The lack of verified data on cycling's role in the wider mobility sector is starting to weigh heavily on the industry. The UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026-2035) could be the next moment for the bicycle industry to claim a larger space within mobility. But what can the industry add to these meetings? No verified data is available on the role of cycling in mobility. The WBIA (World Bicycle Industry Alliance) meeting during the Taipei Cycle Show gave some clarifications.

As expected, the financial performance of leading industry companies shows that 2025 was a challenging year for the bicycle industry. Especially the leading bike manufacturers were down as they had to continue discounting to bring their inventory levels back to healthy levels. Component manufacturers reported stable sales as replacement parts remain in demand, and the OEM order books for 2026 show a moderate increase again.

Although the March Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) data points to sustained improvements in new incoming order levels and the own purchasing levels of bicycles, the assessment of the current industry situation remains poor or average at best. Business sentiment has failed to recover from the drop following Eurobike 2025.

One week before the opening of the Taipei International Cycle Show, the financial reports of the country's three main bicycle manufacturers do not contribute to an upbeat business mood. The combined revenue of these three companies dropped by 13.4% from TWD 103.2 billion (€2.8 billion) in 2024 to TWD 89.4 billion (€2.4 billion) last year. The business mood at Taichung Bike Week six months ago was already a clear indicator of what these numbers confirm. The situation has not improved since September as Taiwan's industry continues to face headwinds.

A resolution of the United States' Withhold Release Order (WRO), which is affecting Giant Taiwan's manufacturing operations, can't come soon enough for the company, as it reports another month of steep revenue losses in February 2026.

Giant Group has started 2026 with a significantly weaker January performance than previous years, posting a sharp decline in revenue of 21.6% for the first month of the year. The Taiwanese company's downturn comes following a year in which Giant dominated the headlines — and not always for good reasons.