In early January, folding bicycle manufacturer DAHON TECH (HKEX Stock Code: 02543.HK) and Ideal Bike Corp (TPEx Stock Code: 8933) signed a strategic cooperation agreement at DAHON's headquarters, with a focus on green mobility. Amid intensifying global market competition, the alliance centers on overseas business expansion, "tapping into the complementary strengths of both parties."
Shimano started off 2026 by dropping its State of the Nation report, the first since it was discontinued in 2023. This report details the survey results from 25,000 Europeans across 25 nations, and highlights not only the consumer's cycling experience, but also a core shift in strategy for Shimano.
Robust sales for Shimano Inc. in Europe compensated for weak demand in North America and Asia in 2025. Similarly to its 2024 results, differences across markets were again significant. Despite challenging market conditions, strong sales in Europe were unable to prevent a major decline in operating income overall. The medium-term trend shows Shimano's revenue is well above pre-covid level, but the operating income and net income to the owners are both substantially lower. Shimano is the first to publish its financial results but not many will present such stable figures.
Taiwanese drive system manufacturer Hyena E-bike Systems has announced a recall of its rear wheel bolts, affecting nearly 20,000 e-bikes from American bicycle manufacturer Trek and its subsidiary Electra. The affected e-bikes are from both brands' newest 2026 models, sold before October 2025.
Donkey Republic's latest financing round demonstrates that investors have not lost interest in bicycles and cycling more broadly. Private equity and other investors turned away from the bicycle industry after the troubles at Accell Group, Rad Power, VanMoof, Scott Sports and many others. Donkey Republic proves the opposite. They initially set out to raise DKK 15-30 million (€2-4 million), but due to strong interest, the transaction was over-subscribed and the amount raised was upsized to DKK 75 million (€10 million).
A drastic reorganisation during the current market disruption was unavoidable for Campagnolo. The Italian component manufacturer felt the urge to issue a statement this week, following months of wild speculation, including the suggestion of a large-scale lay-off. "Currently, the company is being reorganised, after the financial structure was defined together with all relevant stakeholders," writes Campagnolo. "The Campagnolo family is directly involved in this process and continues to invest an undisclosed amount in the project."
Changing market conditions and new European Union regulations have opened the door for tyre specialist Dmack to repurpose the former Nokian tyre facility in Finland. Bicycle tyre production had largely shifted from Europe to the Far East in recent decades. The cost of labour, environmental regulations and proximity to rubber sources made it more efficient to operate these factories in Asia. According to Dmack owner Dick Cormack, times have changed. "I have made it my personal mission to put this factory back on the map and build up production in Europe with high-quality products. That's our mission over the next five years."
This year, multi-sports chain store retailer and manufacturer Decathlon is continuing its expansion in Germany. Following the grand opening of its hundredth store in Nuremberg last November, Decathlon-Germany has announced its goal to operate at least 150 stores by 2027.
From late September 2025 through early 2026, the bicycle industry saw an unprecedented wave of human rights-related actions centred on Taiwan. The United States government's import ban on Giant products made in Taiwan triggered not only rapid remediation and reimbursements, but a broader shift toward systemic human rights due diligence in Taiwan's bicycle supply chain. Bike Europe takes stock of the changes.
美國電動自行車公司Rad Power Bikes似乎已走出一連串困境，該公司於12月宣布破產，現已找到有意收購公司的買家。根據外媒報導，Life Electric Vehicles Holdings（Life EV）承諾以1,320萬美元收購該公司，包含庫存、智慧財產權、軟體、設備等。
Kron Bicycle has completed the acquisition of Nishiki bicycle brand from Accell Group, marking a shift in ownership for the well-known Northern European bicycle brand with Japanese roots. Accell Group, rumoured to be going through a second debt restructuring, has shed multiple subsidiaries this month in an effort to generate liquidity.
The micro-mobility investment fund Fundracer announced an undisclosed investment in Belgian startup Aerobag, which is pioneering ultra-lightweight, compact airbag technology designed specifically for cyclists. Aerobag set out with a clear and ambitious mission: to adapt proven airbag technology from the automotive industry into a form factor that works for cycling.
One of the world's largest automotive suppliers ZF, marked its entry into the e-bike business with a debut at Eurobike in 2018. Specialising in tailor-made open drive systems, the German manufacturers aimed to become a serious competitor to Bosch. However, this has not materialised, leading to a doubtful future. "We have suspended our sales activities in this area," a spokesperson has confirmed to Bike Europe.
The European and Indian bicycle industries have always maintained close ties, although the trade volume remained relatively low. This might change drastically now: after almost 20 years of difficult talks, the Free Trade Agreement was agreed on 27 January in New Delhi. It's the biggest deal ever made by either side, which has also been eagerly awaited by the bicycle industry.
Europe's cargo-bike market is evolving fast. As urban logistics, postal fleets and family cargo usage scale, OEMs need a mid-drive that can reliably support heavy load performance while delivering predictable behaviour and long service life under commercial duty cycles. The M430 was designed to fill that gap.
The announcement that Austrian Spar sold its domestic sporting goods chain Hervis, including all 134 existing stores in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Bavaria, marks a major shift in bicycle retail for Central Europe. The agreement, concluded this week, includes the transition of all employees. This move comes after the Austrian sporting goods retailer, which also sells a range of bicycle products, announced a "restructuring offensive."
The topic of cooperation between Eurobike and the German industry bodies ZIV and Zukunft Fahrrad is back on the table again. At the fringe of the European Cycling Industries (ECI) launch reception in Brussels this week, the new CEO of Fairnamic, ZIV, and Zukunft Fahrrad discussed a relaunch of Eurobike in 2027 and the potential cooperation with the German associations and the ECI, as well as the role of Eurobike in 2026. This was reported by Eurobike.
Japanese component manufacturer, Shimano, has decided to shift its tradeshow focus and withdraw from Eurobike starting in 2026. "This decision reflects our focus on creating direct, meaningful engagement with our partners, customers, and riders," the company writes in a statement.
New financial milestones surpassed for German online shop operator The Platform Group (TPG) in 2025. The software company specialising in platform solutions has presented its preliminary unaudited figures for the 2025 fiscal year. According to the company, in both sales and earnings, it has had its most successful fiscal year in its history.
Véligo Location is about to reach a new milestone in France. The public long-term e-bike rental service in the Ile-de-France region, launched in 2019, has unveiled a new fleet of 19 models that will be rolled out this year. The goal: support the growth of cycling in the region, broaden use cases and meet the expectations of a more diverse public, from commuting trips to the needs of families, tradespeople or people with disabilities.
