The Test
BIKE24 ran an A/B test of the Bike Matrix solution from August 13 - September 30, 2025, a 50-day period involving 6.6 million site sessions.
While the test included monitoring All Users, including those shopping for clothing and accessories, the acute focus was on riders shopping for parts.
By honing in on parts shoppers, BIKE24 was able to establish the true impact Bike Matrix had, comparing the conversion rates of the Parts Shoppers (Control Group) who did not use Bike Matrix to the Bike Matrix Users (Test Group) who did.
Particular attention was also paid to any change in Average Order Value (AOV) and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), to investigate the impact of changing the ‘browsing’ behaviour of a user.
Riders who interacted with the Bike Matrix solution were surveyed to understand:
-
Their overall experience
-
How valuable the compatibility information was
-
How easy it was to select their bike
-
What could be improved
Return rates were compared between orders with a bike selected at checkout to those without. After a full 30-day return window, analysis of returns was conducted at order level, with the reason and returned contents not being recorded. Meaning the true impact of Bike Matrix on parts returns is likely higher.
The Results
+69%
Conversion Rate Uplift
Bike Matrix Users (test group) converted at a rate that was 69% higher than Parts Shoppers (control group), and a 183% increase over All Users.
+12.1%
Higher Order Value
Bike Matrix Users didn’t just convert more—they also spent more per order. During the test, the AOV for Bike Matrix users rose by 12.1% over Parts Shoppers.
+89.4%
Boosting Average Revenue Per User
The combination of higher conversion rates and increased order values resulted in a lift in overall revenue generation. The ARPU for a Bike Matrix User increased by 89.4% over other Parts Shoppers, and a 167.6% increase over All Users.
-10%
Reduced Returns and Operational Impact
Orders from Bike Matrix Users had a 10 % relative reduction in returns. Consensus was that this may be greater if parts returned could be isolated from clothing or accessories that were also part of the order.
92.7%
Customer Confidence and Loyalty
Surveyed users confirmed the behavioural shift:
-
83.5 % rated the experience “higher than average” to “excellent.”
-
92.7 % found the compatibility information “valuable.”
-
24 % said they “wouldn’t want to buy components without it anymore.”
-
18.4 % of riders wished it were easier to find their exact model of bike.
Why BIKE24 Matters
Testing with small retailers allowed Bike Matrix to prove the concept. Testing with millions of sophisticated European cyclists at one of the continent's largest cycling retailers proves the compatibility solution is ready for large-scale deployment.
BIKE24 didn't just validate the technology. They validated it at the scale that matters: with the complexity, the traffic, and the customer expectations that separate "interesting prototype" from "industry standard."
“As hard as it is, building a compatibility solution is only part of the process. Widespread adoption and support is required to change the way people find and purchase the right parts across an entire industry. This test proves, not only that Bike Matrix works at scale, but that customers value the ability to ‘shop by bike’ and will expect it from their retailers. This demand is what will drive the adoption and support throughout the cycling industry, helping Bike Matrix build the infrastructure onto which we can all build better ways to shop for parts”
- Adam Townsend, Head of Compatibility and Bike Matrix Co-Founder
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"We work hard to offer the broadest portfolio at the best prices - but a broad catalog can be a curse for customers. When someone searches for brake pads and finds 250 options, the first question isn't 'which is cheapest?' It's 'which ones will actually fit my bike?' Bike Matrix solves exactly this problem by replacing weeks of research with confidence. Instead of spending hours cross-referencing specs and hoping you got it right, customers can spend that time actually riding. That's what great product experience looks like - removing unnecessary complexity so people can focus on what they love."
- Peter Ebert, Digital Product Manager at BIKE24
“BIKE24 has been amazing to work with. Seeing our solution rigorously tested at scale and ultimately thrive across such a large sample size has been incredibly validating. It proved that the solution we’ve built solves a major problem that we knew was affecting business. Moving forward being able to shop by bike will be an industry standard”
- Lyndal Bailey - Co-Founder / Bike Matrix
What This Means
For retailers: This is now proven technology that works when customers use it. The big challenge now, is introducing customers to this new way of shopping. BIKE24's data shows the new floor, not the ceiling.
For riders: Riders are ready to shop by bike. They want a personalised, fast and easy shopping experience. Bike Matrix clearly helped those surveyed to shop with confidence.
For manufacturers: As retailers adopt compatibility checking, being in the database becomes table stakes. Customers who can verify fit are more likely to discover your products, buy them, and keep them. The 10% reduction in returns means fewer processing costs and support hours for you and your dealers.
For the industry: 24% of customers who selected their bike said they wouldn't want to shop without compatibility checking. As more retailers implement this, customer expectations shift permanently.
Conclusion
Compatibility friction is real money - The business impact from removing this friction proved it's a first-order problem. For retailers, manufacturers, and customers alike, this matters.
The implementation of Bike Matrix has proven to be an indispensable tool for BIKE24. It directly addresses a primary point of friction for customers, and the data speaks for itself.
By empowering shoppers with confidence, Bike Matrix has delivered significant, measurable improvements in conversion, revenue, operational efficiency, and overall customer satisfaction.
“Our goal is simple: customers should be able to find compatible parts quickly, with confidence and without the fear of ordering something that won't fit. That's what we mean by a great customer experience - not just selection and price, but real convenience and trust.
That's why Bike Matrix's vision resonates so strongly with us. Every cyclist out there deserves an easy, convenient way to find parts that fit their bike. Making cycling accessible isn't just about selling bikes - it's about making the entire experience frictionless.” - Peter Ebert - Digital Product Manager, BIKE24
