19th Taipei Cycle Show 2006

TAIPEI, Taiwan (March 14) – Already the 19th time that the International Cycle show was held in Taipei. Over the years, the show has changed from a pure mass buyers’ show into what it is now: a showcase of hi-end bicycle producers. Taipei is presenting itself more and more as a place where the tone is up-market, and where the pure price-buyer is getting less and less on offer. Yes, there still was a ‘mountain bike’ on offer for US$ 18,50 FOB – but that was a weird exception. The rule was hi-end: from carbon fibre to titanium, and from suspension forks to designer bikes – that’s what Taipei is all about. The show is organised, as always, by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taiwan Bicycle Exporters Association. This year the show drew 33,537 buyers, both from Taiwan/China and abroad. Foreign buyers totalled 3,547: 4% percent more than last year. Most came from Japan, followed by the US, Germany, South Korea and Australia. 2179 booths combated for the visitors attention, set up by 650 companies, including 148 from the US, UK, Japan, France, Italy and Hong Kong. The Taipei International Cycle is the biggest such venue in Asia, and the third largest worldwide. And Taiwan is doing well in terms of bicycle production, just look at the average prices of the bikes exported: in 2004, the average price was US$ 164, in 2005 this had risen to US$ 199! Better proof of the hi-end feel of the Taipei show will be hard to find. This also explains the slightly less ‘busy’ feel the show had – trading quality for quantity. Buyers from mass volume focussed markets might look elsewhere, as Taiwan’s offering is getting more upmarket.