OPINION Eurobike 2026 previewed a major e-MTB battleground:
Avinox showed its MG Concept, combining its motor with an integrated e-CVT transmission, while Gobao displayed the X1P package. Integrating the motor and transmission centralises mass, reduces vulnerable external drivetrain parts, and allows electronics to manage cadence automatically. However, the roadmap remains fluid. Frame drawings
are stalled as motor mounts, battery requirements, and interfaces shift. While some suppliers anticipate testable samples in mid-2027, system integration remains highly complex. And here’s where the Taichung gossip becomes
interesting.
The Chinese aren’t alone. Behind closed doors, established
European drive-system players are working on their own integrated motor/transmission solutions for the MY2029 timeframe. The next e-MTB drivetrain war may not be about derailleur gear counts, but whether derailleurs are needed at all.
Are You In or Out? That leads to another recurring question around Taichung. Avinox. DJI’s Avinox division has rapidly established itself, with rumours circulating that at least one major bicycle company historically aligned with an established motor supplier may adopt the Chinese system. Where asking a premium
Western brand about Chinese motor systems once drew polite smiles, it now opens serious product development meetings.
job market. Ambitious Chinese brands seeking Western market expertise are increasingly hiring this talent directly rather than managing expansion from overseas.
Manufacturing Starts Looking South For all the talk of disruption, Taiwan and China remain extraordinarily important to bicycle manufacturing. Spend a week in Taichung, and that reality is impossible to ignore.
But sourcing conversations are changing. While Taiwan and China maintain unmatched engineering ecosystems and tooling expertise, tariffs, geopolitical risks, and supply chain lessons from COVID
are accelerating “China plus one” sourcing strategies into Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Europe. The future supply chain will resemble a distributed network across Taiwan, China, Southeast Asia, and Europe to mitigate geopolitical risks.
“WHILE TAIWAN AND CHINA MAINTAIN
UNMATCHED ENGINEERING ECOSYSTEMS AND TOOLING EXPERTISE, TARIFFS, GEOPOLITICAL RISKS, AND SUPPLY CHAIN LESSONS FROM COVID ARE ACCELERATING “CHINA PLUS ONE” SOURCING STRATEGIES INTO VIETNAM, CAMBODIA, THAILAND, AND EUROPE. THE FUTURE SUPPLY CHAIN WILL RESEMBLE A DISTRIBUTED NETWORK ACROSS TAIWAN, CHINA, SOUTHEAST ASIA, AND EUROPE TO MITIGATE GEOPOLITICAL RISKS.”
China Isn’t Just Manufacturing Your Bikes Anymore
Another unmistakable shift is happening. Chinese manufacturers no longer want to stay anonymous factories behind Western logos; they are actively building global brand presence, sponsoring WorldTour teams, and setting up direct European operations, as Pardus did in 2026. Concurrently, post-Covid restructurings across Western
cycling businesses have released experienced sales directors, engineers, and product managers into the
22 | October 2026
And Then There Is Taichung Bike Week Itself This brings me to the elephant walking quietly through the corridors. Where was everyone? The official numbers confirm
what your eyes tell you. TBW post-show reports indicate exhibitor participation dropped roughly 20% compared to 2025 due to tighter corporate travel budgets. However, while public corridors appeared quieter, meeting rooms remained heavily booked with forward-looking spec and development discussions.
While some wonder whether the three-hotel format
requires consolidation, dates for Taichung Bike Week 2027 are already set. The industry has consistently demonstrated resilience
through major transitions: wheel size shifts, electronic shifting, e-bike drivetrains, and manufacturing realignments. Beneath the quiet corridors, significant developments in 32-inch wheels, e-CVTs, and global manufacturing shifts continue to reshape the bicycle industry. Taichung Bike Week remains essential because it offers an early glimpse into where the bicycle industry is heading next.
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