Home / Trends / Newsroom / Contents

Taiwan is the leader in the global bicycle industry, with average annual revenue reaching US$3.8 billion. Bicycle components, while only part of the finished product, should not go unnoticed. These components account for over half the yearly revenue and, despite their low profile, they have provided significant support to the development of Taiwan's bicycle industry. Benefiting from the continuous rise in demand in the assembly sector in Europe and the United States, Taiwan's bicycle component exports in 2018 topped US$1.25 billion. This represented an annual increase of 11.4%, ranking Taiwan second in European Union import market share.

A prime example are chains manufactured by KMC, one of the three giants in Taiwan's bicycle industry, which account for more than 80% of the global market share. In 2019, shrewdly predicting the huge business potential of the e-bike industry, KMC accelerated their development of e-bike chains. This won them the e101 e-Bike Chain Award in the 2020 Taiwan Excellence Awards. KMC's chains are ideal for high-strength, mid-mount motors. Coupled with a chainring customized for KMC's e-bike, a KMC chain gives exceptional mileage of up to 10,000 km. The special riveted joints provide superb resistance to tensile and lateral-torsional forces, so they can perfectly withstand the tremendous power output generated by the motor when pedaling, while also offering a stable riding experience. In response to market fluctuations caused by the US-China trade friction, KMC decided to return production to Taiwan in order to expand its production capacity. The company invested US$26.45 million to establish a state-of-the-art, intelligent production line in their Tainan Xinhua Plant to consolidate their position as the world’s leading brand.

KMC are not alone in their innovation and expertise. Joy Industrial, another winner of the Taiwan Excellence Award, has their finger on the pulse of  prevailing eMTB (Electric Mountain Bike) leisure trends. They have developed the Asymmetric E-MTB Wheelset for their Novatec brand. To cope with off-road terrain, the wheelset is made of asymmetric super rigid aluminum, with a strengthened ratchet attached to the hub that enhances steering flexibility and pedaling efficiency. In addition, the tubeless tire design, together with recyclable production materials which do not require multi-stage processing, makes the product environmentally friendly.

Last, but certainly not least, is Kenda. Outstanding tires provide ideal riding experiences and Kenda's XC Cross-Country Tires are a brand new product already recognized by the UCI Track Cycling World Cup. The tires offer exceptional braking performance and steering control, while also being some of the lightest XC tires on the market. They were developed and marketed world-wide in partnership with the prestigious Bianchi MTB and Norco Factory Racing professional teams.

The performance of Taiwan's bicycle industry makes it one of Taiwan Excellence's strongest national exports ensuring our bicycles and components are revered internationally. For further information on high-end bicycle components, please visit the official website of Taiwan Excellence (www.taiwanexcellence.org/en), or join the Taiwan Excellence Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/TaiwanExcellence.en) for the latest news.