Regulation, system integration, cargo bike development, and safety expectations are changing how lighting is evaluated in modern mobility projects. As Europe's e-bike and cargo bike markets continue to mature, vehicle lighting is evolving beyond a purely component-level consideration.
In 2024, a team of investors acquired the insolvent bicycle helmet factory of D-H-G Knauer GmbH Kunststoffverarbeitung. Since relaunching as KED Ahead GmbH, the new owners have made significant strides. It turns out it wasn't enough. The asset that was repeatedly touted as a key selling point - namely, the "Made in Germany" production facility in Freiberg am Neckar is now being phased out.
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.
Cycling Sports Group Europe, part of Pon.Bike, has announced the closure of the Cannondale facility in Almelo, the Netherlands. The production of the Cannondale bikes will be relocated to Germany and Lithuania. 'Almelo' no longer fits in Pon.Bike's multi-brand strategy, which includes a flexible production network.
SponsoredA fully operational bicycle manufacturing facility in Jastrowie, Poland, has become available for sale or lease, presenting a potential opportunity for companies looking to establish or expand production capacity in Europe.
Companies with a 100-year history in the bicycle industry are pretty hard to come by. Gazelle in the Netherlands, owned by Pon since 2011, is one such company. The company is so proud of its craftsmanship, which dates back to 1892, that a public walkway hangs over its factory in the Netherlands. This expertise extends across the entire chain, including its relationship with dealers, making it a leading brand in the Benelux. A heritage site with modern, state-of-the-art production — that's what Bike Europe found when it visited the Factory Floor at… Gazelle.
SponsoredCompact and urban e-bikes are experiencing strong expansion, driven by the growing demand for practical urban mobility solutions that integrate easily with public transport and adapt to increasingly dense city environments. It is precisely within this context that OLI eBike Systems' PICO system has found its place.
Steel lies at the heart of vanRaam's production history. This has since been expanded to encompass a unique set of in-house production competencies in its bicycle factory in the Netherlands. The 13,500-square-metre facility features in-house frame production, robotic welding, 3D laser cutting, CNC machining and wheel production. All the reasons for Bike Europe to take a look at 'The Factory Floor' of adaptive bike manufacturer… vanRaam.
SponsoredDahon is responding to the growth of the e-bike market worldwide with a new alliance and factory. The company is forming an alliance with Golden Wheel Group to establish the new company Dagold Technology. Its new Dagold Factory in Tianjin, China, was officially opened on October 16th.
SponsoredTektro Technology Corporation is strategically expanding its global manufacturing network through the construction of a brand-new production facility in Vietnam. The Taiwanese bicycle component manufacturer officially broke ground on this major Southeast Asian project in October 2025. Once fully operational, this state-of-the-art facility will serve as its third global production base, joining the company's established manufacturing hubs in Taiwan and China.
SRAM has announced plans to build a new facility in Coimbra, Portugal, enabling local production of its complete component portfolio—more than 7,500 individual parts—closer to key partners and markets. "The investment will enhance our ability to serve European OEM and AM partners while improving sustainability, flexibility, and supply chain resilience," the company writes in a press statement.
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.
A repurposed automotive tyre factory on the outskirts of Milan was Pirelli's vision when it strategically decided to re-enter the bicycle tyre market in 2017. Operational since 2022, the factory prides itself on 'Made In Italy' premium quality bicycle tyres. Supported by "the broad shoulders" of the multi-billion-euro turnover of the Pirelli Group, the factory has a maximum capacity of 1.5 million FSC-certified natural rubber tyres annually — with plenty of opportunity for growth. What more reason to visit the factory floor at… Pirelli.
Let's be honest: finalising pre-orders is the most stressful moment of a retailer's year. You commit a large part of your budget to a product you have often never seen, and then hope it arrives before the customer you promised it to loses patience - late deliveries deserve their own article. How can you enter conversations with brands as a strategic partner, rather than someone who simply takes orders?
The on-off reporting on whether hostilities in the Middle East will end is causing significant business uncertainty. Moreover, the heavy reliance on deliveries of parts and components from Asia leads to major cost fluctuations. As this uncertainty persists, suppliers and bicycle manufacturers will factor this into their pricing. The consequences are ultimately higher costs and higher bicycle prices in stores, as evidenced by the most recent Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI).
An iconic bicycle brand is set to disappear from the Dutch market. Accell Group has decided to integrate Sparta into Batavus as part of the One Accell strategy. This is a major step, as it was Sparta that paved the way for the e-bike market in the Netherlands and, with that, in Europe. "All knowledge and experience regarding Sparta e-bikes will be integrated into Batavus," emphasised Accell CEO Jonas Nilsson ahead of the Accell European dealer show.
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.
Taiwan is future-focused, that much was apparent to attendees of the Taipei Cycle Show 2026. But beneath the optimism, export declines and changing production chains show the nation's bicycle sector is in transition. Production value is increasingly generated beyond Taiwan's borders, as manufacturing shifts to neighbouring markets such as China, Vietnam and Europe through Taiwanese-led supply chains.
Decathlon S.A. reported steady growth in 2025, even as market development across the sporting goods and bicycle sectors remained uneven. The French retailer reports increased revenue and profitability. At the same time, limited disclosure around category-level performance, especially in cycling, leaves open questions about where that growth is coming from and how sustainable it may be.
Pragma Industries, known for its pioneering technology in hydrogen-powered bicycles, has filed for liquidation. This move, while not entirely unpredictable given the company's admitted difficulties last year, brings an abrupt end to more than two decades of work in the fuel-cell mobility sector.
