Taipei Cycle Show News Update

TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For your information Taipei set to overtake Interbike as second biggest international show - Taiwan's bike industry "Not afraid of competition"

“The Taiwan bicycle industry is not afraid of competition.”

At the opening ceremony of the 2010 Taipei International Cycle show today, TBEA Chairman Ying-Ming Yang proudly noted that the event is on course to overtake Interbike as the world's number two international bicycle show after Germany's Eurobike. After an intriguing opening art performance that combined live sand painting showing how the bicycle can contribute to preserving the environment, TAITRA Chairman Dr. Chih-Kang Wang welcomed VIP guests including Giant Chairman King Liu, Japan Bicycle Association Chairman Yoshizo Shimano and Ernesto Colnago, founder of the famed Italian bikemaker.

He said this year's record-breaking show would host 894 exhibitors using 3,018 booths - he noted that since the official capacity of the Nangang Exhibition Center is 2,000 booths, corridors and additional rooms were being used. As many as 50,000 visitors are expected to walk through the doors at Nangang this year.

Wang said that the strength of Taiwan's bike industry was reflected by its relatively small decline in exports during a difficult 2009: while overall exports dropped 20%, complete bike shipments fell just 9.9% and parts exports declined by just 6%. He attributed the strength of the industry to steady investment in R&D and branding.

TBEA Chairman Yang (left) proudly noted that Taipei was set to take over the number two spot in international show rankings, surpassing Interbike this year due to the poor health of the US economy. He also noted that the industry was not afraid of competition from China. The TBEA has asked the government to include the bicycle sector in free trade negotiations with China. "We feel we're able to compete, thanks to our R&D and branding efforts," he said. The Exporters' Association is also expanding its membership, "So I feel our industry is strong," he added.

Yang's sentiments were echoed by Kuo-Hsin Liang, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs, who pointed out that the average export price for bicycles of US$291 was higher than that for notebook computers. Referring to the free trade negotiations with China, Liang said "The Taiwan bicycle industry is not afraid of competition."

"We hope the whole world will reduce duties on bicycles to zero," he added.

At the close of the ceremony, the winners of the annual Innovative Products contest took the stage. The Best Innovation Award went to Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. For its Trinity Advanced SL, the Best Latest Fashion Award was presented to JD Components for its Eagle e-bike, while SRAM Taiwan scooped the prize for Best Practicality with its XX MTB drivetrain.

IBDC Award

The award winners of the 2010 International Bicycle Design Awards were announced yesterday morning in a ceremony at Nangang exhibition Hall. The Grand Prize of the 14th IBDC went to Taiwanese designer Hsi Huang for his 'Shopping Bike', a folding bike that transforms into a shopping cart. The judges were impressed with the convenience and functionality of Huang's concept. The designer walked away with a cash prize of NT$500,000. The total prize fund this year was NT$1.175m. Huang studied industrial product design and commented that since cycling has taken off in Taiwan, he says he has been driven to design bicycles.

The IBDC aims to not only influence current manufacturers and their bicycle designs but also to provide a professional job platform for these new talents. Over the years some of the winners have been offered employment or work as freelance designers for the bike industry. This year's 14th IBDC attracted 720 registrations from 49 countries, demonstrating its widespread international recognition and importance. The 2011 edition of the IBDC will be accepting entries from 1st April 2010.

Taipei show welcomes UCI President Pat McQuaid

The 32nd "Tour de Taiwan" which coincides with the Taipei Cycle Show, is honored by the attendance of UCI President Pat McQuaid. He will join the opening ceremony and visit the show on March 18. His visit comes amid speculation that the Tour de Taiwan may become part of the UCI ProTour or one of its monument events series.

UCI ProTour races are currently held in Europe, Australia and North America, yet there is no race to date in Asia.

The ProTour series includes emerging events as well as more traditional races and form one of the two categories making up the UCI World Calendar. The second category consists of the so-called "Monument" events. At present, UCI ProTeams come from Europe, America and Asia.

The Tour de Taiwan, in its 32nd year, is held March 14th-20th, with 100 contestants in 20 teams from 11 countries. The race started in Kaohsiung and covers 876.2km during seven stages that will take the riders through culturally diverse areas along the west coast before the big finish in Taipei.

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