Merida’s “Made in Taiwan” eONE-SIXTY won a gold for its rugged trail design

E-bikes, powerful cargo brakes and a novel bike tyre made of dandelion rubber scooped gold awards at the prestigious Taipei Cycle D&I Awards by iF, one of the top design competitions for the cycling industry and a barometer for cycle trends.

Three e-bikes took a gold: Liv’s YThrive E+ Pro line designed specifically for women; the Merida eONE-SIXTY trail riding, called the “SUV of bikes” by the jury; and folding BESV PSF1.

Continental’s Taraxagum is the first bicycle tyre made out of dandelion rubber – an ecological solution, say its makers

Continental’s dandelion rubber has been making waves in the car industry for a couple of years, but its bicycle tyre proved a hit with the Taipei Cycle jury in 2020. The Continental Urban Taraxagum is the first serial bicycle tyre made from dandelion rubber, grown and made in Germany. The tread pattern takes up the dandelion plant’s cell shape and transforms it into an unconventional tyre design: a sidewall engraving quotes the plant origin. Dandelions are easy to grow, even in climates which wouldn’t sustain traditional rubber trees, and their roots contain natural latex perfect for tyres, makers say.

TEKTRO brake system is designed for the heavier loads seen in cargo bikes today – and also comes with a parking brake.

And for cargo bikes which today may haul upwards of 200kg loads, the Tektro HD-E745 brake system has three adaptive solutions to deal with the added weight: a stronger 4-piston brake calliper on front and rear, with top-loading brake pads for easier maintenance; 5mm brake pads to increase the wear life; and a safe and simple parking brake to prevent cargo bikes rolling away.

“The entries show where the bicycle industry is going and are great to forecast upcoming trends,” said contest organisers iF.