GIRONA, Spain - "We're not just replacing derailleurs — we're replacing complexity," says Marc Barceló, CEO and founder of Niche Mobility. The new player in the e-bike system market has built a fully digital drivetrain from scratch and is on course for an OEM launch in model year 2027. A significant step forward for the start-up was the display of prototypes at this year's Sea Otter Europe in its hometown of Girona.
RODGAU, Germany - The new owner of Rocky Mountain Bicycles, Chaos Sports Inc., is pushing forward in the European market. With the takeover of long-standing distributor BikeAction GmbH, which serves Germany, Austria, the Benelux, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, the Canadians are reaffirming their strong commitment to Europe.
WARSAW, Poland - Today, Poland is a European manufacturing hub for bicycles and e-bikes — not a niche player but one of the continent's top producers. Polish factories produced around 1 million bicycles annually in the early 2020s, putting the country among the EU's five largest producers and giving it a meaningful share of regional supply chains.
TAIPEI, Taiwan - The pressure on Taiwan to align its labour governance with international standards is increasing. The recent United States import ban on Giant Group is not seen as an isolated case. Many firms in Taiwan's manufacturing sectors, which rely heavily on high-intensity, low-wage labour, engage in practices that constitute forced labour, the Taiwan Human Rights Commission said in a statement.
UTRECHT, the Netherlands - Cargo bikes are still regarded as pivotal in the transformation of urban logistics. Unlike the bicycle and e-bike industries, the cargo bike market is primarily business-to-business and new concepts are often developed in collaboration with B2B partners. While cargo bikes are displayed at the fringes of bicycle or logistics trade shows, the market remains highly promising.
日本，大阪（OSAKA）－日本自行車巨頭Shimano因違反日本《外包法》（下請法），未支付121家本地下包商代為儲存物料的費用，遭日本公平交易委員會（JFTC）點名。
台灣，台中－因應美國海關暨邊境保護局（CBP）對Giant台灣製自行車發出的暫扣令（WRO），該集團已成立緊急應變小組，以盡快解決問題。Giant Group於上週發布的聲明中表示：「我們致力於維持資訊公開與透明，並已採取多項行動。」
台灣，彰化－因應美國對Giant發出暫扣令，台灣自行車產業正積極採取應對措施。台灣第二大自行車廠Merida表示，該公司一向嚴格遵守台灣勞基法，並強調將採取具體行動，全面與國際公認的勞工及人權標準接軌。
比利時，布魯塞爾（BRUSSELS）－電動自行車品牌Cowboy與法國Rebirth Group將進一步加深合作關係，該集團計畫成為該品牌的大股東，持股比例可望達80%。確切細節尚未公布，不過Cowboy發言人曾向本社證實，與Rebirth的合作討論目前進展相當順利。
AMERSFOORT, the Netherlands - The new European Union guidelines on battery repairs will soon take effect, but whether the bicycle industry is sufficiently prepared remains to be seen. NOWOS founder Prins Doornekamp said he is surprised by the limited knowledge among both manufacturers and bicycle retailers.
PARIS, France - This was the question looking to be answered at the recently held Summit Series in Paris, supported by CIE's Women in Cycling expert group. The event, focusing on the retention and recruitment of women in the bicycle industry, hoped to 'lead the change' in correcting the current imbalance in the sector. With cross-spectrum representatives from industry and academia present, the conclusion was that progress is slow, and opportunities are being missed.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Ahooga, the Belgian folding e-bike brand, has raised €5.5 million in a new funding round aimed at developing its Max folding bike platform and expanding its international footprint.
PARIS, France - A small company from western France could soon shake up the global e-bike industry. Vendée-based Anod has taken a radical step: it is phasing out lithium-ion batteries, the standard in almost every e-bike, and replacing them with what it calls a safer and more sustainable solution — hybrid supercapacitors.
LA MASSANA, Andorra - The mountain bike brand Commencal is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Started in 2000, founder Max Commencal focused on designing and producing high-quality bikes, particularly for gravity-focused mountain biking disciplines. How does Max perceive the market today, and what can we expect from this Pyrenean mountain biking pioneer?
Downhill racing has always been the crucible for cycling innovation — a place where extreme terrain, speed, and stress test every component of the bike. For Gates, the pioneer of belt-driven drivetrains, this environment has acted as the ultimate proving ground.
CHANGHUA, Taiwan - The bicycle industry in Taiwan is implementing various measures in response to the US blockade of Giant. Also, the country's second largest bicycle manufacturer Merida has stated the company strictly complies with Taiwan's labour laws. Merida emphasised its commitment to taking decisive action to fully align with internationally recognised labour and human rights standards.
MYSŁOWICE, Poland - Located just outside the Polish city of Katowice, Polana Bikes has quietly set up a state-of-the-art bicycle production facility. With its own e-bike brand already on the domestic market, the company has big ambitions to change the narrative regarding European e-bike production. Under the motto 'Passion for bicycles meets industrial precision,' the company relies on local expertise with a touch of Chinese 'Guanxi.'
VILNIUS, Lithuania - "We must keep cycling on the political agenda," said CIE president Tony Grimaldi last June in an interview with Bike Europe. The European Commission has reached out to the industry with the publication of the first report to the Council and Parliament on the progress made towards implementing the European Declaration on cycling, at the opening of the Urban Mobility Days this week. The industry wants more.
TAICHUNG, Taiwan - In response to the Withhold Release Order (WRO) issued by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Giant bicycles made in Taiwan, the company formed an emergency response team to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. "We are committed to openness and transparency, and have taken multiple actions," the Giant Group wrote in a statement issued today.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The dispute on future e-bike regulations in the European committee where e-bike standards are developed, the CEN/TC 333*, has entered the next level of argumentation. Until now, many questioned the German industry association ZIV over its standpoint. Yesterday, ZIV published a statement claiming that, "our member companies once again explicitly endorsed the proposed technical parameters, giving the association a clear mandate exceeding 80%."
