Jan-Willem van Schaik

REDDITCH, England - Contrary to the general trend in the British retail market, Halfords UK reports an increase in bicycle sales in its 28 March trading update. The company's focus on its range of premium mechanical bikes that have a price tag of more than £1,000, as announced last year, turned out for the best.

REICHSHOF, Germany - Schwalbe owner Ralf Bohle GmbH and Pyrum Innovations AG have concluded a framework agreement for the long-term purchase of Pyrum's recovered carbon black (rcb). The agreement covers the purchase of rcb at a fixed price for the next 10 years.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Industry leaders dare to speak out on future developments more openly now the main hurdle of the inventory crisis has been overcome. Giant Group Chairman Young Liu spoke directly to Bike Europe about his plans for production in Europe and his focal points for his first year in this position.

BARCELONA, Spain - "At Eurobike 2025 our Avinox system will be shown on a few select boutique brands," DJI Product Experience Director Ferdinand Wolf told Bike Europe this February. Among them are the Mith of the Spanish Unno Bikes an two models of Megano.

BERLIN, Germany - Several EU ministries already announced before the 2024 European elections, that regulations on vehicles would be revised, which also lead to changes in the existing e-bike regulations. It instantly raised concerns within the industry whether e-bikes will continue to be classified as bicycles. If not, the industry fears type approval and other restrictive regulations to be implemented for what is currently considered e-bikes.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Pon Holdings has made significant strides in 2024 towards enhancing its focus on mobility through strategic investments and divestments. Despite market uncertainties, Pon Holdings recorded stable revenues of €9.9 billion, matching the prior year's results normalised for divestments.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Pon has announced the sale of Dockr, its cargo bike subscriptions system to micro mobility supplier Today in shares. "With this acquisition, we are accelerating our vision of making micromobility solutions accessible for all," said Sean Flood and David Touwsma, co-founders of Today.

MILAN, Italy - The anti-lock braking systems (ABS) manufacturer for e-bikes and light electric vehicles Blubrake secured €12 million in funding to accelerate its growth. Founded in 2015, Blubrake subsequently introduced its anti-lock braking system (ABS) technology in 2018. With its next generation ABS, the company contributes to enhance braking performance, improve rider safety, and differentiate their products in an increasingly competitive market.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Mixed voices were heard about the state of affairs and future of the industry at the 2025 Taipei International Cycle Show. The unpredictable outlook for the business due to the US conflicted trade war has disrupted supply chain at an unprecedented level. The initial expectation was that Taipei Cycle 2025 would indicate the first signs of an industry moving in a positive direction again. While a series of fresh initiatives were rolled out to bolster the industry's role in ESG, advocacy and future mobility, an industry wide increase in the level of orders itself remained ambiguous.

ITTIGEN, Switzerland - Two key topics challenging the bicycle and e-bike industry, sustainability and geopolitical issues are addressed in a new study by McKinsey & Company and the WFSGI (World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry). Is the industry prepared for 2025?