The international bicycle industry, once heralded as a long-term growth story thanks to the e-bike boom, now finds itself grappling with uncertainty. Tariffs, shifting trade flows, regulatory ambiguity and fragile consumer demand are reshaping strategies across the value chain. Four leading manufacturers — Bosch eBike Systems, Schwalbe, Bafang and Velo —paint a picture of an industry both challenged and transformed, where resilience increasingly depends on innovation and adaptability.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - International tire maker Ralf Bohle GmbH, and its signature brand Schwalbe, is deepening its presence in performance-oriented and emerging bicycle segments, with high-potential markets identified across North America, Southern Europe, China and Southeast Asia. Nico Simons, chief sales officer of Ralf Bohle GmbH, recently shared his thoughts with Bike Europe on how Schwalbe views the market and where the century-old German company is headed in the next few years - kicking off Bike Europe's Industry Insider series.

REICHSHOF, Germany - At Eurobike tyre brand Schwalbe unveiled what it calls "a revolution for bicycle valves'- the Schwalbe Clik Valve (SCV). The brand claims it is much easier to use than existing systems and boosts air flow by up to 50%. Schwalbe predicts that the intuitive click system could become the new industry standard for inflating tyres.

REICHSHOF, Germany - One year after the launch of the Green Marathon, Schwalbe is converting large parts of its existing tyre range to the same circular concept. From now on, 70% of all Schwalbe tyres will be made with recycled carbon black (rCB), the tyre brand reports.

REICHSHOF, Germany - Tyre manufacturer Schwalbe has reported a turnover of €237 million in 2023, down 30% from a record year in 2022. Dampened consumer sentiment and high inventory levels at all trade levels are cited to have had an impact. Nevertheless, the turnover was still well above the pre-corona level. In 2019, turnover reached €210 million.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - Schwalbe announced yesterday the strategic realigning of its production and will manufacture all tyres and tubes exclusively in Vietnam in the future. The background to the decision is the development and tense situation in the bicycle industry. Instead of long-term orders, orders are almost exclusively placed spontaneously. "As a result, it is currently no longer possible to plan ahead to meet demand at two parallel production sites," explains Frank Bohle, CEO of Schwalbe in a company statement.