Rosie Burgin

Heiko Müller is stepping back from the management of Riese & Müller after more than three decades with the company he co-founded. His departure at the end of July concludes the operational responsibility of the founding generation, after Markus Riese stepped back from management in 2022.

Automated guided vehicles shuttle components between assembly stations while robotic machines operate across three floors of production space. At Ananda's Wuxi facility, manufacturing scale and vertical integration have become central to the company's ambitions in the global e-bike market. The Chinese drive system manufacturer is building what it describes as a "closed-loop" manufacturing ecosystem: one that aims to deliver both volume and reliability. Bike Europe visited the Factory Floor to discover the industrial philosophy behind… Ananda.

As the bicycle industry asks for better product data, three European bike-tech companies, NOCA, DST and BikeFolder have combined resources to connect PLM and PIM software, an independent industry data standard and aftermarket digital twins into one practical industry solution. The collaboration is being rolled out under the name Smart Bike Brand.

Kona Bicycles has appointed Charles Russell as president and chief executive officer (CEO), effective June 1, 2026. The transition reflects a long-term investment in Kona 3.0 and the brand's future. Russell succeeds co-founder Jake Heilbron, who previously served as president and CEO, as part of a planned leadership transition focused on long-term continuity and investment in the company's future.

Bosch eBike Systems is entering the fast-growing second-hand e-bike segment with a digital certification scheme, marking a notable step in the professionalisation of Europe's pre-owned market. From July 2026, German refurbishment specialist Rebike will be the first partner to certify e-bikes with Bosch's smart system and mark them with the 'Certified by Bosch' certificate.

Children's bike manufacturer Woom is expanding its top management team by appointing Björn Boos as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Together with CEO Bernd Hake and COO Johannes Kisslinger, he will be instrumental in driving forward the ongoing international expansion and strategic evolution of Woom.

Besides the inventory crisis affecting demand and external markets nipping at export market share, the Taiwanese bicycle industry has also been forced to look inwards at its manufacturing practices following an exposé report on migrant workers' conditions. Now, 15 months later, a new follow-up report has been published, specifically focused on the bicycle industry. It details how at least 10 manufacturers have adopted no-fee policies in 2025, but there is still a long way to go in transforming policy into practice.

A new industry congress, Towards Tomorrow - Cycling Industry Convention 2026, will launch on 5 November at WECC Berlin, bringing together stakeholders from across the German bicycle industry. The event is organised by German trade organisations ZIV, Zukunft Fahrrad and VSF (Verbund Service und Fahrrad) and marks the organisation's next step since departing from Eurobike.

2027 is already shaping up to be an interesting year on the bicycle industry tradeshow calendar as newcomers look to fill a void in Europe. One of those newcomers vying to offer a B2B platform for the bicycle industry supply chain is CycleExpo. OEM suppliers can now officially register for the first edition, which is scheduled to take place next year from 6 to 8 October in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Long praised as the next frontier in e-bike batteries, T&D has begun production of semi-solid-state batteries for e-motorcycles and e-bikes. Assembled on a semi-automatic production line in Suzhou, China, the company already has its first customers — the biggest being Giant. With its next-generation e-bike just launched, Giant is one of the first to successfully transition semi-solid-state battery technology from a laboratory concept to a commercial reality for the e-bike market.