Jan-Willem van Schaik

BRUSSELS, Belgium - In contrast to the e-bike imports into the European Union, the bicycle imports declined significantly during the period January - May this year. The total import volume dropped by more than 15% from 2,577,256 units in 2019 to 2,181,239 this year. Taiwan's focus on e-bikes has a big impact on the top-ranking positions of bicycle exporting countries to the European Union. In line with last year's trends, China's export volumes to the EU-27 continues to increase.

SCHIPHOL, the Netherlands - Yamaha's announcement to start coordinating its European OEM e-bike business from its EU head office in the Netherlands last May was already expected much earlier. In the nineties Yamaha was one of the pioneers on the e-bike market, but after a few less successful attempts in Europe, the company focused on the local market.

MILTON KEYNES, UK - The advantages of production close to the market became more than obvious for e-bike manufacturer Volt. In the middle of the COVID-19 crisis the company which was founded in 2010, opened its planned UK facility in Milton Keynes. As a result the founding brothers James and Lyle Metcalfe, saw a huge up-take of their planned production.

FRANKFURT a.M, Germany - Europe's biggest conference and exhibition for battery technology has again announced new dates for the annual Battery Experts Forum. Initially planned for last spring, it was subsequently moved to autumn due to the pandemic and now to April 2021.

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.

VELKE ORVIŠTĚ, Slovakia - "After more than 20 years, we are going to get rid of the high fragility of standard resin carbon composites, by introducing a new generation material," said Kellys Bicycles CEO Michal Divinec at the presentation of the company's MY 2021 range. The Slovakian company partnered with Belgium frame manufacturer Rein4ced for the introduction of their new e-bike frames for the Theos F series.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany - 'Mobility 2025', 'green tail wind for bicycles' and 'bike biz 2025' are the three themes of the conference during this year's Eurobike Digital Days. The three topics selected by Eurobike for their conference reflect the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. The online conference is scheduled for September 1.

EASTLEIGH, UK - Selling one tool in one market, making his kitchen table his office. That's how Chris Parr founded Pro Bike Tool in 2015, like so many start-ups in this industry. Now, five years later, he co-directs the business with his wife Nicole, and together they manage a small team of expert specialists working across the globe.

TURNHOUT, Belgium - The Belgium start-up Classified Cycling presented an all new smart shifting technology which will make conventional front derailleurs a thing of the past. The company is strongly embedded in the Belgium cycling culture with former road racer Tom Boonen as ambassador as a new shareholder and Ridley as launching partner.

KARLSTEIN AM MAIN, Germany - As global innovator in the battery industry and an open system provider in the e-bike market, the German BMZ Group presented a new performance benchmark. The BMZ V10 Intube is the company's latest in 725Wh integrated lithium-ion battery with a stylish look.