Rosie Burgin

MADRID, Spain - Bicycle exports from Spain to the rest of the world remain well above pre-pandemic figures and show a positive trade balance, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. Although production figures in the country are dipping compared to last year, bicycle production in Spain also remains above the levels achieved in 2019.

BERLIN, Germany - Drive system manufacturer Brose started the serial remanufacturing process for its old e-bike drives in 2021 and has been continuously optimising the process ever since. The 'Reman Drive' saves 21 kg CO2-EQ per drive unit claims Brose and is now available for purchase by end-users while discussions with the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) have also taken place.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - High-level policymakers, industry experts, and cycling stakeholders came together at the annual CONEBI conference last month to foster a political dialogue on the EU Industrial Transition and the European Cycling Declaration. "We have a momentum in Europe to push for stronger policies in favour of cycling and the cycling industry," said MEP Karima Delli during the event held at the European Parliament.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - In what it calls "a strategic move to further strengthen its governance", e-bike brand Cowboy has appointed two senior industry figures to its leadership team. Harpreet Singh Rai, former CEO of health tech wearables company Oura, will now serve as a board member and Kevin Cornils, former COO at Peloton joins as strategic advisor.

PEKAN NENAS, Malaysia - Shimano is having to investigate one its Malaysia suppliers, Kwang Li Industry, following an investigation by a UK newspaper which uncovered labour abuse allegations at the factory. Having had very few human-rights incidents compared to other industries, has the bicycle industry been too naïve about the quality of its Asian suppliers?

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) elected a new Board of Directors during the 2023 General Assembly held in Brussels last week. Erhard Büchel retains his position as CONEBI president.

HEERENVEEN, The Netherlands - Accell Group has announced a new collaboration to take a significant step in reducing CO2 emissions by giving a second life to discarded e-bike batteries. The partnership with Refurb Battery "aims to increase the circularity of the entire bike battery in the future."

REDDITCH, England - Alongside mainland Europe, bike sales in the UK have taken a market-adjusting dip this year. Retail giant Halford has reported that sales in its cycling division have been "challenging and below expectations due to the well documented consumer environment." However, bicycle sales are still 'ahead of the market', the company's interim results for the first half of the financial year reports.

DARMSTADT, Germany - With a heavy lean towards the automotive sector and the energy transition, this years' Battery Experts Forum provided an opportunity to catch up on the latest developments in the battery sector. Policy, regulations and new technologies were the dominant talking points in this growing market. "This is a goldrush moment in the battery industry," one speaker declared as battery output is expected to grow three-fold by 2030. But where does Europe fit into this growth?

LONDON, England - An increase in e-bike battery fires in the UK has prompted a call for new legislation to mandate the safety of e-bike batteries including third party approval. In response, two cycling industry trade bodies in the UK have joined forces to issue guidance sheets for the industry and called for stricter enforcement of product safety for products supplied to the UK.