Jan-Willem van Schaik

REUTLINGEN, Germany - 19 leading innovators in the automotive, cycling and technology industries have founded the 'Coalition for Cyclist Safety' [C4CS]. The aim of the alliance is to pursue the goal of advancing the development and expansion of a comprehensive vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication ecosystem to improve cyclist safety. Claus Fleischer, CEO of Bosch eBike Systems explains why they were one of the initiators together with Audi of America and Spoke Safety.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The sudden increase in bicycle imports by EU countries in 2022 has come to an abrupt ending. Since the rising popularity of the e-bike, bicycle sales have decreased step-by-step and this process continues in 2023, as the latest import statistic show.

OSAKA, Japan - Shimano reports a big difference in market performance between Europe and North America. In its January-October 2023 financial statement, the component manufacturer reports that despite high inventories in general, a strong interest in bicycles continued in its major market, Germany and the Benelux countries.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - The ambitions were sky high when Mate Bike was founded in 2016. Investors were easy to entice based on the projected growth of the e-bike market. However, expansion came too quickly, and Mate Bike is now fighting insolvency.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - For the first time, the total value of e-bikes imported into the European Union exceed €0.5 billion between January and July this year. Contrary to all outlooks and forecasts the market performance of the high-end segment was very good.

BERLIN, Germany - The latest report on the financially troubled Signa Sports United are overshadowed by the even bigger issues at its largest shareholder, Signa International Sports Holding GmbH. It is clear that not only the problems as generally reported in the cycling industry have put Signa Sports's future on the edge.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Cambodian bicycle manufacturers are being hit hard by the decline in demand on the global market. The double digit decrease in export value announced earlier this year is only growing bigger.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The bicycle industry lobby concluded a successful period in Brussels with the publication of the European Cycling Declaration by the European Commission last week. Cycling has never been that high on the political agenda. What's next?

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - A fatal accident with an e-bike in Belgium years ago started a dispute about the legal classification of the electric bicycle. Should it be regarded as a 'vehicle' and be covered by a mandatory insurance like other vehicles? Finally, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that e-bikes are not covered by this obligation because e-bikes are not propelled exclusively by mechanical power.

PEETRI, Estonia - Within two years listed cargo bike manufacturer Hagen Bikes company is heading to the stock market again for new capital. Hagen's shares are tradable in the multilateral trading system First North, and the company Hagen submitted a request to Nasdaq Tallinn AS to also admit all new shares issued during the offering to trading in the multilateral trading system.