HEERENVEEN, The Netherlands - The final Batavus bicycles have rolled off the assembly line in the Netherlands, marking the end of an era for the Accell Group as it opts for centralised production in Hungary. It also marks the end of 45 years in the bicycle industry for Accell stalwart Menno Visser, who is now retiring. Having started at Batavus on the assembly line, he worked his way up to commercial director and spent the past years as a project manager at Accell. In an exclusive interview, he reflects on industry changes and his vision for the future.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Benelux countries and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are joining forces with MyBike and other bicycle registration systems to tackle cross-border bicycle theft in a structural way. The partners presented a joint position paper in Brussels this November with concrete recommendations for a systematic European approach to organised bicycle theft, which often crosses borders.

UTRECHT, the Netherlands - Cargobikes play a key role in the urban transition to more sustainable mobility. The cargobike is even specifically mentioned in the European Declaration on Cycling when it comes to urban transport of goods, in particular parcel deliveries and shopping. Taking that into consideration, it is remarkable that the International Cargo Bike Festival, on a 2,400 square meter show floor, is the only dedicated trade show organised in Europe.

EINDHOVEN, the Netherlands - Shimano announces that Marc van Rooij, president of the Shimano Europe Group, will leave the company by the end of 2025. Van Rooij has worked at Shimano for over 34 years in various management positions, including Shimano Benelux, Shimano Europe and Shimano Europe Holding. He has been president of the Shimano Europe Group since 2009.

NIJMEGEN, the Netherlands - Ebike4Delivery invests €15 million to seize control of production of its delivery e-bikes in the Netherlands. With this in-house production, Ebike4Delivery aims to increase quality and gain greater control over the entire process.

ROOSENDAAL, the Netherlands - In Q2, from April to June, the Dutch bicycle market turnover rate rose significantly, averaging around 10% per month, according to figures from national consultancy group H&L Benchmark Group. This translates to 7.7% turnover growth for the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year. In addition, about half of the H&L Benchmark Group is seeing a further reduction in excessive inventory.