BH Bikes
Why the bicycle industry keeps losing women
Skip the flowers, chocolates and spa gifts this International Women's Day.

Skip the flowers, chocolates and spa gifts this International Women's Day.

Changing market conditions and new European Union regulations have opened the door for tyre specialist Dmack to repurpose the former Nokian tyre facility in Finland. Bicycle tyre production had largely shifted from Europe to the Far East in recent decades. The cost of labour, environmental regulations and proximity to rubber sources made it more efficient to operate these factories in Asia. According to Dmack owner Dick Cormack, times have changed. "I have made it my personal mission to put this factory back on the map and build up production in Europe with high-quality products. That's our mission over the next five years."

This year, multi-sports chain store retailer and manufacturer Decathlon is continuing its expansion in Germany. Following the grand opening of its hundredth store in Nuremberg last November, Decathlon-Germany has announced its goal to operate at least 150 stores by 2027.

One of the world's largest automotive suppliers ZF, marked its entry into the e-bike business with a debut at Eurobike in 2018. Specialising in tailor-made open drive systems, the German manufacturers aimed to become a serious competitor to Bosch. However, this has not materialised, leading to a doubtful future. "We have suspended our sales activities in this area," a spokesperson has confirmed to Bike Europe.

The influx of new concepts and ideas in the rapidly expanding bicycle and e-bike industry leads to market entry by less experienced company founders. "They don't have the business expertise, don't know business fundamentals when it comes to the legal set-up of an entity, marketing and pricing, let alone funding," said Zoe Rose Maddox of the Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator. "We target the group that is ready to scale and fine-tune their operation."

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.