Jan-Willem van Schaik

MONTREAL, Canada - Dorel Industries Inc. reports a spike in demand for all types of bicycles during the second quarter of 2020. For the owner, sales of brands such as Schwinn, Mongoose and Cannondale rose dramatically and was maintained throughout the quarter.

"Promote yourself to a wider audience," said Fiona Bull, Programme Manager at the World Health Organization (WHO) at last year's World Cycling Forum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Her presentation has been going through my mind a lot in the past months. All media reported on the cycling boom in many cities as people are looking for alternative means of mobility in the post-corona era.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany - In corona-year 2020, Eurobike is scheduled at the end of November with tailor-made solutions as a special-edition working trade show and industry get together at a European level. Over 450 exhibitor brands and ten thousand trade visitors and media representatives are expected at the Eurobike Special.

IRVINE, USA - For over four decades, Fox Racing has been the global leader in motocross and mountain biking protective gear and apparel. Last year, industry insider Jeff McGuane joined the brand as CEO. "Once we had set our sights on the future of Fox, we invested in talent and culture."

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany - The corona driven rise in demand for e-bike and bicycles poses considerable challenges for top-to-bottom supply chain in the bicycle industry. In the run-up to the key industry get together Eurobike in November, Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann points out that "the show in November is the ideal opportunity to conduct important face-to-face talks at the end of the season and to kick off the new 2021 bike business year."

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Data from Cambodia's customs department indicate that the country exported 1.1 million bicycles to the European Union in the first half of this year. The bicycle exports were valued at €205 million between January and July.

GENT, Belgium - The take-over by supermarket owner Colruyt in 2019 saved the future of the Belgium bicycle retail chain Fiets!. A year earlier Fiets! already filed for chapter 11 and that was not without reason. According to a publication in Belgium newspaper De Tijd, Colruyt had to invest another €10 million in Fiets! to make it future proof.

NUNSPEET, the Netherlands - The phenomenon is widely known in the e-bike industry; lithium-ion batteries which catch fire spontaneously. Dutch e-bike specialist, Stella, was hit twice by battery fires in the past years. This month the company opened a highly advanced battery warehouse.

OSAKA, Japan - In its financial statement of the first half of 2020 the Shimano Group reports a decline in sales of its bicycle component segment of 14.6%. From the same period of the previous year, bicycle components turnover slid to JPY 122,6 million (€992 million), and operating income was down 19.7% to JPY 22,96 million (€186 million).

WÖRGL, Austria - While the e-bike market enjoys an unprecedented sales boom, the Austrian e-drive supplier Vivax has ceased its operation. "We are forced to take this step and stop selling and accepting the service immediately," the company published on its website.