Rosie Burgin

Industry association, European Cycling Industries (ECI), has set out a comprehensive framework for tackling the growing challenge of non-compliant e-bikes in Europe. In a new white paper, it distinguishes between different forms of non-compliance, including technical breaches of the EPAC standard, customs and trade fraud, and downstream tampering. These issues require targeted enforcement rather than blanket restrictions on compliant e-bikes, the industry organisation argues.

Where last year's Women in Cycling event at Eurobike centred on the industry's gender pay gap and the launch of new national networks, this year's programme opened with a freshly released market study and pushed the conversation onto a harder question: what should manufacturers and retailers actually do about the €950 million the bicycle industry is potentially missing out on.

"We want to stay on top of innovation, and we love to be leading," Avinox's Product Experience Director, Ferdinand Wolf, told Bike Europe on the final business day of Eurobike. True to his word, the Chinese drivetrain maker surprised many with the launch of its MG concept motor during the tradeshow. The progression from a shared outdoor booth in 2024 to one of Hall 12's defining exhibitors in 2026 marked a shift in how the company is positioning itself as a long-term industry player.

Brompton has brought in two new strategic investors as the British folding bike manufacturer looks to accelerate international expansion following a challenging period for sales. Decathlon Pulse, the investment arm of Decathlon, and Shanghai-based BA Capital have each acquired minority shareholdings through a secondary liquidity transaction, becoming long-term strategic partners while leaving Brompton's ownership structure and management unchanged.

UK retailer Halfords reported a recovery in its cycling business for the financial year ended 3 April 2026, with cycling like-for-like sales increasing 6.4% as the British bicycle market showed signs of improvement after several difficult years.

Bicycle tyre manufacturer Schwalbe has announced the completion of a long-planned generational leadership transition, with the new management structure taking effect on 1 January 2027. After around three decades in executive leadership, Frank Bohle, Andreas Grothe and Holger Jahn will step down from their managing director roles, while Nico Simons will remain Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for global sales.

Taiwan's major bicycle manufacturers — Giant, Merida and Ideal — all reported year-on-year revenue growth in May. The figures from the publicly listed companies are the strongest indication so far this year that the headwinds Taiwan's bicycle industry has been facing may be easing.

The tables are turning in favour of China as consumer budgets tighten, Taiwan's orders dwindle, and tariffs shift the goalposts of international trade. As a result, China accounted for 47%, almost half, of all e-bike imports into the European Union in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest Eurostat data. This compares with 31% in Q1 2025 and just 17% in Q1 2024. Is this the result of a temporary glut in the e-bike market, or does it signal a more structural shift?

Japanese component manufacturer Shimano has announced organisational and personnel changes within its bicycle components division. Effective 1 July, the division will have a new Head of Bicycle Components, Yuzo Shimano, to steer the company's new vision.

Chinese drive-system manufacturer Bafang says its products are currently used on more than 20 million e-bikes worldwide. To support that scale, the company has focused on streamlining production and increasing automation at its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China.