"Establishing production facilities within key markets has become increasingly important due to the growing volatility of global trade," says Tony Karklins, CEO of Cardinal Cycling Group, which also owns Time and Detroit Bike. In a Bike Europe interview, Karklins outlines his vision for carbon product production and explains why the company is now offering OEM manufacturing at its Carboprax factory in Slovakia.
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.
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.
Three years of declining business performance has not left the Taiwanese industry unscathed. After the sales peak in 2022, the industry waited for better days, citing excess inventory as the reason for the downturn. The Taipei Cycle Show 2026 made clear that many companies cannot wait any longer. "Nobody is able to wait any longer after three years of standstill," said Astro-Tech president Samuel Hu.
Finnish bike-leasing platform Vapaus Group has expanded into the Asia-Pacific region with the launch of its New Zealand subsidiary, Northride. This move marks the company's first steps outside Europe, and reflects Vapaus' ambition to scale its workplace cycling model globally.
