International
Letter from America – New Bugbears for US Industry
SANTA FE, New Mexico It seems the US bicycle industry has set aside – at least for the moment – worries over supply chain disruption, overseas shipping costs, and tariffs on some Chinese imports. That’s not to say these concerns are unimportant, but the industry is moving full speed ahead into other hot button issues.…
Giant Foreshadows Delayed Economic Recovery
Taichung City, Taiwan Inventory issues and the “headwind of economic outlook” will continue to affect short-term revenue and earning performance in the global bicycle industry, Giant Group declared in its 2022 financial year report released this month. The Taiwanese company says the bike market’s balance of the supply and demand is yet to normalise, although…
Shimano, Trek, POC Release New Urban Products
Osaka, Japan Bike commuting’s global emergence into the transportation mainstream has been highlighted by the recent releases of three major players in the industry. Shimano, Trek and POC have unveiled new products with features targetting the practical needs of “everyday” cyclists. Shimano says its newly launched Cues line-up of components represents “a brand-new approach to…
BikeExchange Scraps Kitzuma Ready-to-Ride Delivery Service
North Carolina, US Online bike retailer BikeExchange (BEX) has announced it is scrapping the ready-to-ride bicycle delivery service by its Kitzuma subsidiary in the US, which it had earmarked to be replicated in its existing markets. During BikeExchange’s half-yearly financial report to shareholders last week, the company declared it would not be resuming Kitzuma’s ready-to-ride…
Production Breakthrough for Chainless Drive System
Munich, Germany The horizons for future e-bike designs opened considerably last month, when Munich-based e-cargo bike company Mocci became the first brand to go into production using a chainless drive system developed by fellow German company Schaeffler. The Free Drive system, unveiled back in August 2021 and now incorporated into Mocci’s Smart Pedal Vehicles, opens…
SRAM’s $490 Million Commitment to Taiwan
Taichung, Taiwan SRAM Group is investing A$490 million (10 billion New Taiwan dollars) in a new Taiwan plant, the US company announced last month. The new plant, in Taichung’s Tanzi District, will consolidate all of the company’s existing production facilities in the east-Asian country, developed during the company’s three decades in Taiwan. SRAM’s vice president…
$18 Million Injection as Arcimoto Resumes Production
Oregon, US A US company at the forefront of light electric vehicle production, Arcimoto, has accrued a total of US$18 million (A$26.71 million) in funding during the past two months, and late last month resumed production for 2023. Arcimoto recorded a nett loss of approximately US$17 million (A$25.28 million) in the third quarter of 2022,…
Podbike Starts Deliveries to Customers
Stavanger, Norway Norway’s Podbike has finally started delivering its Frikar light electric vehicle to customers, eight years after cofounder Per Hassel Sørensen embarked on a journey to build a better bike. “After all the stops and starts, engineering challenges, a global pandemic, a shortage of computer chips, and a painful trimming of staff last year…
Protective Clothing Specialist Signs with BikeCorp
Cape Town, South Africa South African protective equipment brand Leatt has signed Bikecorp as its Australian distributor. Leatt was founded in 2005 by Dr Chris Leatt, when the company entered the MTB protection market with its revolutionary neck brace that went on to win several awards in the MTB and motocross sectors. Over the past…
ARC8 a Gentle Introduction for EightyOneSpices
Basel, Switzerland Swiss bike brand ARC8 has launched into the Australian market, after signing with Adelaide-based distributor EightyOneSpices. A small brand with a hefty pedigree, ARC8 was the perfect opportunity for EightyOneSpices to transition into complete bike brands, according to the distributor’s founder and director, Krischan Spranz. “We’ve been looking for a complete bike brand…