The way power moves through a bicycle is changing. Higher torque, smarter integration, and riders demanding more from their drivetrains across every category are reshaping what the industry expects from its components. Gates has been anticipating this shift for years, and the conversation around belt drive has never been louder. The word "conversation" is intentional.

Europe's largest specialist bicycle retail association, Zweirad-Einkaufs-Genossenschaft (ZEG), appointed a new board member as part of its strategic realignment. The recently appointed Matthias van de Loo has assumed the role of chief financial & chief operating officer (CFO/COO). According to the dealer cooperative, "the strategic realignment is consistently pursued, with a focus on implementation and a future-oriented approach."

Building on three decades of expertise and innovation, China Cycle has evolved into a pivotal hub shaping global trends in the two‑wheeler industry. This year's event will span 13 exhibition halls, presenting a full lineup of bicycles, components, and related technologies. Upgraded trade matching sessions and cross‑border procurement services will further provide exhibitors and global buyers with streamlined, high‑impact networking opportunities.

The worldwide bike market experienced another turbulent year in 2025. Under these circumstances, "Pon.Bike stabilised its turnover at around €2 billion and remained a profitable business with positive operating earnings," owner Pon Holdings announced yesterday. One of the industry's largest bicycle manufacturers states that business again proved to be resilient thanks to its diversified portfolio and market position.

The Dutch bicycle market has enjoyed favourable market conditions throughout 2025. According to the annual report from H&L Accountancy's benchmark group, average retail revenue increased by 5.3% across bicycle retailers in the Netherlands. However, at the same time, the gross margin decreased by 0.9 percentage points, bringing it to 28.0% as labour costs put pressure on margins.

Finnish bike-leasing platform Vapaus Group has expanded into the Asia-Pacific region with the launch of its New Zealand subsidiary, Northride. This move marks the company's first steps outside Europe, and reflects Vapaus' ambition to scale its workplace cycling model globally.

Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer Merida Industry Co., Ltd. has entered 2026 under continued market pressure. The company reported a -44% year-on-year revenue drop in January, followed by a smaller, but still significant, -22% YoY decline in February compared to last year's Q1 figures.

As expected, the financial performance of leading industry companies shows that 2025 was a challenging year for the bicycle industry. Especially the leading bike manufacturers were down as they had to continue discounting to bring their inventory levels back to healthy levels. Component manufacturers reported stable sales as replacement parts remain in demand, and the OEM order books for 2026 show a moderate increase again.

German bicycle supplier Rose Bikes GmbH, a family-owned company that started out as a D2C business and grew step-by-step into an omnichannel supplier, increased its total revenue for the 2024-2025 fiscal year by 2% to €215 million compared to 2023-2024.

Finnish bicycle component manufacturer, Herrmans Bike Components, has acquired the technology and business from Taiwanese lighting specialist Roxim Technologies. The move will see Herrmans expand its presence in Asia and broaden its offering in lighting solutions. The transition is now at full speed and Herrmans will officially take over the business from 1 May.

Singapore-based DuTech Holding Ltd. is rapidly snapping up a series of companies in the bicycle industry. As a global player in cash-handling machines (ATMs), the company is now also eyeing the bicycle industry, particularly in Europe. As the bicycle industry's financial position has remained weak since the aftermath of the pandemic, this strategic investor is a welcome guest for many companies.

United States-based electric mobility company Life Electric Vehicle Holdings (Life EV) has completed its acquisition of Rad Power Bikes' brand and operating assets. The deal marks a new chapter for the once high-flying e-bike manufacturer, and gives Life EV ownership of Rad Power Bike's brand, intellectual property, inventory and operational assets.

The bicycle industry was not a preferred target for financial investors when the e-bike market entered its growth phase in 2010; its growth rate and return prospects were not as attractive as those of e-commerce companies, for example. After 2010, financial investors stepped in, but many have since left the industry. What's next?

As part of a share deal with Asian Tri Star Inc. (Tri Star Group) on 12 February, the lifting of the insolvency proceedings paved the road for a restart of the more than 100-year-old traditional company, Sprick. It has been a long and tough ride for the responsible insolvency administrator, Axell Geese from Streitbörger PartgmbB. Since the traditional German bicycle producer Sprick Fahrräder GmbH filed for insolvency at the end of 2024, Geese has been searching for someone to revive the long-established bicycle manufacturer.

Donkey Republic's latest financing round demonstrates that investors have not lost interest in bicycles and cycling more broadly. Private equity and other investors turned away from the bicycle industry after the troubles at Accell Group, Rad Power, VanMoof, Scott Sports and many others. Donkey Republic proves the opposite. They initially set out to raise DKK 15-30 million (€2-4 million), but due to strong interest, the transaction was over-subscribed and the amount raised was upsized to DKK 75 million (€10 million).

