Rosie Burgin

PARK City, Utah - Kona Bicycles was a noticeable last-minute absence at this week's Sea Otter event in California. The brand pulled down their booth on Wednesday and left the site raising concerns about the financial stability of the company. On Thursday, brand owner Kent Outdoors announced the appointment of a new CFO.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Formed in 2016, CKC Environmental Technology focuses on using fibre particulate composite materials from the rice farming industry to manufacture environmentally friendly products. At Taipei Cycle it presented its newest pedal, the CK-TB7, which besides being made of biomass material is fully repairable.

MADRID, Spain - Bicycle production in Spain saw a 6.8% year-on-year decrease in production in February, after registering a 10.5% decrease in the first month of the year, according to data from the Ministry of Industry Trade and Tourism. Despite these decreases, the units produced represent the highest monthly figures since June 2023 indicating a potential sign of a turnaround in the market.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - Following a historic year in 2022, the bike division of Pon Holdings has reported a 5% drop in 2023. Referring to the 'sharp correction' in the bicycle market during 2023, turnover in the Pon Bike division decreased by €100 million. However despite the pressure on prices and margins, "most of our quality brands managed to hold their own thanks to their strong market positions," explains Janus Smalbraak, CEO of Pon Holdings.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - E-bike component manufacturer, enviolo has appointed a new CEO. Ed Cully has succeeded inaugural CEO David Hancock and assumed his new responsibilities as of April 8th. Hancock will transition to a non-executive role, joining enviolo's board of directors.

OSAKA, Japan - Shimano has launched a new affordable component system, Shimano Essa, which will be compatible with the bicycle component maker's current 8-speed flat-bar Acera, Altus and Tourney TX systems. Also, the Cues range launched last year, has been optimised to include Short Reach, an ergonomic design for riders with small hands.

EDINBURGH, Scotland - A 9-digit private growth-equity fund which has already supported Rebike, Bike Club and Grover in the micromobility sector, acknowledges that a new generation of businesses are helping to pioneer the sector's circular future. However, "circular innovations deserve a specialist investor," explains Andrew Shannon, founding partner of Circularity Capital.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The inaugural Bike Venture Program, co-hosted by Taipei Cycle and ecosystem builder Anchor Asia (aka Anchor Taiwan), brought a new dimension to this year's industry event in Taipei. "Our goal is to inject new energy into the bicycle industry, expanding the pie and fostering win-win collective growth and success," explains Elisa Chiu, founder of Anchor Asia and initiator of Bike Venture.

REICHSHOF, Germany - Tyre manufacturer Schwalbe has reported a turnover of €237 million in 2023, down 30% from a record year in 2022. Dampened consumer sentiment and high inventory levels at all trade levels are cited to have had an impact. Nevertheless, the turnover was still well above the pre-corona level. In 2019, turnover reached €210 million.

ERKRATH, Germany - When e-bikes began to make a market entrance, global brand Giant determined that innovation in integrated in-house technologies would be the key to success. Since 2023 all R&D is carried out at the European headquarters in Lelystad, the Netherlands where a new development centre has been opened. Now, in-house service is an additional benefit to boost sales in saturated and fragmented European e-bike markets.