I'm at China Cycle 2026 in Shanghai right now - I review carbon road bikes and wheels for a living. AMA about the show!
I'm at Shanghai Bike Show 2026 right now (also known as the China International Bicycle Fair, or China Cycle 2026 - why so many names?!)
This place is absolutely wild.
It's huge, it's loud, it's hectic.
The main themes I've been noticing this year:
✅ Wider tyre clearance is becoming more standard (finally!)
✅ Geometry is getting more relaxed - comfort is slowly becoming a priority
✅ Brands are getting experimental with very unconventional aero designs
✅ The Chinese are no longer just competing on price - they're going premium
✅ AI is slowly making its way into bikes - with varying degrees of success
The biggest thing for me, though, is that Chinese brands are moving upmarket fast, while Western brands are increasingly reliant on the same factories.
The gap that used to justify a huge price premium is shrinking faster than in pretty much any other year.
Ask me anything about the show, the products, or the brands.
And I just uploaded my first video covering the Shanghai Bike Show 2026 over on YouTube.