BASSANO DEL GRAPPA, Italy - Selle Royal Group and Stardue Group have joined forces to establish a new foundation to generate a positive and lasting impact on the community. This organisation, called Stravarda Foundation, will develop a project that places the bicycle at the centre as a tool for social, cultural, and environmental growth.

WASHINGTON, DC, United States - The number of bicycles imported into the United States in the first nine months of 2025 dropped 23% year-on-year. Looking specifically at China, imports from there have dropped by 40% amid tariff uncertainty throughout the year. Taiwan and Cambodia have made volume gains of 10% and 83% respectively. The latest import data provided by the US International Trade Commission shows that the face of the US bicycle market is already changing as a result of President Trump's 'America First' nationalist policy.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - The Dutch bicycle market has enjoyed favourable market conditions throughout the year. According to the third-quarter report from the benchmark group of H&L Accountancy, the average retail revenue in the Netherlands increased by 5.4% compared to the same period last year. It is probably not the best quarter of the year, but the market is still buoyant.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - E-bike brand Cowboy has officially been taken over by France's ReBirth Group Holding SA. The agreement signals a new phase for the Belgian brand, which will now fully lean on ReBirth's industrial and recapitalisation capabilities. The transaction includes a full financial restructuring with Cowboy's primary lender, providing a stronger balance sheet and a clean slate. Cowboy founder and CEO, Adrien Roose, has left the company.

Dahon, one of the biggest folding bicycle makers in the world, jumped on its Hong Kong trading debut after investors flocked to its initial public offering on September 9, 2025. Dahon Tech, a subsidiary of Dahon, successfully listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. "With an oversubscription rate of 7,558 times, media recognized it as Hong Kong's most oversubscribed listing ever," adds Dr. David Hon, the company's founder and CEO.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Two heavyweight names from the e-bike and automotive industries have failed to successfully launch a new e-bike brand. Soon after Porsche AG and Pon Holdings established the joint venture P2 eBike GmbH in 2022, investors openly stated that creating a new e-bike brand was not the best way to move forward in the industry.

VICENZA, Italy - A group of private strategic investors led by former Crankbrothers CEO Gaspare Licata has acquired a majority stake in Extreme Racing Shox (EXT), the Italian manufacturer of high-performance suspension systems for bicycle and motorsports applications. Under the new ownership structure, EXT plans to invest in new technologies and strengthen its distribution.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Giant has made significant progress toward repairing its relationship with the United States in the aftermath of the US Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) embargo on shipments from the company's Taiwan factories. In the meantime, outside of Giant's facilities, an even larger change is taking place.

The international bicycle trade fair Cyclingworld Europe continues to grow: in 2026, the newly created Urban Hub will add a second location right in the heart of Düsseldorf. Visitors can look forward to more space, more brands, and even more bicycle culture.

FRANKFURT, Germany - The dissatisfaction within the industry about the recent edition of Eurobike and the German industry association's decision to pull out, has prompted the show to change its leadership. Long-serving show manager Stefan Reisinger is making an exit, and will support the new management during a transitional phase. Will this change mark a turnaround from the industry organisations? "It makes sense that the Eurobike will be completely revised by 2027, and negotiations could begin at the beginning of next year, provided that the necessary conditions are met," confirms Burkhard Stork, managing director of ZIV.

TABY, Sweden - To strengthen its portfolio through complementary technologies, helmet safety technology supplier Mips AB has signed a binding agreement to acquire impact protection technology pioneer Koroyd. "This acquisition positions the group uniquely in the market and enables interesting entries into other adjacent product areas," CEO of the Swedish helmet-based safety provider commented on the takeover. The transaction is expected to be completed this month.

PESCANTINA, Italy - Pon.Bike Italia, the Italian subsidiary of the Pon.Bike group, has announced its exclusive distribution of OneUp Components in the Italian market. Under the new agreement, Pon will become the sole authorised distributor of OneUp Components in Italy starting January 2026.

While the long-awaited GPSR guidelines have finally appeared, offering disappointingly little clarity, the next regulation is already lining up for everyone involved in selling products in the EU: the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will start to apply from 12 August 2026, with many design and documentation obligations ramping up further between 2026 and 2030. Just as companies are still implementing the GPSR, the PPWR is already demanding attention.

As Portugal's AM2R programme nears completion at the end of 2025, the country's two-wheel industry stands transformed. Launched with the backing of the EU's Recovery and Resilience Plan, the project managed to unite 47 companies and institutional partners under the coordination of ABIMOTA, Portugal's national two-wheeler association.

VEENENDAAL, the Netherlands - The introduction of the next-generation bicycle ring lock by AXA required an all-new production line. Initially, for both Axa Bike and its owner Allegion, the Netherlands was not the most obvious choice to establish the new facility. Still, the fully automatic production line, capable of manufacturing a lock every 5 seconds, was opened in early December.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - As a long-term bicycle exporter, Cambodia is now rapidly expanding its production of e-bikes for overseas markets. The bicycle factories in the special economic zones (SEZs) in Bavet City seem to have survived the drop in exports since 2023 and are now stepping into the e-bike market as well.

BAUNACH, Germany - Despite its long-standing history and supplying to over 2,500 customers in more than 60 countries, Messingschlager's key activities were largely known only to industry insiders. In the past decade, the company expanded into various business fields, which became very distinct over time. "Demand from customers these days is so much more diverse than just a product at a competitive price," says Messingschlager CEO Christoph Bantle.

HEERENVEEN, The Netherlands - The final Batavus bicycles have rolled off the assembly line in the Netherlands, marking the end of an era for the Accell Group as it opts for centralised production in Hungary. It also marks the end of 45 years in the bicycle industry for Accell stalwart Menno Visser, who is now retiring. Having started at Batavus on the assembly line, he worked his way up to commercial director and spent the past years as a project manager at Accell. In an exclusive interview, he reflects on industry changes and his vision for the future.