Hub filling and lacing have always been two separate jobs, handled in two places, often by two sets of hands. That split shapes every wheel factory in the world. A working prototype shown at Eurobike 2026 collapses the two into a single process, and points toward a wheelbuilding line that runs without an operator.

A fully operational bicycle manufacturing facility in Jastrowie, Poland, has become available for sale or lease, presenting a potential opportunity for companies looking to establish or expand production capacity in Europe.

Taiwan is future-focused, that much was apparent to attendees of the Taipei Cycle Show 2026. But beneath the optimism, export declines and changing production chains show the nation's bicycle sector is in transition. Production value is increasingly generated beyond Taiwan's borders, as manufacturing shifts to neighbouring markets such as China, Vietnam and Europe through Taiwanese-led supply chains.

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.

More than ever before, the industry is awaiting the outcomes of the Taipei Cycle Show. Trade show visits are under pressure in general, and the challenges in the bicycle industry create significant market uncertainty.

Astro Tech Co., Ltd., the Taiwanese frame builder specialising in lightweight aluminium alloy and high-rigidity carbon fibre frames, is using its 35th anniversary this year to chart a new strategic course.