First Australian Standard for Bike Racks

Person mounting bicycle rack to car

Melbourne, Victoria Australia’s first formal standards for vehicle-mounted bike racks are under development, prompted largely by growing sales of vertical racks. Standards Australia’s recent decision to establish specific regulations for bicycle racks follows industry concerns and uncertainty about police issuing fines to drivers using vertical racks. In April 2022, fines imposed by Victorian police prompted…

Nominations Invited for Bike Sustainability Committee

Bicycle Tyres

Melbourne, Victoria Peak industry group Bicycle Industries Australia (BIA) is calling nominations for its new sustainability committee. Nominations are invited from importer and retail industry members for the committee, which will provide advice to the BIA board in its efforts to help the bicycle sector achieve its sustainability goals. “Our initial focus is on the…

2023 Latz Report Yearbook Flipbook Now Available

2023 YearBook

Wollongong, NSW The online version of the 2023 Latz Report Yearbook is now available on The Latz Report website. Printed copies of the Yearbook are currently in production and are on track to be mailed to every bicycle business in Australia by the end of the month. All industry members are sent their initial copies…

Delegate Sought to Set Standard for Bike Industry

Sydney, NSW Standards Australia is looking for a bike industry representative to join its panel of experts responsible for setting the standards for bicycle-related products. Nominations have been invited to fill the only industry representative position on the committee, after the existing delegate, Bicycle Industries Australia general manager Peter Bourke, was promoted to chair the…

Recall for Shimano’s PRO Vibe Stems

Shimano Pro Vibe Head Stem

Eindhoven, Netherlands Shimano has issued a ‘stop riding’ and recall notice for a range of head stems sold under its PRO brand, after it was discovered they were prone to developing cracks. Shimano Europe B.V., the owner of the PRO brand, issued the recall on 30th March for certain PRO Vibe alloy stems purchased during…

Taipei Cycle Award Refocuses Attention on Sodium-Ion Batteries

People entering Taipei Cycle event

Taipei, Taiwan Chinese manufacturer Phylion has triumphed at Taipei Cycle’s 2023 Development & Innovation Awards with its first-generation sodium-ion battery cells, as the technology firms as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes. Phylion used Taiwan’s global bike trade show to highlight its self-developed sodium-ion battery cell models, the Golden Brick Version 30110 and 19118…

Yamaha E-Bike Debut in Australia

people riding e-mountain bikes in bush

Sydney, NSW Yamaha’s new generation of e-bikes will make its introduction to the Australian market next month, with the YDX-Moro 07 e-MTB set to pave the way for other models. It will be the first time Yamaha e-bikes have made it to our shores, as the Japanese company this year celebrates its 30th anniversary of…

How’s Business? – March 2023

Hunter Cycles shopfront

Welcome to our monthly chat with bicycle store owners and managers across Australia and New Zealand. We’ve been hearing reports of very large discounts being initiated nationwide by multiple bike brands as the industry faces a perfect storm of over-stock, demand returning to pre-Covid levels and consumers struggling from increased cost of living pressures. So…

Trek E-Cargo Confirmed for Australian Release in April

Family riding on Trek e-bike

Canberra, ACT Trek’s return to the e-cargo bike sector, the Fetch+ series, will make its way to Australia and NZ next month, with the local release of the Fetch+2 longtail. The company says it expects stock will arrive in mid-April and will be available globally on trekbikes.com and through Trek’s retail partners. The Fetch+2 is…

TEBCO Crackdown on Unassembled Bike On-selling

TEBCO boxes at loading dock

Melbourne, Victoria Melbourne-based e-bike company TEBCO has foreshadowed it will soon implement a new distribution system it hopes will prevent resellers from forwarding its bikes unassembled to consumers. In an email update to its retails, the company cited instances of boxed TEBCO bikes being sent to consumers and assembled incorrectly, leading to claims for refunds.…