Katie Sawyer

European Union authorities are ramping up efforts to tackle customs evasion practices, specifically targeting split shipments and post-entry bicycle assembly. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office's (EPPO) 2025 annual report, post-import assembly operations are becoming an increasingly common tactic to circumvent costly customs duties.

Finnish bike-leasing platform Vapaus Group has expanded into the Asia-Pacific region with the launch of its New Zealand subsidiary, Northride. This move marks the company's first steps outside Europe, and reflects Vapaus' ambition to scale its workplace cycling model globally.

Bicycle lighting system manufacturer Supernova Design GmbH has filed a lawsuit in German court against Sate-Lite (Foshan) Plastics Co., Ltd for allegedly infringing on Supernova's patent. Patent disputes can often be time-consuming and costly endeavours, but they are vital to the protection of innovation and business for companies like Supernova.

Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer Merida Industry Co., Ltd. has entered 2026 under continued market pressure. The company reported a -44% year-on-year revenue drop in January, followed by a smaller, but still significant, -22% YoY decline in February compared to last year's Q1 figures.

For the first time since 2020, the United Kingdom's cycling market has returned to growth in 2025, reports the UK Bicycle Association (BA). Total market value rose 5% year-on-year to reach just under £1.9 billion (€2.2 billion) in 2025, returning close to 2022 levels after several years of decline.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has fined Shimano $11.5 million (€10 million) in civil penalties after accusing the company of "knowingly failing to immediately report" its defective bicycle cranksets to the CPSC. This comes weeks after Shimano North America Holding, Inc. settled a class action lawsuit brought by 14 consumer plaintiffs alleging a breach of warranties and misleading advertising related to the cranksets.

A resolution of the United States' Withhold Release Order (WRO), which is affecting Giant Taiwan's manufacturing operations, can't come soon enough for the company, as it reports another month of steep revenue losses in February 2026.

Fatbikes have been flagged by the Union des Entreprises Sport and Cycle (UESC) as the overwhelming source of non-compliant e-bikes on France's streets, accounting for 94%. The union published a report last month raising the alarm on the increasing number of vehicles marketed in France as e-bikes that do not comply with current regulations.

The bicycle industry is entering a new phase of digital maturity. Connected e-bikes, rider apps and smart diagnostics are generating unprecedented volumes of user data, turning bikes into "a data collector on wheels." Bike Europe sat down with Paolo Balboni, an expert European lawyer specialised in privacy, data sharing and cybersecurity law, to better understand how companies can mitigate risk and stay compliant.

United States-based electric mobility company Life Electric Vehicle Holdings (Life EV) has completed its acquisition of Rad Power Bikes' brand and operating assets. The deal marks a new chapter for the once high-flying e-bike manufacturer, and gives Life EV ownership of Rad Power Bike's brand, intellectual property, inventory and operational assets.