What Europe Told Us in June—and What It Means If You Build in Titanium

In late June, we split the team. Our sales team flew to Frankfurt for Eurobike 2026, June 24–27, where ORA exhibited in Hall 8.0, Booth B11. Our VP, Agnes, travelled to Poland for Taiwan Expo Europe in Warsaw from June 22–24.

While Eurobike brought us back to familiar territory—bicycles, components, and product development—Warsaw had a different purpose: to learn how a new market views titanium, precision manufacturing, and applications outside cycling.

In this recap, we share what caught our attention in Frankfurt and Poland, from the products and technical topics currently discussing to the market signals we plan to keep watching.

Eurobike 2026: A Smaller Show, and a Sharper One

Frankfurt was quieter than we had seen it. Around 800 exhibitors from 44 countries and 15,130 trade visitors attended, down from 31,270 the previous year. The show occupied three halls instead of six, while major names including Bosch eBike Systems and Schwalbe stayed away.

For us, day one was busier than expected, with visitors sitting down for detailed project discussions rather than simply collecting brochures. Traffic became much thinner over the following three days.

We brought framesets and components, tubing and finishing samples, our Pinion-compatible titanium crank, a Ti-6Al-4V frameset, and a new titanium seatpost. The table showed the manufacturing process in a compact way: from raw tubing and weld samples to anodized finishes, components, and completed frames. That made it easier for visitors to move quickly from looking at samples to discussing their own specifications.

Attendance was not the most useful number. Organizers reported that 71% of visitors were executives, compared with 58% in 2025. Our follow-up list reflected the same pattern: fewer people came, but many were able to approve specifications and move projects forward. 

A fun moment was when four separate groups of Falkenjagd riders stopped by to meet the factory that welded their frames. We were grateful for the chance to speak directly with the riders and better understand their experience and needs.

What Brands Are Asking For: Tubing, Cranks, and Printed Joints

Four subjects came up from this trip:

• Components before platforms. Most discussions focused on cranks and handlebars rather than complete framesets. Brands are using one visible titanium component to test demand before expanding the material across a product line. Chromoly steel and stainless steel also remained part of many tubing and frameset inquiries.
• Printed titanium is moving into commercial products. We saw printed cockpits, seatpost heads, derailleur clamps, and other complex parts on bikes intended for sale—not just display.

  Printing earns its cost when geometry is complex, volumes are low, or a weld would sit in a difficult load transition. The down tube–bottom bracket junction came up more than once because welding, distortion, and fatigue all require careful control in this high-stress area.

• Battery integration requires early manufacturing input. Several brands are exploring batteries inside titanium top tubes. Creating a head tube opening large enough for routing makes welding distortion and dimensional control significantly more difficult.
• For US-market projects, round tubing still dominates. Shaped tubes require additional forming and fixturing, which can affect both cost and lead time. For brands considering shaped profiles, these trade-offs are worth discussing early in development.

These are the observations we saw most often at Eurobike 2026. Do they match what you are seeing in your own projects? If your experience is different, we would be interested to compare notes—reply to us and share your perspective.

Warsaw: Titanium Beyond Bicycles

While Eurobike was underway, Agnes attended Taiwan Expo Europe at EXPO XXI Warsaw. The event’s first edition in Poland focused on resilient supply chains, reliable partnerships, rebuilding Ukraine, infrastructure, and smart manufacturing. 

ORA attended as a materials and precision manufacturer, not only as a bicycle company. The demand was more industrial than expected: components and tubing connected to infrastructure work, including reconstruction needs.

Where corrosion resistance, strength-to-weight ratio, and fatigue life determine a specification, the product does not have to be a premium bicycle. The tube forming, welding, machining, and finishing behind a titanium frameset can support many other applications.

Several Polish visitors held their conversations with Agnes in Mandarin. Familiarity with Taiwan and Taiwanese manufacturing was stronger than expected.

The next step is identifying distributors, trading partners, and technical service providers that can support titanium locally. We will continue following Poland and plan to return next year.

Looking Ahead: A Reshuffled Calendar and a Wider Definition

Europe’s trade-show calendar is changing. Eurobike returns from September 1–3, 2027 with a shorter, B2B-focused format before moving to a biennial schedule. In Cologne, the ZIV-backed Everything Bike will also launch in 2027. Where exhibitors and buyers eventually gather remains open. 

At the same time, we will continue following Poland, and keep exploring where our experience in tubing, welding, machining, and finishing can create value beyond cycling.

If you are developing a titanium, stainless steel, or chromoly steel project, our team can help assess the material, manufacturing feasibility, and path to production.

Talk to ORA Engineering about your next project.