Held for the 13th year at Eurobike, the Taiwan Excellence press conference showcased a selection of products that are Made in Taiwan and offered some insights in how Taiwan’s bicycle industry strives to innovate and reduce its eco-footprint.
Organized by Taiwan’s International Trade Administration and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the Taiwan Excellence press conference brings together high-profile representatives of both Taiwan and its thriving bicycle industry. This year’s event started with a witty speech from Taiwan’s Representative in Germany, Prof. Dr. Jhy-Wey Shieh, who stressed the importance to always keep going, stay alert and promote Taiwan. As TAITRA’s executive vice president, Joe Chou focused on hard facts by pointing out that exports of Taiwan’s bicycle industry have started to see growth again throughout the first months of this year. According to Chou, more than 200 companies from Taiwan are exhibiting at the Taiwan Pavilion, located in Hall 9 of Messe Frankfurt.
Products are a tangible example of what Taiwan’s bicycle industry can contribute to the global markets. This year, the first pitch came from Merida Bikes. Stephan Seitz and Hannes Noller, two engineers from its R&D Center based in Germany, introduced the eOne-Sixty SL 10K as Merida’s flagship light-support eMTB that combines plenty of travel, refined kinematics and a full carbon frame, powered by Bosch eBike Systems’s Performance Line SX system.
Adrian Bleiler, global sales manager of KMC Chain, explained how KMC’s Linked Design approach starts with the chain, then designs cassettes and chainrings to work flawlessly together. Another innovation of KMC is the Go Waxed chains that offer a more eco-friendly solution and an extended lifespan.
Yee Jee Technology has been producing tire-related accessories for more than 45 years with its Pax brand. Known for its tire repair patches, the company now has launched its GA tire sealant. Since it is water-based and relies on fibers from locally produced pineapples, this sealant is decidedly green. Shawn Lin, marketing manager of Hyena, explained how the E-Bike Digi ecosystem connects e-bikes to the cloud directly and continuously, rather than just to a smartphone through an app. Since Hyena offers tailored solutions from production to assembly to bicycle dealers, you get a full coverage along the entire value chain.
Capping off the event were two lifestyle-oriented products. Hao Ting Technology has come up with Bikniks, a compact e-bike concept that relies on a battery that is built into a picnic basket and easily snaps onto either end of the frame. Smiling Elements International highlighted the Unimoke MK as a lifestyle e-bike rolling on fat tires, which has already seen some commercial success in in Taiwan and beyond.