British bicycle manufacturer and industry barometer Halfords Group UK reports strong performance in its bicycle segment for FY26 (April 2025 - April 2026). The Group says sales have increased across its core industries of automotive, retail and leisure, but none have seen as much progress as its cycling division, which climbed 6.4%.

Contrary to almost all other European countries, the Belgian bicycle market is performing very well. After the 2022 peak, the market bounced back to a pre-pandemic level, and has not been affected by the sustained decline seen in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. In 2025, the Belgian market even experienced a 7.1% increase to 578,737 units in total. What made this Belgian miracle?

Decathlon S.A. reported steady growth in 2025, even as market development across the sporting goods and bicycle sectors remained uneven. The French retailer reports increased revenue and profitability. At the same time, limited disclosure around category-level performance, especially in cycling, leaves open questions about where that growth is coming from and how sustainable it may be.

The Bulgarian bike sector is steadily developing these days despite the existing challenges and a serious overstocking in the local market. In fact, the industry and major local manufacturers have gone through an extremely dynamic and challenging period. After the euphoria of pandemic sales, the sector has faced supply chain disruptions, overstocking and macroeconomic headwinds. Despite the decline in sales volumes, the trend toward electric bicycles and micromobility offers some optimism, with the European market expected to double by 2030.

Pragma Industries, known for its pioneering technology in hydrogen-powered bicycles, has filed for liquidation. This move, while not entirely unpredictable given the company's admitted difficulties last year, brings an abrupt end to more than two decades of work in the fuel-cell mobility sector.

Taiwan's bicycle industry signalled that it was entering a bold new era at this year's Taipei Cycle Show. Under the guidance of Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Cycling & Health Tech Industry R&D Centre (CHC) unveiled a suite of R&D achievements, highlighting the strategic integration of Taiwan's bicycle manufacturing with advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT). A key feature was the Cycling Common Protocol Alliance (CCPA), launched to enhance system interoperability and strengthen collaboration across the bicycle and ICT industries.

The slowdown in consumer spending and market uncertainty due to the geopolitical situation is starting to surface in the financial results in the e-bike and bicycle industry. Except for the Oceanian market, Shimano reports weak retail sales worldwide. As a result, net sales in bicycle and e-bike components in the first quarter of 2026 decreased 0.7% year-on-year to 87,361 million yen, and operating income decreased 46.3% to 7,792 million yen.

On 1 May, 2026, there will be a new CEO at Canyon. The German bicycle manufacturer has appointed Matthias Meier to take the lead as chief executive officer at Canyon Bicycles, alongside founder and Executive Chairman Roman Arnold.

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.

台灣2026年Q1電動自行車出口量不到7.7萬輛，年減15%，並創下2018年以來Q1最低紀錄。這也反映出，全球自行車製造商在疫情後的電動自行車市場仍未站穩腳步。常規自行車Q1出口額持續下滑17%，不過台灣自行車產業鮮少出現併購或倒閉潮。整體出口額連續兩季跌破100億美元，這是否代表產業價值鏈已逐步轉移至台灣境外？

Accell Group經歷過去數年的財務困境後，最新一輪債務削減已進一步穩定公司營運，同時額外資金讓Accell得以加速推動轉型計畫的最後階段。隨著該公司更精簡新一季產品組合，並透過出售非核心品牌大幅縮減營運規模，曾經稱霸市場的Accell Group如今是否已真正脫離險境？

今年初Shimano宣布不再參展Eurobike的消息被視為會影響該展未來發展的關鍵。該日本製造商當時表示：「隨產業持續演進，公司將以客戶及消費者為主的活動為優先。」不過，事隔兩個半月後，情勢再度轉變，Shimano歐洲團隊宣布今年6月將會參展。

歐美市場知名高階電動滑板車Navee近期正式跨足歐洲電動自行車市場。該品牌於4月1日在德國慕尼黑（Munich）舉行正式發表會，宣告該中國品牌首次踏入歐洲電動自行車市場。旗下產品包含高速電輔車、電動自行車及載貨自行車，並鎖定中價位市場。本社於台北自行車展期間，特別採訪該公司以進一步了解更多細節。

Following approval by the antitrust authorities, BMZ has been cleared to make a fresh start under new ownership and management. The battery manufacturer is now fully in the hands of SKion GmbH and founder Sven Bauer has made way for a new CEO to steer the company as it looks to expand internationally.

The debate around Eurobike has entered a new phase since German industry organisations announced they will organise "a leading international trade show" in 2027. This decision stems from a dispute between the Eurobike organiser, Fairnamic, and the German industry organisations ZIV, Zukunft Fahrrad and VSF. This latest strategic move suggests a potential return to a dual-tradeshow landscape for Europe, reminiscent of the pre-2008 era when IFMA Cologne and Eurobike operated alongside each other.

With the ongoing market correction still affecting purchasing decisions and budgets, and geopolitical uncertainty, including the war-related tensions, derailing international travel, the Taipei Cycle Show 2026 was never expected to be a loud, booming comeback edition.

Riese & Müller, German premium e-bike manufacturer, has announced its withdrawal from the United States market, choosing to "reconcentrate its resources" on developing its European sales and dealer network. Despite the recent positive policy developments for the US bicycle industry, the overall volatility of the nation's import market appears to have claimed another victim.

Sea Otter Classic 2026 caught the e-bike vibe that Europe experienced some years ago. The United States had always lagged in this market, but at the Sea Otter Classic this weekend, it looks like the US market has finally awoken and stepped on board with all things electric.