Taiwan exported fewer than 77,000 e-bike units in the first quarter of 2026. This marks a 15% year-on-year drop from 2025 and the lowest Q1 e-bike exports since 2018. This also signals that the world's bicycle manufacturer is still struggling to get a firm grip on the electrified bike market post-Covid. The export value of regular bicycles also continues to drop 17% in Q1, but little is heard about consolidations or bankruptcies in the Taiwanese bicycle industry. As the total export value dips under $10 billion for the last two consecutive quarters, could the value shift be taking place outside of Taiwan's borders?

When it comes to migrant workers in Taiwan, a core issue is how the country's domestic labour laws don't align with international standards, but measures are being taken to adjust this. "As an exporting nation, meeting international standards is our mission and our obligation," said Giant Group and Bicycle Alliance for Sustainability (BAS) Chairman Young Liu during his opening statement at the ESG Forum during Taipei Cycle Show.

The lack of verified data on cycling's role in the wider mobility sector is starting to weigh heavily on the industry. The UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035) could be the next moment for the bicycle industry to claim a larger space within mobility. But what can the industry add to these meetings? No verified data is available on the role of cycling in mobility. The WBIA (World Bicycle Industry Alliance) meeting during the Taipei Cycle Show gave some clarifications.

The role of product awards at international trade fairs has evolved from a promotional tool to a benchmark. Is the industry integrating key trends such as artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability into product design? The number of submissions has become an indicator of the industry's performance and level of investment in innovations. All these elements come together in the fourteenth Taipei Cycle d&i Awards, which will be announced on the opening day of the Taipei Cycle Show. Bike Europe sat down with three jury members to discuss how they evaluated the entries.

Cycling can still attract interest from both institutional buyers and non-institutional investors, as the heavily oversubscribed Dahon IPO at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange showed last September. Amidst all the excitement on the exhibition floor of the Taipei Cycle Show, Bike Europe had the opportunity to speak with Dahon's owner, Dr David Hon, about his company's strategy.

Long associated with self-balancing devices and shared micromobility, Segway is accelerating its move into the global e-bike market. Speaking at CES, which took place this month in Las Vegas, Nick Howe, head of e-bike worldwide at Segway, made it clear that the company's ambition goes well beyond launching new models. Segway wants to transplant proven automotive and powered two-wheeler technologies into cycling.

HEERENVEEN, The Netherlands - The final Batavus bicycles have rolled off the assembly line in the Netherlands, marking the end of an era for the Accell Group as it opts for centralised production in Hungary. It also marks the end of 45 years in the bicycle industry for Accell stalwart Menno Visser, who is now retiring. Having started at Batavus on the assembly line, he worked his way up to commercial director and spent the past years as a project manager at Accell. In an exclusive interview, he reflects on industry changes and his vision for the future.

FONZASO, Italy - Fashion in cycling apparel and bicycles has long taken a different path, if only because the life cycle and price range of both categories are far apart. Still, there are a lot of parallels, only because the audience is the same. How do both worlds interact, and how can they strengthen each other? Castelli product line manager, Andrew Montgomery, took a deep dive into Castelli's market approach and how the fashion world interacts with its brand strategy.

Scott has announced the appointment of Hsuan Boon Tan as co‑CEO, serving alongside the existing co‑CEO Pascal Ducrot. Hsuan Boon Tan will be based at the company's global headquarters in Switzerland. The company writes that, "the appointment marks the company's progression into a new phase focused on sustained growth and strengthened overall economics following a successful stabilisation period after several turbulent years for the industry."

Matteo Cassina, the Italian manager and entrepreneur, owner of Passoni and the media platform Rouleur joins the Campagnolo Board at a pivotal moment for the component manufacturer. It signals a new phase following recent restructuring talks and labour agreements. For the first time in its history, the Italian brand has taken a significant step in its governance by appointing a Board member from outside the founding family.

Giant Group announced the passing of its beloved founder, King Liu, who passed away peacefully in the early hours of 16 February at the age of 93. In a statement published by Giant Group, the company says, "King Liu was not only our founder but also a leader who consistently guided the organisation forward while remaining attentive to those around him."

After what it called a "stabilisation process" under an ad-interim CEO, speed pedelec manufacturer, myStromer AG, will continue under the leadership of Marcel Korner, effective 1 May 2026. In the role of chief executive officer (CEO), Korner will also become a member of the myStromer AG Board of Directors.