HASSELT, Belgium - A leading Belgian lease concept provider Cyclis has been acquired by JobRad Group as of 2 September. The much bigger JobRad Group obtained 60% of the shares while founders and other stakeholders now own 40%. "We share the same vision, ambition and approach. In JobRad Group, we have found the ideal partner to further strengthen our position on the Belgian and Dutch market," says Joep Kempen, CEO of 10 years old Cyclis.

REGAU, Austria - The restructuring plan of the young bicycle and e-bike contract manufacturer WSF Bicycle Technology GmbH, which slipped into insolvency on April 24, has failed. Despite big ambitions, all assets are now being liquidated, the insolvency administrator Dr. Klaus Schiller confirmed to Bike Europe.

BERINGEN, Belgium - As a very well-known performance brand, Ridley Bikes has been visible in all top level road race competitions for the past two decades. Owner Belgian Cycling Factory, who also holds the labels Eddy Merckx and Corsa, is now building an international European organisation to capitalise on its successful business model.

COLOGNE, Germany - German bicycle dealer cooperative Zweirad-Einkaufs-Gemeinschaft (ZEG) has sold its subsidiary Eurorad Deutschland to Bencis Capital Partners Deutschland. The company is active in the market of bike leasing and e-bike rental. The amount of the investment of Bencis remains undisclosed.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Miranda Bike Parts has been awarded as one of the 10 'sustainability heroes' during Generali's third SME EnterPRIZE event in Brussels. This group was drawn from the over 7,600 SMEs that participated in the area of Environment and Social, coming from the European countries that have joined the initiative: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.

In this edition: Has the anti-dumping regulation become too complex - Signa Sports online empire crumbles - E-bike import declines as expected - Batteries entering 'goldrush moment

MALMÖ, Sweden - Possibly the most remarkable and inventive cycling accessory, the Hövding is no longer on the market. The Swedish Hövding AB filed for bankruptcy last month after regulators stopped the sales of its main product. According to the Swedish Consumer Agency the airbag helmet doesn't inflate properly on impact.

DUSSELDORF, Germany - Market confidence is positive if looking at the growing size of Cyclingworld in Dusseldorf which will take place from 15 to 17 March 2024. The consumer show is not affected by the negative tendencies in the market due to overstock and lower sales levels than forecasted.

MUNICH, Germany - While organiser Messe Munich reports on the "resounding success" of this year's IAA Mobility, the integration of all mobility players made the scarcity of bicycle industry exhibitors more evident. Those who were there, however, spoke of a positive experience particularly in the cargo bike segment which is looking to take a bigger piece of the last mile pie.

CHAM, Switzerland - Switzerland produces internationally renowned electric bikes such as Flyer and Stromer. However, it is a little-known fact that one of Europe's most important e-bike development centres is also located here - the Specialized Innovation Centre in Cham.

JINAČOVICE, Czech Republic - The distribution of Pon's premium US bicycle brands Cannondale and GT Bicycles in Central- and Eastern-Europe has been taken up by Aspire Sports S.R.O. "The partnership with Aspire Sports will allow us to leverage the Czechs' expertise in this part of Europe to increase the presence of the brands and expand into new territories," emphasises Cannondale and GT Vice President of Int'l Distributor Sales & Marketing Seth Brosnan.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The acceleration of the Green and Digital transition and increasing the European industry resilience are leading objectives for the European Union. These goals set by the European Commission have a direct link to the supply chain disruptions seen during the pandemic and its consequences in the long-term development of the bicycle industry in Europe.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A proposed investment in Stages Cycling by Giant has stalled. "The company and counterparties were unable to reach a mutual consensus on the terms of the definitive agreements," a statement announced.

NEW DELHI, India - Indian bicycle show CFOSE organizer Annex Media and German exhibition company Messe Frankfurt entered into a strategic venture. CFOSE, better known as the Ludhiana Bicycle Show which held more than dozen editions of the event, aims for more global exposure.

SAINT-GEORGES, Canada - Rocky Mountain has vertically integrated the distribution in the Northern European region with the takeover of BikeAction. For more than 30 years BikeAction represented Rocky Mountain. According to BikeAction owner Christoph Goebel, his transition into retirement was the main reason for the take-over.

WORMER, The Netherlands - Hosted by European decal manufacturer, Posterama Screen Productions, the first BIG3 event of 2023 which explores techniques in frame-finishing will be held 28-29 March in the Netherlands. Along with the trends, design and innovations in surface finishing technologies, the event will discuss "all the right reasons why the production of bicycles and sporting goods needs to come back home."

ZEIST, The Netherlands -Building on the debut outing in 2021, IAA Mobility organisers Messe Munich have opted for 'integration' as the key to push their mobility platform further. In this new Bike Europe podcast two IAA Mobility directors explain the development of the platform and where the bicycle industry fits in, but one thing's for sure, "the car show is gone." Listen to the podcast via Spotify, Apple, SoundCloud and Google Podcasts.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Key figures from the EU Commission, Parliament and national governments will speak during the Cycling Industries Europe summit this year. The line-up includes executive vice-president of the EU commission, Frans Timmermans. Being held on March 9th in Brussels the summit will address how policies will affect cycling businesses in coming years.

KLOSTERNEUBURG, Austria - The Hong Kong-based family-run trading and logistics company Jebson Group has stepped into Austrian kids and juvenile bicycle supplier Woom GmbH. The additional capital will be used for further expansion in existing and new markets.

TALINN, Estonia - To set a clear example of the impact of the e-bike industry, Estonian manufacturer Ampler Bikes advertises the environmental impact analysis for one of their models. "Our aim is to give an overview of the climate impact of our bikes and to identify the 'hotspots' and set goals for emission reductions for the year 2025," Ampler writes in the report.