Sometimes Perceptions Don’t Match Reality

Benedikt with R&M Touring bike

Frankfurt, Germany Many Australian bicycle industry members have probably not even heard of Riese & Müller. Although the brand has been available here for quite a few years, it’s only sold through about a dozen dealers across Australia and NZ who are supplied direct from R&M’s head office in Germany, rather than through a local…

Commercial Cargo Requirements Define a New Category

Elias Ek and Bob Tsai with their cargo KG3 prototype

Frankfurt, Germany The entire cargo bike market is still in its infancy in Australia. But shows like Eurobike give us a glimpse into what the future holds. The European cargo market has already reached 500,000 units per year. Given the high unit price of each bike, particularly as most of them are electric, that would…

LeBron James Investment Boosts Canyon’s US Ambitions

LeBron James with students

Koblenz, Germany Basketball superstar LeBron James has stepped up his status as one of the world’s most high-profile cycling advocates, with his ventures company investing US$30 million (A$42.9 million) in rising German bike company Canyon. A leading direct-to-consumer manufacturer of premium bikes, Canyon last month announced a strategic equity investment led by LRMR Ventures –…

Two More E-Bike Ventures for Porsche

MAn riding Porsche e-bike

Ottobrunn, Germany German performance car manufacturer Porsche has further escalated its involvement in the bicycle industry, launching two ventures his month as it seeks to launch a new generation of Porsche electric bikes from the middle of this decade. It has partnered with Dutch company Ponooc Investment B.V. to create Porsche eBike Performance GmbH, based…

SiDI Bought by Italian Investment Corporation

SiDI headquarters

Maser, Italy Italian investment holdings company Italmobiliare last month purchased prized cycling and motorcycling footwear company SiDI Sport. The purchase of the 62-year-old Italian company is the latest in Italmobilaire’s strategy to invest in companies with “major innovative Made in Italy brands”. “SiDI Sport is an Italian success story as its founder, Dino Signori, has…

Nominations Open for Cycling Luminaries Awards

Cycling Luminaries Awards

Sydney, NSW Nominations for the 2022 Cycling Luminaries Awards opened this week to celebrate the people, places and programs that get people riding bikes in Australia. This year’s award winners will be announced at a gala dinner at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on 25th November, as part of the inaugural Australian Micromobility Conference, an event…

‘SUVs’ Bringing New e-Bike Audience

e-SUV Bike

Frankfurt, Germany E-Bike ‘SUVs’ are emerging as the most important e-bike sectors to attract newcomers to cycling, according to industry leaders at a Eurobike workshop. Authorities speaking at the e-Bike: A Game Changer workshop said these ‘sports utility’ e-bikes, combining the sportiness and youth appeal of e-MTBs with practical features more typically seen on urban…

Europe Leaders Turning to Bike Industry for Solutions

Frankfurt, Germany The European bike industry is enjoying unprecedented prominence and relevance among the continent’s top decision makers as, for the first time, the bike sector is being viewed as a central solution to environmental, energy supply and social crisis ,according to Cycling Industries Europe CEO Kevin Mayne. Speaking at a Eurobike 2022 industry leaders…

Aussies & Kiwis Return to Eurobike

James Reid

Frankfurt, Germany After two missed years due to Covid, a large contingent from Down Under made the most of their first opportunity to return to the world’s leading bike show. This year’s show was the largest ever – more than 1,500 exhibitors spread throughout seven huge halls plus outdoor exhibit areas. So it was very…

Shimano Adopts Blubrake ABS

Blubrake

Frankfurt, Germany Anti-lock brake technology developed by Italy’s Blubrake is set to become widely available in Australia, with confirmation the fledgling company is partnering with Shimano. A smaller and lighter second generation of the Blubreak ABS system attracted the attention of Shimano, which announced the partnership at Eurobike 2022. Blubrake systems are already being used…