TAIPEI, Taiwan--According to the organizers of the Taipei Cycle Show, the 2000 edition will feature over 600 exhibitors, a record. Among the activities at this year's show will be the Year 2000 Bicycle Design Competition, the Year 2000 Showcase of Winning Innovative Bicycle Parts and Accessories, A Reception Evening, bicycle trials and performances and a
VEENENDAAL, Netherlands (December 17) - Dutch bicycle retail chain Bikeworld is putting all its shops and formula up for sale. Bikeworld was not able to operate its 12 shops in Holland with sufficient profitability. Bikeworld was started in 1997 as a specialty part of Halfords Holland and the automotive division of the Macintosh Retail Group.
BARNEVELD, Netherlands (October 8) - The Rigida rim factory in Noyons, France, is in financial trouble, and has got a 'cessation de payement', a status slightly different from suspension of payment, but nevertheless alarming. "That's exactly what it is," Rigida Group President J. Pekelharing says, "with sales and production of bicycles in France so far
DUARTE,CA. (November 14) - Dahon has opened a new factory in Shenzhen, China, which doubles its frame production capacity. The factory has frame building equipment for aluminum and steel, and manufactures the patented folding mechanism. Dahon will assemble both high- and low-end models in China. The factory employs 250 people and has a current production
NUNSPEET, Netherlands (November 9) - Next to the move of the 3-speed hub gear production to Singapore, which was announced November 1 on this website, the obvious question is what Shimano is planning with regard to its 4 and 7-speed Nexus hub gears. By the way, these are products like the 3-speed coaster brake, which
NUNSPEET, Netherlands (29 july) - In sheer numbers, Shimano must be the outright winner of the past Tour de France. Tallying groups, pedals and shoes Shimano clearly takes the edge. Technically speaking, the most outstanding news is the acceptance of the Shimano wheelsets with their inverted and paired spoke technology. Not the least riders in
BARCELONA, Spain (15 august) - the first quarter of 2001 saw a drop in 50cc sales. With 50.064 units delivered, sales were 32% lower than in 2000, which in turn had been 20% lower than 1999. Last year the registration of 50cc's was blamed; this year the drp is mainly caused by the soaring insurance
DENVER, USA (September 12) - Pacific Cycles has bought Schwinn/GT for $86 million at an auction of the federal bancruptcy court of Colorado. After an initial bid of $63 million earlier last month, bidding between the two contenders Huffy and Pacific went up to a final Pacific bid of $86 million. Schwinn's fitness division will
COLOGNE, Germany (June 4) - Bike sales in the European Union are improving after the bad start of the selling season. In May the weather throughout Europe was bright and sunny which has had a large impact on the sales of bicycles. In Germany, the largest bike market of the fifteen EU memberstates sales have
NOTTINGHAM, UK (June 11) - Raleigh UK is about to layoff 40-50 employees at its head office. Raleigh stated in a recent press release "It has become essential that we act now to reduce our fixed cost overheads by reducing staff numbers." Raleigh states that due to very poor weather conditions last year, industry figures
VEENENDAAL, Netherlands - AXA Stenman Industries N.V., locksmiths for the bicycle industry and constructors' hardware, forecast a drop in the results over the first 6-month period of 2001. Figures will be published on August 27th. The net profit per share will be 40-50% lower than during the same period last year. The builders'world is said
GUADALAJARA, Mexico (June 1) - This year's Pan Am International Bike Expo is slated for 13-15 June in Guadalajara, Mexico. Being held for the third time in as many years, the trade-only event has quickly obtained a position amongst Latin America's most prominent bike shows, attracting the attention of local and international producers alike. While
SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico (June 7) - Dutch Rigida Group has opened a rim factory in Mexico, right in the middle of the region of the Mexican bicycle production. Rigida already had their customers in Mexico who were supplied mainly from their US plant, but production in Mexico has advantages in view of exports to
BRUSSELS, Belgium (12 March)- The European Union trade ministers cleared a package of measures to give the world's 48 poorest countries access to EU markets for all products except weapons by the year 2009. The so-called 'Everything but Arms' initiative was agreed on so that imports could be monitored and if necessary to introduce safeguards.
WILRIJK, Belgium / COUVET, Switzerland (March 12) - Belgium spoke and nipple expert Sapim NV has taken over the cycle division of Swiss competitor Edco Engineering SA. As of Monday March 12 the Couvet-based company has been running its business under the Edco Sapim SA name. Edco's high-end bicycle and wheel chair component products will
NOTTINGHAM, UK (April, 26) - After two difficult years, culminating in a 19% drop in unit sales to 407,000 for the year 2000 and a decrease in net revenues of 12% to US$67.1 million, Raleigh UK is now embarking on a series of major initiatives to build on its inherent strengths as the leading UK
HEERENVEEN, Netherlands (May 7) - "In this case we don't support neither SRAM nor Shimano. As COLIBI we take a neutral position." This comment on the preliminary findings by the EC in the dumping charges made by SRAM against Shimano was made by René Takens. Next to Accell Group NV President he is also the
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (26 February) - In 2000, total sales of Dutch mopeds and scooters in the 50cc class saw a decrease of 13.3% from the previous year. A possible saturation in the market is likely to blame, as every year previous to this, saw at least a moderate increase. The biggest drop was in the
INNSBRUCK, Austria - American Xtracycle is opening a European subsidiary whose headquarters will be located in Innsbruck Austria. Xtracycle wants this step to, as company co-founder Ross Evans called it, "Make us a global company that would have a positive impact on every corner of the planet. We want to introduce our high cargo capacity
PARIS, France (22 January) - For 2000, French hypermarket giant Carrefour Group has reported a consolidated turnover increase of 25% (including tax), valued at around EUR 73.1 billion. A deeper look into this figure shows how important the international business of Carrefour became that year. When compared to the 1999 figures, the French group's sales
