The transfer of Accell Group to the new owner, the Singapore-based investment firm DuTech Group, passed another regulatory milestone. The Polish anti-competition authorities, UOKiK, identified no concerns significant enough to justify remedies or prohibit the transaction, and therefore approved the acquisition.

The e-bike plays a central role for the brand Velo de Ville. More than 80% of production in Altenberge, Germany, consists of e-bikes. Although general manager and owner Volker Thiemann is positive about the market, he is also concerned about recent technological developments that, in his view, threaten the survival of today's e-bike.

For Austrian KTM Fahrrad GmbH, the financial year 2024/2025 was still a challenging time. According to the company's financial statements, filed only last week, KTM Fahrrad reported a nearly 14% decline in revenue from € 425 million in 2023/2024 to €365 million in the 2024/25 fiscal year. The company's results in this fiscal year were still heavily influenced by massive discounting campaigns.

Belgium's speed pedelec market continued its transformation in the first half of 2026, with strong growth in new registrations driven by leasing contracts and large fleet deliveries, while the rapidly expanding second-hand market is creating a broader customer base for speed pedelec sales in Europe's leading market.

Although the recovery of overall demand at Taiwanese listed bicycle manufacturers Merida Industry Co. Ltd. and Ideal Bike Corporation is taking longer to materialise, industry peer Giant Manufacturing Company Ltd. saw revenue reach its highest level in 15 months in June. However, Giant's revenue in the first half of 2026 was still 10.5% lower year on year.

Just over 150,000 e-bike units are noted to have left Taiwan's shores in the first half of 2026. This is a 14% drop compared to the same period last year and marks the lowest volume of e-bikes leaving the country in the first six months of the year since 2017. The US market notes the biggest year-on-year losses. In total, Taiwan's first half-year e-bike export value has also dipped below NT$10 billion (€294 million) for the first time since 2017, marking a significant problem for an already challenged industry.

Despite a continuing challenging market environment, kids and youth bicycle brand woom posted a significantly positive result and thus returned to profitability. In the first half of 2026, the Austrian company continued to build on the revenue growth achieved in the previous year. Woom reports a 19% revenue increase from January to June 2026, to €107 million.

The uncertain economic outlook due to trade policy trends of various nations, as well as rising geopolitical risks, such as increasing energy prices amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, is gaining growing influence on Shimano's financial results. As a result, net sales in bicycle and e-bike components in the first half of 2026 equalled last year at 181,379 million yen (€974 million), and operating income decreased 15.1% to 20,064 million yen (€107.8 million).

Merida Industry has announced that Vansen Tseng, the company's President, has resigned from his position due to personal career planning, effective July 17, 2026. "To ensure the continued smooth execution of business operations and management activities, the position will be assumed on an interim basis by Michael Tseng, the Chairman of the Merida Group," the company confirmed to Bike Europe.

"We planned 2026 as a transition year, with gradual recovery, tighter business cases and continued pressure on bill-of-materials costs," says Comodule CEO Teet Praks. After completing the first half of the year, and in the run-up to Taichung Bike Week, we asked the supplier of IoT devices for connected e-bikes, e-scooters, and other light electric vehicles how the market performed and what they expect for the months ahead?

A lively and dynamic tradeshow is not what you would expect in a gloomy market like France's. Still, that was the case at the Pro-Days event in Paris, which took place only a week after Eurobike. The total market volume in France decreased by 6% in 2025, while revenue was down 4.8% year-on-year. Moreover, this was the third consecutive year of market decline, and there is no outlook for sales improvement. Under those circumstances, you don't expect a dynamic trade fair, yet that was still the case.

Taichung Bike Week has remained a fixture in the global bicycle industry for more than two decades. Despite changes in manufacturing, supply chains and the way companies communicate, it continues to play a unique role. The reason is simple: it was never designed to be a traditional trade show.

A newly-commissioned e-bike manufacturing facility in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, has been placed on the market following the insolvency of E-Velox, a company within the Leader 96 Group.

The central analysis tool of ZIV's market data service has been officially launched, with participating German bicycle dealers now having access to the dealer dashboard. "This is an important step towards greater transparency in the German bicycle market and an important milestone for business planning for the entire industry," says Katharina Hinse, ZIV Head of Industrial and Economic Policy.

The Russian bicycle sector could face a serious decline in the second half of the current year as the ever-deepening fuel crisis in the country creates serious logistics problems, resulting in insufficient bicycle supplies to the domestic market. Despite facing "unprecedented" challenges, investments from China continue to support fledgling local brands.

The on-off reporting on whether hostilities in the Middle East will end is causing significant business uncertainty. Moreover, the heavy reliance on deliveries of parts and components from Asia leads to major cost fluctuations. As this uncertainty persists, suppliers and bicycle manufacturers will factor this into their pricing. The consequences are ultimately higher costs and higher bicycle prices in stores, as evidenced by the most recent Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI).

The tables are turning in favour of China as consumer budgets tighten, Taiwan's orders dwindle, and tariffs shift the goalposts of international trade. As a result, China accounted for 47%, almost half, of all e-bike imports into the European Union in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest Eurostat data. This compares with 31% in Q1 2025 and just 17% in Q1 2024. Is this the result of a temporary glut in the e-bike market, or does it signal a more structural shift?

The Canyon booth at Eurobike was impossible to miss this year. In the middle of Hall 11, the German D2C brand put up one of the nicest booths at the show, claiming a centre stage position at the event. "We want to showcase our team effort since I assumed operational responsibilities as executive chairman in September 2025," said Canyon founder, Roman Arnold.

The Indian family-owned company Amar Wheels Pvt. Ltd. has been doing business with European companies for close to five decades. "We strive to stay relevant, which we love. The challenges are amazing and the last 10 years have been more challenging than the past 40 years. We are constantly evolving in order to stay relevant," Karan Aggarwal, director of Amar Wheel tells Bike Europe.

The aftermath of the COVID bubble, which hit the bicycle industry hard, also impacted Accell Group substantially. When Jonas Nilsson joined Accell Group as COO in July 2023, the company was perceived as being in a critical state. In January 2025, Nilsson took over as CEO and initiated the One Accell Strategy. In an exclusive interview with Bike Europe, he explains where the Accell Group is on the strategy timeline and what the market can expect from this once industry-leading company.

As the bicycle industry strives to better synchronise supply chains with market demand, access to reliable market intelligence has become increasingly important. The Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) addresses this need by providing sourcing insights and a medium-term market outlook through an indicator that anticipates future industry trends. In a conversation with Bike Europe, Orbea Supply Chain Chief Officer Pablo Trujillo, explains how they manage the challenge of forecasting.