Jan-Willem van Schaik

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - After a 25-year career, of which 15 years were in the role of CEO, Janus Smalbraak resigned at Pon to pursue a new professional challenge. Smalbraak announced this resignation at Pon in a LinkedIn post earlier today. Volkswagen Financial Services AG CEO Christian Dahlheim has been appointed to succeed Janus Smalbraak.

BERLIN, Germany - The growing importance of cycling in the mobility mix brings new challenges to the industry. Consumer expectations and product requirements are shifting quickly and will continue to change in the years ahead. The 'user of tomorrow' was the key topic at a recent ZIV Technology Conference. What does this mean for construction, safety, and design? How is the industry meeting these demands with technological innovation?

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The CONEBI and CIE merger has reached two important milestones this week, with the announcement of a new name and the election of the new board and president. The Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) and Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) will be renamed as European Cycling Industries, as decided last weekend during an extraordinary general meeting. This announcement marks the start of the new organisation representing the bicycle industry in Europe.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - In an open letter, European manufacturers, logistics companies, and cycling logistics operators have urged the European Commission to maintain the existing legal framework under EU Regulation 168/2013, including its application to cargo bikes. "Recent proposals by the German industry organisation ZIV to cap assistance ratios, peak power and vehicle weight would undermine real-world usability," the letter stated.

SHENZHEN, China - Zhaowei may not be a household name, but there is a good chance its gears power nearby moving products, from car components to office or household appliances. Every day, millions of gears in any possible size are pumped out of its Dongguan, Suzhou and Shenzhen-based factories. Marking a first for the Chinese ODM, it has now entered the e-bike drive market with its own brand identity, Preeto.

MASER, Italy - Sidi's transition from family ownership to Italmobiliare's investment holding has brought a profound change in management style and day-to-day operations. The latest quarterly results show a significant increase in revenue, although operating profit is still negative.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - 2025 once again may prove how difficult forecasting is for the global e-bike and bicycle industry. A strong first half boosted confidence, but the latest Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) reveals that optimism is fading fast.

KOBLENZ, Germany - The third quarter of 2025 remained challenging for Canyon. The company's financial performance reflects current market conditions. The overall industry is facing ongoing difficulties, characterised by oversupply and aggressive discounting. While Canyon is not immune to this trend, the company reports robust sales in road and gravel segments.

SCHRAMBERG, Germany - The expected weakness in the e-bike segment in the first nine months of 2025 resulted in a 42% drop in revenue at the e-bike component manufacturer. For hGears, even the positive development of e-tools and e-mobility could not offset the slowdown in the e-bike segment, which continued into the third quarter of this year.

FRANKFURT, Germany - The introduction of MobiFuture last June at Eurobike was rather subdued and came as a surprise to many. It caused a big stir in the industry, making Fairnamic announce today: "key market participants see the need for further clarification of Mobifuture's concept and direction, which is why it will not be presented as a standalone trade show format in 2026."