NAIROBI, Kenya (May 11) - This is the most heard answer when people in regions like Africa and Asia are asked why they do not ride a bicycle. Although they can see for themselves that their cities are rapidly coming to a complete standstill, not to mention the quality of air they are confronted with
MAARSSEN, Netherlands (May 18) - After years of struggling to survive, now it is time to draw the final curtain on Kynast GmbH. On June 8th, the company's remaining assets will go under the hammer. Some 1,000 items ranging from office equipment to CNC welding machines will be sold to raise money to settle outstanding
MILAN, Italy (31 March) - Rumours have been going around for some time that Aprilia was short on cash. Now officially, the company has announced to secure new capital for its development. Aprilia S.p.A. in Noale (Venetia region) is the second-largest European manufacturer of ptw's under their brands Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Laverda. The majority
MAARSSEN, Netherlands (17 March) -This year's edition of the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi e Bartali will honour Marco Pantani two ways - it is retiring the number 145, worn by Pantani in 2003 when he placed tenth, and at the race start on 24 March, a flock of white doves will be released by which
NUNSPEET, Netherlands (March 12th) -The Shimano Dura-Ace crankset and Nexus INTER-8 gearhub have both won an 'I F' design award 2004. This "design-Oscar" is presented yearly by the Internationalen Forum Design in Hannover, Germany. It is one of the most prestigious design contests in the world and every year receives more than 1800 entries from
MUNICH, Germany (12 March)- SRAM lost the most recent round in their litigation against Shimano about trigger shifters. SRAM's Stan Day announced this milestone in a press meeting in Taipei. Shimano doesn't yet want to comment on the verdict of the Munich court, pondering their words till after the weekend, the Shimano press responsible says.
MAINHAUSEN/VERL, Germany (February 19th) - Sport 2000 and Bico confirm that Harald Ostermeir, co-general-manager of sporting goods buyer group Sport 2000 has become a member of the management team of Bico. It was a known fact that Bico, the German bike dealer cooperative that struggled with an economic crises last year, and Sport 2000 entered
SHANGHAI, China (February 10) - Finally China has it's own version of the Munich ISPO - to be held in new premises in Shanghai on March14-17, 2005. Some 120-200 international brands in one huge, 11,000 square meter hall will mark the first edition of the Chinese version of the sports trade show. Numerous western brands
MAARSSEN, Netherlands (February 10) - Europe is rapidly becoming swamped in imported bikes from Asia. Eurostat, the EU's customs data bureau, recorded a growth of 30% in 2002, in the number of bikes imported from the various Asian countries; 2003 is hard on it's way in showing that same staggering growth again. During the first
SANGERSHAUSEN, Germany (March 4) - According to the German Merck Finck bank, Germany's self declared largest bicycle producer, MIFA is going public. The move is planned for May 2004, and follows a string of profitable years. Since 1998 the company has been writing in black, and in 2003 had a € 64 million turnover, making
ALBSTADT, Germany (February 12th) - German functional and bikewear maker Gonso has had to apply for insolvency. The company, based in Albstadt, will be guided trough the procedure by appointed Reutlingen based receiver Juergen Sulz from the Hechingen court.(JB)
HO CHI MIN City, Vietnam (January 27) - Following in the footsteps of Strongman, MT Racing, Asama, Sheng Fa, Arthur & Judy Ent. Co., Ltd., and Liyang, the seventh Taiwan bike company to switch to Vietnam - which will come on line next March - is the KHS plant. KHS bought Olympic Pro's factory, located
SHANGHAI, China (January 30th) - A grand total of US$ 5.26 billion profit was made by foreign companies in the Shanghai area, and that's in 2003 alone… Shanghai is emerging as the bridgehead into China - most foreign enterprises come ashore here to enter into the Chinese market. A record investment in the area of
MILAN, Italy (January 5th) - The departure of Jan Ullrich (the runner-up in the Tour de France 2003) has not lessened the appetite of Bianchi for pro-sponsoring. After Ullrich's near-victory they saw road bikes sales going up some 20%, a good reason to join forces with Team Alessio for the 2004 season. The team will
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Dec 6) - On 14 February 2006 the two European associations organize a Congress in Brussels on the new European safety standards for bicycles and their possible and certain effects on the bicycle business. The first 4 bicycle standards - City and Trekking Bicycles, Mountain Bicycles, Racing Bicycles and Children bicycles - will
ESSEN, Germany (Nov 15) - After 16 months of preparation German mass merchant Aldi opened its first four outlets in Switzerland. Before the end of the year Aldi-Switzerland, a 100 % subsidiary of Aldi-Süd, wants to have a total of ten outlets. The first four outlets are located in Altenheim, Amriswil, Gebenstorf und Weinfelden. Each
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg (Nov 1) - The enlargement of the EU by May 1, 2004 with 10 new member states has had big consequences for the European bike market. What happened right after the access of the new member states - mainly Eastern European countries - is that the 15 'old' EU countries started to import
TAIPEI, Taiwan (Oct 18)- Giant Manufacturing Co., Taiwan's biggest bicycle maker, filed a lawsuit contesting European Union tariffs on bicycles from Vietnam and China. Subsidiary Giant China Co., located in an industrial park in Kunshan, a city near Shanghai, wants Europe's second-highest court to overturn five-year "anti dumping" duties of as much as 34.5% against
BRUSSEL, Belgium (Sep 27) --Belgian road racer Tom Boonen who won the world championship in Madrid last Sunday, was received today by Belgian King Albert. Bonnen gave his original rainbow shirt to the King, who presented him in turn with a drawn caricature portrait of the new champ.(OB)
MILANO, Italy - The 2005 EICMA Milan bike show opened with record number of floor space (+25%) and more exhibitors (+16%), and closed four days later with another unexpected record number of visitors. Right from the start of the 2005 show it was clear to see the huge numbers of visitors in the new Milan
