Don’t hold your breath for a return of the bicycle industry to dynamic growth and profits. Compared to 2023, overseas attendance at this year’s edition of Taichung Bike Week remained low . However, there were some encouraging signs.
As this year’s edition of Taichung Bike Week came to an end, the skies above Taiwan’s heart of the bicycle industry opened up for a heavy downpour that helped cleanse the air. Unfortunately, the issues the bicycle industry has been struggling with for three years straight will not go away as easily. As low consumer demand continues to slow down the reduction of overstock, hefty write-downs are needed to adjust for the loss of inventory value. Reducing operational costs remains a priority for many companies within the industry, and naturally, this also showed at Taichung Bike Week.
Throughout the three hotels—Evergreen Laurel, Tempus and Splendor—that host Taichung Bike Week the number of exhibitors was only slightly below last year’s edition. But the crucial number of overseas visitors remained low—queues really only formed at Splendor’s elevators. The mood was not as somber as last year, however. A number of companies saw their turnover hit rock bottom in early 2025 and have seen a timid return to growth since. Compared to 2025, some also reported a slightly better forecast for 2026. This can be seen as an encouraging sign for an industry that has seen its margins erode due to hard discounting.
Those overseas visitors who took the trip to Taiwan to attend Taichung Bike Week did so with a purpose, however. With most exhibitors, the quantity of meetings may still have been low, but the quality of those meetings was high, according to Sunny Wheel Vice General Manager Vivian Hsu. And other exhibitors such as French wheel supplier Mavic reported a pretty full agenda with 40 meetings spread over the show’s four days. This interest on behalf of buyers was likely amplified by the much-discussed 32-inch wheel size that is gaining traction as a trend likely to hit the market with model year 2027. For now, the most fitting products on display were rims, wheels, and tires.
There was no lack of discussions at Taichung Bike Week regarding the challenges the bicycle industry is facing and has little influence on. Trump’s tariffs and the possible consequences for the supply chains and pending investments were the most prominent topic. Another one were the current regulations for EPACs and their batteries in key export markets such as the EU and the US. A growing number of companies regard sustainability issues not as much of a burden but as a chance, much rather to position themselves, their products, and the way they operate as a responsible player that acts proactively in terms of ESG issues.
Last but not least, the bicycle industry is facing a massive challenge that stems from the last two years of hard discounting. Consumers have grown used to retail prices being a mere suggestion rather than binding, postponing purchases in the hope of even more drastic discounts. Reeducating consumers that pricing is the result of a fair calculation that allows for a decent but not inflated margin for every link along the supply chain will be a hard task, all the more so as an increasing number of suppliers from China are looking to build up aftermarket brands that can easily undercut the existing price structure on key markets, predominantly the EU.
Topics in this article
More news and updates from The Show Daily team
- Messingschlager and Pinion: Teaming up on Turnkey platform
- Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator Welcomes Applications for the 2026 Cohort
- Retyre secures €7 million investment to scale sustainable tyre manufacturing
- Bicycle Cluster: Powering the Bike Industry with Data, and Now AI
- Dahon: Teledon Folding Bike Offers Road Bike Speed and Flexibility