"Establishing production facilities within key markets has become increasingly important due to the growing volatility of global trade," says Tony Karklins, CEO of Cardinal Cycling Group, which also owns Time and Detroit Bike. In a Bike Europe interview, Karklins outlines his vision for carbon product production and explains why the company is now offering OEM manufacturing at its Carboprax factory in Slovakia.
Following the acquisition of Harley Davidson's founded e-bike brand Serial 1 in 2023 and the takeover of the bankruptcy estate of the e-bike brand Rad Power Bikes, QuietKat is the latest to be added to Life EV Group's portfolio as it quietly builds a "made in the USA" e-mobility platform.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how businesses handle data. AI tools can now map fields, convert formats, and identify inconsistencies. For many industries, including the bicycle industry, this raises an important question: if AI can manage, translate and interpret data automatically, do companies still need to invest in digitalisation and industry standards?
Giant Group's financials continue to reflect the significant headwinds the industry is facing as the glut drags into a third year. The company reported Q1 2026 revenue of NT$12.52 billion (€336 million), down around 25% year-on-year, following steep monthly declines of more than 20% in January and 40% in February.
Taiwan is future-focused, that much was apparent to attendees of the Taipei Cycle Show 2026. But beneath the optimism, export declines and changing production chains show the nation's bicycle sector is in transition. Production value is increasingly generated beyond Taiwan's borders, as manufacturing shifts to neighbouring markets such as China, Vietnam and Europe through Taiwanese-led supply chains.
The China Cycle Show 2026 can count on more international interest than before. Driven by the sports market and the country's fifteenth five-year plan (2026-2030), local manufacturers have recognised the value of brand building, a trend quickly being adopted by other categories. The nation's shop window to the rest of the world showcases the progress of its bicycle industry.
Volatile trade policies, a challenging market environment, unfavourable currency effects and intensified competition shaped Bosch Group's 2025 financial results. Against this backdrop, their expectations for 2025 have not been met, and sales revenue rose slightly by 4.1% after adjusting for exchange-rate effects. Bosch eBike Systems CEO Claus Fleischer gives insight into what this means for the e-bike industry.
All indicators for the 2025 French market were negative. The total market volume decreased by 6%, while the revenue was down 4.8% year-on-year. The average retail price declined slightly, and the e-bike sales dropped 16%. This contraction comes amid a challenging economic environment but also reflects a more structural shift: the end of the post-Covid catch-up effect and the withdrawal of purchase incentives.
在德國產業組織宣布將於2027年舉辦「指標性全球貿易展」後，Eurobike相關爭議進入新階段。此決定源於Eurobike主辦單位Fairnamic與德國自行車產業協會（ZIV）、德國未來自行車協會（Zukunft Fahrrad）及德國自行車代理商組織（VSF）之間的分歧。最新發展顯示，歐洲未來可能回歸雙展並行的模式，類似2008年前德國科隆自行車展（IFMA Cologne）與Eurobike並立的局面。
在地緣政治局勢影響下，消費支出減緩及市場不確定性已開始反映在自行車及電動自行車產業的財報上。Shimano指出，全球零售表現均疲弱，除大洋洲市場。2026年Q1自行車及電動自行車零件淨銷售額降至873.61億日圓（約新台幣182億元），年減0.7%，營業利益降至77.92億日圓（約新台幣16.23億元），年減46.3%。
過去3年業績下滑，台灣整體自行車產業也深受打擊。自2022年銷售顛峰過後，廠商始終在等待景氣回溫，認為銷售低迷是庫存過剩所致。2026年台北自行車展期間，可清楚看出多數廠商已等無可等。AstroTech董事Samuel Hu表示：「已經停滯3年了，沒有人能再等下去。」
2026年美國加州自行車展Sea Otter Classic出現歐洲數年前曾掀起的電動自行車風潮。美國市場在這領域總是晚一步，不過今年Sea Otter Classic會場上，可明顯看出美國市場已覺醒，跟上電動化趨勢。
British bicycle manufacturer and industry barometer Halfords Group UK reports strong performance in its bicycle segment for FY26 (April 2025 - April 2026). The Group says sales have increased across its core industries of automotive, retail and leisure, but none have seen as much progress as its cycling division, which climbed 6.4%.
Contrary to almost all other European countries, the Belgian bicycle market is performing very well. After the 2022 peak, the market bounced back to a pre-pandemic level, and has not been affected by the sustained decline seen in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. In 2025, the Belgian market even experienced a 7.1% increase to 578,737 units in total. What made this Belgian miracle?
Decathlon S.A. reported steady growth in 2025, even as market development across the sporting goods and bicycle sectors remained uneven. The French retailer reports increased revenue and profitability. At the same time, limited disclosure around category-level performance, especially in cycling, leaves open questions about where that growth is coming from and how sustainable it may be.
The Bulgarian bike sector is steadily developing these days despite the existing challenges and a serious overstocking in the local market. In fact, the industry and major local manufacturers have gone through an extremely dynamic and challenging period. After the euphoria of pandemic sales, the sector has faced supply chain disruptions, overstocking and macroeconomic headwinds. Despite the decline in sales volumes, the trend toward electric bicycles and micromobility offers some optimism, with the European market expected to double by 2030.
Pragma Industries, known for its pioneering technology in hydrogen-powered bicycles, has filed for liquidation. This move, while not entirely unpredictable given the company's admitted difficulties last year, brings an abrupt end to more than two decades of work in the fuel-cell mobility sector.
Taiwan's bicycle industry signalled that it was entering a bold new era at this year's Taipei Cycle Show. Under the guidance of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Cycling & Health Tech Industry R&D Centre (CHC) unveiled a suite of R&D achievements, highlighting the strategic integration of Taiwan's bicycle manufacturing with advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT). A key feature was the Cycling Common Protocol Alliance (CCPA), launched to enhance system interoperability and strengthen collaboration across the bicycle and ICT industries.
