JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #114 - July 2017 - 36

SPORTS & LEISURE CFRP
Yearly carbon bike sales in China now reach
approximatively 100,000 units, including
50,000 high-end bikes. There is currently an
oversupply due to too many players introducing new brands and models", states Alan
Chen, marketing VP at Topkey, a major
Taiwanese composite parts manufacturer
that has studied carbon applications for
the bicycle sector for more than ten years,
focusing on sports and high-performance
lightweight racing-type products.
Bicycle events
and bike-sharing services
Along with large manufacturers including
the Taiwanese Giant Bicycle and Merida
Bike and the Chinese Battle-FSD and
Solomo, there are some innovative
players such as the Chinese company
Ten Tech Composite based in Dongguan,
Guangdong province. It announces having manufactured the lightest bike frame
in the world - weighing only 635 g - to
the point where it is used by cross-country
bike Olympic champion Nino Schurter
and cross-country bike world champion
Jenny Rissveds.
The Pardus brand, owned by Taishan
Sports Group, sponsors a professional
cycling team and designed a carbon fibre
bike to compete in national and international tours, as more and more bicycle
events take place annually in China. For
its part, the Chinese brand Kung, which
manufactures its carbon fibre bikes in
Huizhou, Guangdong province, puts
forward bikes "with excellent value for
money" sold at less than 10,000 yuan
(US$ 1,448).
ZGL Lianyungang Shenying Carbon Bike
recently introduced its top model: the
SL2 bike that weighs 6.4 kg and, "contrary
to other lighter bikes on the market, does
not limit the weight of the rider (up to
200 kg)." For its road and mountain
bikes, ZGL "uses T700 carbon fibre and
beyond."
ZGL also presented its share bike, the
QBike, which has a magnesium alloy
wheel with a solid tyre, a leather drive
belt, an adjustable seat and a smart lock
closure system. The bike also features a
built-in automatic unlocking system, a
solar energy powered ring tone and stand,

36

Kung manufactures its carbon fiber bikes in Huizhou, Southern China

as well as a GPS functionality that can
report fixed-date information on the bike
and the level of battery charging.
Bike-sharing services that allow users
to find, unlock and pay to rent trackable
bicycles through smartphone apps, have
sprung up in China, especially the Ofo
start-up and its main rival Mobike. They
target younger consumers seeking to
get around congested roads and public
transport. The bikes do not feature carbon fibre, but again show that China is in
the midst of a cycling revival that fuels a
market upgrade and a sophistication of
the demand.
5-10% annual growth by 2020
The unit retail price for sports bikes
is growing thanks to a higher demand
for high-end bicycles. According to an
Asia Bike Trade Show consumer survey
conducted in cooperation with the largest
professional bicycle website in China,
Biketo.com, the number of Chinese
willing to spend between 8,000 to 15,000
yuan (US$ 1,158 to US$ 2,172) rose
from 20.4% to 26.3% of total buyers between 2014 and 2015, while those willing
to spend between 15,000 to 30,000 yuan
(US$ 2,172 to US$ 4,343) grew from
13.4% to 17.9%. And 64% of the buyers
considered weight as "important and
very important" in their bicycle product

jec composites magazine / N°114 July 2017

purchases in 2016.
"Following clothing, food, living and mobility, there will be enormous potential for the
recreation sector, especially sports-related industries. During the next two to three years,
due to the growing middle class population
and disposable income and to the potential
cost decrease/quality improvement of
China-made bicycles (zero import tax),
the China sports bicycle market will remain
positive", concludes the survey.
"Carbon bikes obviously have great potential
in China", says Topkey's Alan Chen. "My
estimation from industrial experience for the
next three years is a 3-5% growth per year.
The 2020-2022 period could see a 5-10%
growth per year." The Asia Bike Trade
Show advises that "to take advantage of
this expected growth, bicycle businesses will
need to understand China's urban middle
class and align pricing, product offering,
sales channels, marketing communication
and other practices to this target group's
specific needs." For Western brands, whose
carbon fibre models are often displayed in
the professional and mainstream bicycle
information websites in China with an
emphasis on their high prices, making a
breakthrough in the Chinese bike market
will not be an easy ride.
More information:
www.kungracing.com
http://www.Biketo.com http://www.kungracing.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #114 - July 2017
