Velo, a well-known saddle manufacturer, has just launched three new innovative saddles. With a track record in designing state-of-the-art saddles, grips and bartape for the bicycle industry, Velo's strategy has always been to listen to their customers' needs and go that extra mile by prioritising comfort, durability and performance.

Pandemic aftershocks, geopolitical tensions, and sustainability concerns are among the numerous reasons causing many bicycle companies to relocate their production closer to their core markets. One producer that has particularly benefited from this trend is the Tunisian company Euro-Cycles.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - Retail sales between January and March 2024 in the Netherlands partly recovered from the strong decline the market experienced in 2023. Turnover increased year-on-year by 5.2% in the first three months of 2024. In the same period last year, revenue was still down by 10% mainly as a result of the sales hike in 2022 shows the benchmark of H&L Accountancy and Tax.

SUZHOU, China - The official accreditation of the Bafang Laboratory Center by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) confirmed the successful creation of world-class professional testing laboratory for two-wheel drive systems. The component manufacturer is investing substantially to expand its market position. "The industry needs to regain confidence to restart the market again," Bafang President and CEO Qinghua Wang told Bike Europe on a recent visit.

TREVIGLIO, Italy - Bianchi has officially inaugurated its new production plant inside the renovated facility in Treviglo. The new production line boasts a manufacturing capacity of 500 bicycles per shift and was built according to innovative operating logic and productivity processes developed by Bianchi. On hand at the inauguration was new appointed CEO Marco Gentili who takes over the position from Fabrizio Scalzotto.

On April 23, the 'Right to Repair' directive was adopted by the European Parliament. The proposed law should encourage repair and reuse of defective devices instead of replacement, with the aim of minimising 'e-waste' caused by these devices. The guidelines that the EU will prescribe to its member states in the coming years are becoming increasingly clear: repair must become the standard for all electronic consumer goods, even after the legal guarantee period. What does this mean for the e-bike industry?

TAOYUAN CITY, Taiwan - Taiwan's folding bike and adaptive vehicle specialist Pacific Cycles Inc. celebrated the ground-breaking ceremony for its third factory on May 18. This is being built on site of the first factory in Xinwu/Taoyuan City. With the construction, the entire company will be turned upside down and orientated towards the future.

德國，科隆（COLONGE）－位於科隆的零售研究機構IFH發布年度市場研究結果，顯示去年德國自行車和電動自行車銷售下滑屬一次性。據IFH報告，市場需求將再度於今年逐步回升。

比利時，布魯塞爾（BRUSSELS）－歐洲自行車產業協會CONEBI近期舉辦的年度大會由新任理事長Massimo Panzeri主持，他也是Atala執行長。該會於5月22日於土耳其伊斯坦堡（Istanbul）舉辦。

日本，東京（TOKYO）－日本自行車市場已有多年飽受國內產量和進口量減少問題之苦。Bike Europe近期拜訪日本自行車產業振興協會（JBPI）總部，訪問過程中得知為何儘管市場疲軟，廠商（尤其外國供應商）依舊值得參展今年首次登場的全新日本自行車B2B展（Japan Bike Show）。

台灣，台中－繼台灣兩大自行車龍頭Giant Manufacturing Company Ltd.和Merida Industry Co. Ltd.發布今年Q1財報後，第三大廠Ideal Bike Corporation跟進。這些數據顯示，製造商仍陷在全球庫存過高及供應商訂單減量的問題中。

Renowned for its commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge design, Finnish bicycle component producer Herrmans is about to solidify this reputation at Eurobike 2024. In an interview with R&D Director Joel Savikko, we delve into the company's sustainable initiatives and their exciting new products set to debut in Frankfurt.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - With key markets reporting double-digit sales drops, inventories sky-high and heavy discounting attempting to rid the industry of burdening overstock, e-bike and bicycle imports into the EU nose-dived throughout 2023. With the first quarter of 2024 import data now available from Eurostat, a picture can be drawn of how this year's market might unfold… and there is a glimmer of hope.

FRANKFURT, Germany - Sharing know-how and best practices have become an important part of Eurobike. The annual industry get-together has become a global presentation of every aspect the bicycle and e-bike business has to offer. From 3-7 July 2024, industry experts will gather in Frankfurt for the flagship trade fair for bicycle and light electric mobility.

TOKYO, Japan - While the corona pandemic caused a veritable bicycle and e-bike boom in the west, this sales boom completely bypassed Japan. The current sales slump therefore isn't based on a sharp drop from new sales records as in the west. For years the bicycle market in the Land of the Rising Sun has been shifting in low gear. The local market slump continued in 2023 and a reversal is not expected in the current year either.

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, UK - Pashley Group Limited has announced the appointment of experienced and proven business leader Andy Smallwood to the role of chief executive officer (CEO), effective 3rd June 2024.

Over the past few years, the Dutch bicycle brand Van Dijck has repeatedly made headlines with its cutting-edge e-bike technologies. To better respond to changing market conditions, the company recently revamped its business model and also changed its name to VanDijck Mobility.

Between 3 and 7 July, Eurobike in Frankfurt am Main will once again act as a focal point for innovation, trends and networking in the global bicycle and light electric mobility industry. We spoke with Stefan Reisinger, CEO of the event organiser Fairnamic, about the programme and his expectations for this year's edition.