ZEIST, the Netherlands - It's May as I write this blog, the time of year when cockchafers (May bugs) emerge from the ground en masse. This phenomenon is remarkable in itself, as the insect has been largely eradicated in most parts of the Netherlands due to pesticide use. Each time, it's a fascinating spectacle. After spending up to five years underground as larvae - being a persistent nuisance to my garden - they get to live above ground for just a few short weeks.

KOBLENZ, Germany - The current market dynamic, with aggressive discounting campaigns and forecasts that frequently postpone market recovery, affects how investment funds view the market. At the peak of the market in 2020, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL) bought just over 50% of the shares of Canyon Bicycles at €400 million. In the GBL 2024 financial report, only €260 million is left.

PARIS, France - Ten years of research and three patents. After a decade of development and a year of behind-the-scenes build-up, Bastille Cycles - founded by Gilles Henry, the engineer behind the well-known foldable Yoyo stroller - is officially hitting the European market with its new folding bike concept.

瑞士，格倫亨（GRENCHEN）－BMC Group宣布採取更大規模的重組策略，旨在降低成本並重回核心業務，其中包含全球裁員約40人。此舉是在面對當前重大經濟挑戰之下做出的決定，以確保公司維持競爭力。

中國，深圳－摺疊自行車製造商Dahon今年初向香港交易所提交IPO公開說明書，尋求資金支持。該公司表示，其計畫於主板上市，中國國際證券為唯一主辦承銷商。

台灣，台中－在台中以北的鄉間，坐落著一間代表台灣自行車供應鏈特色的小型高科技公司。家族企業Ora Engineering成立於1996年，早期以金屬成型及焊接技術創新起家。如今，該公司生產一系列車架及零組件，尤其擅長鈦合金製品，以98%的出口占比供應全球市場。

台灣，台中－Astro-Tech在台北國際自行車展上首次亮相其全新熱塑成型車架，讓觀眾一睹其製程工藝，不過未完全公開其產品特性。其製程是將熱塑原料加熱至柔軟狀態，並在高壓下成型，再冷卻定型。

PARIS, France - The electric scooter market in France is continuing its downward spiral. According to the eighth edition of the Micromobility Market Barometer, co-published by Mobilians and Smart Mobility Lab, 2024 marks the third consecutive year of decline for motorised personal mobility devices (EDPMs), a segment overwhelmingly dominated by electric scooters.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The total number of e-bikes entering the European Union (EU) in Q1 of 2025 is almost unchanged on a like-for-like basis compared to the same period last year, the latest data from Eurostat shows. With a 3% rise to almost 130,000 units, it is China and Cambodia which have significantly grown their contribution to the e-bikes entering the EU. Meanwhile, the number of e-bikes coming from Taiwan continues to decline.

SCHRAMBERG, Germany - Even though the weakening economy and the ongoing destocking in the 2024 financial year hurt the turnover and earnings of stock-listed high-precision gear parts and components manufacturer hGears AG, the company says the cost and structural measures introduced are having the desired effect. These have also prepared the company for another difficult year.

DELFT, the Netherlands - Cargo bikes and box bikes are now also getting their own European standard, following the example of similar standards set for bicycles, e-bikes and individual components. This should ensure, among other things, that cargo bikes' overall safety and quality are held to a high standard within Europe.

With Preeto, Zhaowei has ventured into e-mobility - with a clear focus on high-performance, compact, and quiet drive systems that are precisely tailored to modern mobility concepts. "Our goal was to develop a drive that delivers maximum performance despite its minimal size," explains Jürgen Ludwig, managing director of the European subsidiary ZW-Drive in Munich. This is made possible by Zhaowei's high level of vertical integration and its in-house development of electronics, software, and mechanics.

SHENZHEN, China - Folding bike manufacturer, Dahon is seeking capital and submitted an IPO prospectus to the Hong Kong stock exchange earlier this year. The company reports it is planning to list on the main board, with China Securities International serving as the sole sponsor.

STAVENGER, Norway - Podbike, the four-wheeled e-bike manufacturer, has announced its bankruptcy filing, citing an "extended period of financial constraints." The Norwegian company had previously capitalised on a niche in the e-bike market with its four-wheeled, human-powered e-bike that encased the driver in a small pod.

After strategically expanding last year with a new factory in Vietnam to boost production capacity and enhance global compliance—especially for the European and U.S. markets—Ananda has now upgraded its Wuxi factory in China with advanced testing and assembly equipment. This facility, one of Ananda's five global factories, produces the majority of the company's e-bike systems.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Human rights have become a key issue in industrial practices, progressing from a moral inclination to a regulatory necessity. This change is also taking place in the bicycle industry. The issue came to the forefront earlier this year when allegations of mistreatment of migrant workers in the Taiwanese bicycle industry surfaced. The Taipei Cycle show in March offered Bike Europe the opportunity to take stock of what is currently at play in Taiwan.

GRENCHEN, Switzerland - BMC Group has announced the reduction of approximately 40 jobs worldwide as part of a broader restructuring strategy aimed at reducing costs and returning focus to its core business. The decision comes amid significant economic challenges to ensure the company remains competitive.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - The countryside just north of Taichung houses one of those smaller, high-tech companies which characterise the bicycle industry supply chain in Taiwan. The family company Ora Engineering was founded in 1996 as an innovator in the metal forming and welding industry. Today the company supplies a range of frames, parts and components, particularly in titanium, to the global market with an export share of 98%.