World
Industry Guru Gives His Assessment of Future Product Supply and Demand
Many members in the bicycle industry have either met or know of the American bike industry veteran Bob Margevicius. As well as being long time Executive Vice President of Specialized, he’s also renowned as an enthusiastic cyclist and supporter of the bike industry, former New Zealand resident and the Vice Chair of the BPSA (Bicycle Product Suppliers Association) in the USA. …
Giant Profit!
The global Covid-induced bike boom has seen Giant Group’s net profit grow by almost half in 2020. Net profit for 2020 was up 46.7% over 2019. It reached NT$4.95 billion (A$228 million). This was based upon total sales for 2020 of NT$70 billion (A$3.22 billion) meaning that the net profit percentage rate was still a quite modest 7.1%. Giant said all its…
How Bicycle Frames Could Become Batteries
One of the downsides of electric bicycles is that they’re heavier than conventional bikes. But imagine if the bicycle frame itself could also be the battery. We’re not just talking about existing technology where batteries are now hidden inside the frame, sometimes with an exposed surface that blends in with the frame tube’s profile, but new technology where the…
Shimano Launches Global Anti-counterfeiting Program
Shimano is launching a program to curb the sale of counterfeit products, which includes promises to work with criminal investigations and file civil suits against manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit Shimano gear. The company also said it is creating packaging technology that is difficult to counterfeit and adding QR code labels to packaging. A smartphone…
UK and French Sales Both Up Strongly
Recently further evidence was released showing the global reach of the pandemic induced bike boom. The UK cycling market was valued at £2.31 billion (A$4.2 billion) in 2020, an increase of 45% vs 2019. Within this, total ebike sales grew by 67% in volume to 160,000 units and by 96% in value to £280 million (A$509 million). The Bicycle Association is predicting only a 5% reduction in sales for 2021…
Bike Brands Now Targeting Mainstream Consumers
German Sales Point to Future Growth Potential in Australia
E-Scooter Racing World Circuit Gathers Momentum
Not many people would wish to hit speeds in excess of 100kph on a transport device with no roll cage, completely open to the elements and riding on 16 centimetre wheels travelling just a few centimetres off the ground. This is, however, what anyone taking a trip on an eSkootr S1X racing e-scooter can look forward to.
Bike Industry Share Prices Surge in 2020
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the huge covid induced increase in demand for bicycles and related products, 2020 was a banner year for share prices of those bike companies who are listed on stock exchanges. Here is a summary of some of the better performers: Company Stock Exchange Main Product/Activity Change in Share Price Bafang Electric Shanghai…
SRAM Buys Time
SRAM has completed the purchase of the Time Sport pedal business from Rossignol Group. The acquisition adds another brand to SRAM’s portfolio of RockShox, Avid, Quarq, Zipp, and Truvativ and gives it a distinct pedal brand and technology should it choose to re-enter the growing market for pedal-based power meters. Other than some Truvativ flat…