Jo Beckendorff

TIMISOARA, Romania - For a long time, Romania was considered the poorhouse of Europe. After the communist dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, was forced to leave in 1989, there were hopes of a rapid improvement. However, restructuring the economy turned out to be much more difficult. What is the potential to develop the country's bicycle industry? Bike Europe visited a series of companies that made the step to Romania.

WELS, Austria - The news has been rumored in the industry for a while, but it has been officially confirmed this week: Pierer Industrie AG has acquired an undisclosed majority stake in renowned German bicycle components expert Syntace. With this, the Austrian motorcycle giant has taken the next step to expand its position in the bicycle industry.

SYDNEY, Australia - Online bicycle shop and marketplace BikeExchange Limited has announced some top management changes including a new CEO. In its latest financial results, the company, which has been restructuring over the last 12 months, also managed to boost its total revenue by 47.4% to $AU6.58 million (€4.5 million) compared to the previous 2020/21 fiscal year.

MATTIGHOFEN, Austria - Despite aggravated delivery problems, Austrian two-wheeler giant Pierer Mobility AG was able to record a positive sales value performance in the first six months of the year. As far as unit sales are concerned, however, the demand for e-bikes could not quite be met.

MUNICH, Germany - With serious supply shortages and ongoing delivery problems hitting the world market, German start-up TFJ Bucycle GmbH launched its used bicycle online marketplace. After a successful start on the home market, the company is now expanding its business concept and taking it international.

FRANKFURT, Germany - Apart from a few niche suppliers who could be counted on one hand, for years there was no one on the road with the TQ drivetrain unit. Now the Germans are back with a new lightweight, quiet, small motor with which they say they have a major bike supplier onboard with Trek Bicycle.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Californian ACT Lab LLC, which claims to be "the leading provider of product safety and compliance testing for mobility, outdoor and lifestyle products," was at this year's Eurobike with a team of nine. They beat the drums for its planned ACT Lab laboratory in Europe which will serve as a test lab for Eastern European bicycle manufacturers.

TIMISOARA, Romania - German Corratec is the next in the industry to start bicycle production in Romania. On 6 August the company celebrated the grand opening of its new production facility in Timișoara.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - Rising global inflation and the war in the Ukraine did not yet recoil sales of Taiwan's Giant Manufacturing. The company reports record sales in the second quarter of this year. For the first half of this year total sales increased by 7.2% to TWD 45.01 billion (€1.47 billion). Whether the rising tension in the Straits of Taiwan will impact the third quarter sales in unknown yet.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - Bicycle parts supplier Marwi Taiwan Industrial Co., Ltd., known as Marwi Group, started production at its new 'smart' production facility late last year. Since then, production has been gradually ramped up. At Eurobike, Marwi founder and chairman Patrick Pai and his daughter, Marwi president Coco Pai told Bike Europe that fully automated production at the facility will start by the end of this year.