Even though bicycle and e-bike production in Japan dropped below the 700,000-unit mark in 2025 for the second consecutive year, and domestic shipments decreased below the 5 million mark for the first time, there are some tentative glimmers of hope in the Japanese market. First, domestic production grew by 3.4% year-over-year to 691,678 units; second, and more importantly, the import flood from China was somewhat stemmed.

Europe's bicycle markets are entering 2026 on very different footing. While Italy continues to struggle with declining sales and mounting pressure on specialist retail, the German and Spanish markets are showing signs of stabilisation as higher-value segments, particularly e-bikes, drive revenue growth. In the UK, the industry recorded its first year of growth since 2020, offering cautious optimism after several difficult seasons. Together, the latest European market reports reflect an industry still navigating post-pandemic correction, changing consumer demand and the growing importance of value-driven segments.

Cycling Sports Group Europe, part of Pon.Bike, has announced the closure of the Cannondale facility in Almelo, the Netherlands. The production of the Cannondale bikes will be relocated to Germany and Lithuania. 'Almelo' no longer fits in Pon.Bike's multi-brand strategy, which includes a flexible production network.

SRAM has announced plans to build a new facility in Coimbra, Portugal, enabling local production of its complete component portfolio—more than 7,500 individual parts—closer to key partners and markets. "The investment will enhance our ability to serve European OEM and AM partners while improving sustainability, flexibility, and supply chain resilience," the company writes in a press statement.

Automated guided vehicles shuttle components between assembly stations while robotic machines operate across three floors of production space. At Ananda's Wuxi facility, manufacturing scale and vertical integration have become central to the company's ambitions in the global e-bike market. The Chinese drive system manufacturer is building what it describes as a "closed-loop" manufacturing ecosystem: one that aims to deliver both volume and reliability. Bike Europe visited the Factory Floor to discover the industrial philosophy behind… Ananda.

The local market is becoming increasingly important for the Suzhou, China-based e-bike motor system manufacturer Bafang. Its revenue export share has slid from 35% in 2021 to 20% last year. The total operating revenue in 2025 was RMB 1.3369 billion, down 1.47% year-on-year. The net profit attributable to shareholders was RMB 102.819 million in 2025, up 61.04% compared with 2024.

From pre-IPO acquirers to non-traditional investors and aftermarket economics, the next opportunity for bike startups may sit outside traditional cycling. After the capital reset, the cycling industry has been asking: when will investors come back? But maybe that is the wrong question.

The massive influx of non-compliant fatbikes in the Netherlands, combined with annoying user behaviour, prompted Dutch politicians to call for a wide range of restrictive measures. It gave the fatbikes a very bad image, prompting local distributor La Souris to find new markets abroad. Initially, investors were not eager to step in, but now La Souris has raised €6.5 mln from ING Bank to reach the company's strategy.

German e-commerce giant The Platform Group (TPG) states that it has "fully met" its annual forecast, with significant growth in revenue and earnings. "The organic growth of our platforms was consistently strong, enabling us to successfully decouple from the generally weak retail industry trend," founder Dr Dominik Benner states. The group's activities in the bicycle industry include three online platforms and one brick-and-mortar store.

Ampler Bikes has entered insolvency proceedings following years of financial pressure tied to difficult market conditions, quality issues affecting earlier bike models and a recent commercial dispute related to its Berlin showroom.

Tektro Technology Corporation is strategically expanding its global manufacturing network through the construction of a brand-new production facility in Vietnam. The Taiwanese bicycle component manufacturer officially broke ground on this major Southeast Asian project in October 2025. Once fully operational, this state-of-the-art facility will serve as its third global production base, joining the company's established manufacturing hubs in Taiwan and China.

The Eurobike announcement to move its dates back to September from 2027 turned the international show calendar upside down again. September has always been very busy with industry events, so Eurobike's decision has prompted many show organisers to reconsider their 2027 dates. The Taiwanese industry was the first to respond, rescheduling the Taichung Bike Week to October.

Heiko Müller is stepping back from the management of Riese & Müller after more than three decades with the company he co-founded. His departure at the end of July concludes the operational responsibility of the founding generation, after Markus Riese stepped back from management in 2022.

A fully operational bicycle manufacturing facility in Jastrowie, Poland, has become available for sale or lease, presenting a potential opportunity for companies looking to establish or expand production capacity in Europe.

The e-bike market share could reach as high as 80% according to past predictions. Since the start of the sales boom more than a decade ago, it was uncertain what market share the e-bike would eventually take of the total bicycle market in Europe. The 80% outlook now seems exaggerated, as the Europe-wide market share remains stuck at just under 40%. What has put a stop to the growth of the e-bike market?

China appears to be losing its foothold in the United States market, as first-quarter import figures reflect the lasting impact of US President Donald Trump's global tariffs. As markets adjust to last year's volatile rebalancing, a reshaped competitive landscape is emerging, with the old order fading across much of Asia.

Taiwan is future-focused, that much was apparent to attendees of the Taipei Cycle Show 2026. But beneath the optimism, export declines and changing production chains show the nation's bicycle sector is in transition. Production value is increasingly generated beyond Taiwan's borders, as manufacturing shifts to neighbouring markets such as China, Vietnam and Europe through Taiwanese-led supply chains.

All indicators for the 2025 French market were negative. The total market volume decreased by 6%, while the revenue was down 4.8% year-on-year. The average retail price declined slightly, and the e-bike sales dropped 16%. This contraction comes amid a challenging economic environment but also reflects a more structural shift: the end of the post-Covid catch-up effect and the withdrawal of purchase incentives.

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.

Messe Frankfurt has taken up the challenge of getting the derailed Eurobike back on track. The once-leading platform for the e-bike and bicycle industry has lost its glamour in recent years. "A key topic that emerged from the more than 50 industry expert interviews we conducted was Eurobike's lack of focus," Philipp Ferger, manager of Eurobike organiser Fairnamic, told Bike Europe in an exclusive interview. "Our first step was to put up an advisory board — a regular vehicle to exchange views with the industry for many trade shows at Messe Frankfurt."

A strong industry ecosystem thrived in Taiwan's bicycle industry for decades, enabling the successful launch of start-ups like Hyena. This ecosystem was damaged during the inventory crisis and Hyena CEO Charlie Chuang is calling for a rebuild of this system. Today, his company is one of the few Taiwan-based full e-drive system suppliers serving American and European customers.

Volatile trade policies, a challenging market environment, unfavourable currency effects and intensified competition shaped Bosch Group's 2025 financial results. Against this backdrop, their expectations for 2025 have not been met, and sales revenue rose slightly by 4.1% after adjusting for exchange-rate effects. Bosch eBike Systems CEO Claus Fleischer gives insight into what this means for the e-bike industry.