News
Bike Mechanic Training Academy Expands into More Cities
Perth, WA Bike mechanic training enterprise The Bicycle Academy has expanded its operations into Perth and Auckland, with courses set to start at those centres in July. The academy, established by the bicycle retail and wholesale company Pedal Group and training organisation Industry Graduates, has established training facilities in Perth suburb of Osborne Park and…
Brighter, Lighter and Unburdened by Over Analysis
Melbourne, Victoria Melbourne-based company Knog has foreshadowed it’s about to get a lot more upfront with its lighting designs, with the imminent release of a new range of high-powered headlights. Knog cofounder and owner Hugo Davidson predicted the range, scheduled for release in April, will be a gamechanger despite taking a more simple approach compared…
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…
Scott Sports Buys Bicycle Superstore to Preserve Partnerships
Melbourne, Victoria Australasia’s largest bicycle company, Sheppard Cycles, is purchasing Victorian retailer Bicycle Superstore Group, to help secure Sheppard’s position in the market. “An opportunity arose to retain the Bicycle Superstore Group within our business while we find the right independent retailer to take the reins – one that we can partner with for the…
Bicycle Imports in Freefall but Unit Value Soars
Canberra, ACT Bicycle import numbers in Australia were on an earthbound trajectory when The Latz Report last reported on the data late last year. My article on the data to the end of September 2022 reported: “It appears that after two years of stratospheric bicycle imports, numbers are starting to fall back to earth.” One…
Tern Announces New Australian Distribution Partner
Melbourne, Victoria Urban e-bike specialist Tern and Melbourne-based company LEVA Group, headed by Lug+Carrie owners Ben and Dan Carr, have announced a new partnership for the distribution of Tern bicycles to independent bicycle dealers across Australia. LEVA Group will have Tern bicycles and accessories available from 1st March 2023, and will take over all service…
YearBook Listings Now Open For Updates
Wollongong, NSW Updates are now open for the 2023 Latz Report YearBook and it’s more convenient than even for businesses to ensure their details are up to the moment. We’ve been busy making our own updates – to the online registration process – so bike industry wholesalers and other relevant business can quickly review and…