Kona Bicycles has appointed Charles Russell as president and chief executive officer (CEO), effective June 1, 2026. The transition reflects a long-term investment in Kona 3.0 and the brand's future. Russell succeeds co-founder Jake Heilbron, who previously served as president and CEO, as part of a planned leadership transition focused on long-term continuity and investment in the company's future.
The bicycle industry is eagerly seeking new opportunities to regain control of the supply chain after major disruptions during the pandemic. Production relocations and new component suppliers could be part of the solutions. It also opened the market to new brands and companies that are not weighed down by their history. The recent shift of the industry's attention from the once-leading trade events Eurobike and Taipei Cycle Show to China Cycle makes it clear that the global network of manufacturers, brands, assemblers, and distributors of bicycle parts is changing drastically.
The massive influx of non-compliant fatbikes in the Netherlands, combined with annoying user behaviour, prompted Dutch politicians to call for a wide range of restrictive measures. It gave the fatbikes a very bad image, prompting local distributor La Souris to find new markets abroad. Initially, investors were not eager to step in, but now La Souris has raised €6.5 mln from ING Bank to reach the company's strategy.
Bosch eBike Systems is entering the fast-growing second-hand e-bike segment with a digital certification scheme, marking a notable step in the professionalisation of Europe's pre-owned market. From July 2026, German refurbishment specialist Rebike will be the first partner to certify e-bikes with Bosch's smart system and mark them with the 'Certified by Bosch' certificate.
The e-bike market share could reach as high as 80% according to past predictions. Since the start of the sales boom more than a decade ago, it was uncertain what market share the e-bike would eventually take of the total bicycle market in Europe. The 80% outlook now seems exaggerated, as the Europe-wide market share remains stuck at just under 40%. What has put a stop to the growth of the e-bike market?
Children's bike manufacturer Woom is expanding its top management team by appointing Björn Boos as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Together with CEO Bernd Hake and COO Johannes Kisslinger, he will be instrumental in driving forward the ongoing international expansion and strategic evolution of Woom.
German e-commerce giant The Platform Group (TPG) states that it has "fully met" its annual forecast, with significant growth in revenue and earnings. "The organic growth of our platforms was consistently strong, enabling us to successfully decouple from the generally weak retail industry trend," founder Dr Dominik Benner states. The group's activities in the bicycle industry include three online platforms and one brick-and-mortar store.
Testing, inspection and certification company SGS has expanded its global bicycle and e-mobility testing network with the opening of a new laboratory in Bentonville, Arkansas, on 18 May. The new lab will focus on compliance testing for bicycles, e-bikes and other micromobility products destined for North American and international markets.
As e-bike competition intensifies, bicycle brands seek more than just components. They need diverse product possibilities, faster development, and reliable service to respond to market shifts. With over 23 years of experience, more than 370 patents, a 5,000+ m² CNAS-accredited laboratory, and over 20 million systems sold worldwide, Bafang has established itself as a stable, long-term partner.
Besides the inventory crisis affecting demand and external markets nipping at export market share, the Taiwanese bicycle industry has also been forced to look inwards at its manufacturing practices following an exposé report on migrant workers' conditions. Now, 15 months later, a new follow-up report has been published, specifically focused on the bicycle industry. It details how at least 10 manufacturers have adopted no-fee policies in 2025, but there is still a long way to go in transforming policy into practice.
In the Netherlands, fatbikes have become the new scooters. Not legally: a fatbike is still not a separate vehicle category. If it meets the rules for an electrically assisted bicycle, it is an e-bike. If it does not, it may quickly become something else, such as a moped.
As the bicycle industry strives to better synchronise supply chains with market demand, access to reliable market intelligence has become increasingly important. The Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) addresses this need by providing sourcing insights and a medium-term market outlook through an indicator that anticipates future industry trends. In a conversation with Bike Europe, Orbea Supply Chain Chief Officer Pablo Trujillo, explains how they manage the challenge of forecasting.
A new industry congress, Towards Tomorrow - Cycling Industry Convention 2026, will launch on 5 November at WECC Berlin, bringing together stakeholders from across the German bicycle industry. The event is organised by German trade organisations ZIV, Zukunft Fahrrad and VSF (Verbund Service und Fahrrad) and marks the organisation's next step since departing from Eurobike.
China appears to be losing its foothold in the United States market, as first-quarter import figures reflect the lasting impact of US President Donald Trump's global tariffs. As markets adjust to last year's volatile rebalancing, a reshaped competitive landscape is emerging, with the old order fading across much of Asia.
若你還沒注意到Avinox高功率馬達這幾年在市場上掀起的「動力競賽」，那就真的落伍了。該公司直到現在才完整說明其對功率的立場，並解釋為何堅持追求極致的峰值功率。面對業界提出的質疑，該公司也正式回應，表示部分觀點具誤導性。
因應產業需求，Eurobike主辦單位Fairnamic決定從2027年開始將展期移至9月第一週。上週在法蘭克福（Frankfurt）舉行Eurobike顧問委員會會議，並針對約50場產業訪談的結果及客戶問卷意見回饋做討論，隨後便發布此一消息。除調整展期外，這個曾經稱霸業界的展會也將全面轉型。
油價飆升正大幅改變市場前景。受地緣政治因素影響，原物料價格、生產及物流成本也隨之上漲。全球燃料價格居高不下，也可能吸引更多人轉往騎乘自行車做為替代交通工具。您準備好迎接新局勢了嗎？全球自行車採購指數（GPBI）將於下月發布，為讀者帶來第一手洞察。
長期被視為電動自行車電池下一個突破技術的T&D，已開始量產應用於電動摩托車及電動自行車的半固態（semi-solid-state，簡稱SSS）電池。該公司於中國蘇州的半自動化產線進行組裝，且已迎來第一批客戶，其中最大合作公司為Giant。Giant剛推出新一代電動自行車，是率先成功將半固態電池技術從實驗室概念轉為商業化應用的品牌之一。
The Dutch bicycle industry is less enthusiastic about Eurobike this year than ever before. Many (former) exhibitors have revised their strategies and are skipping the struggling trade fair, according to a survey by Bike Europe's sister publication, Tweewieler. Most brands have stated that they now prefer other ways of connecting with customers.
Messe Frankfurt has taken up the challenge of getting the derailed Eurobike back on track. The once-leading platform for the e-bike and bicycle industry has lost its glamour in recent years. "A key topic that emerged from the more than 50 industry expert interviews we conducted was Eurobike's lack of focus," Philipp Ferger, manager of Eurobike organiser Fairnamic, told Bike Europe in an exclusive interview. "Our first step was to put up an advisory board — a regular vehicle to exchange views with the industry for many trade shows at Messe Frankfurt."
