Belgium's speed pedelec market continued its transformation in the first half of 2026, with strong growth in new registrations driven by leasing contracts and large fleet deliveries, while the rapidly expanding second-hand market is creating a broader customer base for speed pedelec sales in Europe's leading market.

Few events in the bicycle industry have reinvented themselves as often, and as successfully as Taipei Cycle. One characteristic has remained remarkably constant. While markets fluctuate, technologies evolve and supply chains shift, Taiwan's greatest strength has never been scale alone. It has been trust.

The on-off reporting on whether hostilities in the Middle East will end is causing significant business uncertainty. Moreover, the heavy reliance on deliveries of parts and components from Asia leads to major cost fluctuations. As this uncertainty persists, suppliers and bicycle manufacturers will factor this into their pricing. The consequences are ultimately higher costs and higher bicycle prices in stores, as evidenced by the most recent Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI).

In the first quarter of 2026, the average turnover of Dutch retailers in the H&L Benchmark group increased by 1.6% compared with the same period last year. At the same time, costs rose by an average of 1.4% during the quarter. Partly as a result, profitability in the first quarter of 2026 declined by 0.5 percentage points compared with the previous year, according to the H&L Benchmark.

The opening of Eurobike comes at a pivotal moment. The industry is still trying to find a new balance between price fluctuations and a stable supply. In both procurement and retail, brands are facing high price volatility. In many boardrooms, future strategies are being discussed. Time is ticking as the industry's character is changing rapidly.

The highly volatile market posed a big challenge for the bicycle industry in recent years. More stability would have created room to start building on a new growth path. It appears that the market will be stable in 2026, thereby bringing the necessary calm for future recovery. "The market is steadily returning to a more normalised environment as inventory adjustments near completion," said Giant Chairman Young Liu at the annual meeting of shareholders.