Jan-Willem van Schaik

SYDNEY, Australia - The photos of landfills with carbon bicycle frames which did not pass the production tests or were at the end of their life cycle went viral some years ago. The contradiction between the environmentally friendly image of the bicycle and the single-use carbon frame is striking. Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed new methods to solve this major source of waste.

TALLINN, Estonia - As startup producing e-cargo bikes for last mile deliveries, Vok Bike closed a €3,8 million seed round last week, including Estonia's SmartCap, Jaan Tallinn's Metaplanet, Specialist VC and Sunly.

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands - Dutch authorities have imposed a €15,000 penalty on 9 'fat bikes' sellers. They all offered fatbikes which did not comply with the type approval regulations and were not street legal.

TREVISO, Italy - Pinarello majority owner L Catterton today announced that it has sold Pinarello, to a private family office. The terms of the transaction and the name of the new owner have not been disclosed.

BIELEFELD, Germany - Small parts speclialist westphal GmbH has been acquired by Hadi-Plast Group this week. The strategic acquisition marks a milestone for both companies and strengthens their position as major players in their field of business. Information on the take-over amount remains undisclosed.

FRANKFURT, Germany - The second edition of the Eurobike Investors Lounge attracted some 70 participants, primarily private equity investors and family offices. The high level of attendance shows that investors still see the potential of the bicycle industry.

FRANKFURT, Germany - The decision to move from Friedrichshafen to Frankfurt turned out positively for Eurobike. In its second edition on the new location last week the number of visitors increased, although that was not generally assumed when talking to exhibitors during the show.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - To cater for tyres for the European bicycle industry, Ralson India Ltd., Zleen s.r.o., and Mahansaria Ent. Pvt. have formed a joint venture. Ralson, having the majority stake in the JV, joins hands with Zleen with high ambitions to expand its European customer reach by providing application-specific tyres.

MALLABIA, Spain - After 12 years as CEO of Orbea, Jon Fernandez has announced to step down. Long-term serving at Orbea, Daniel Martínez, will assume the position of CEO, starting next October.

FRANKFURT, Germany - The sales momentum experienced by the industry has pushed up the expectations for the upcoming years. At the same time, the market is struggling with the long-term impact of the pandemic and unrestrained components sourcing and production in 2022.