Taipei Cycle Show in order to honor the newest innovations in the cycling industry on Tuesday (March 20th ) by giving out its Taipei Cycle Design & Innovation Awards to a slew eye-catching products.

In anticipation of the 30th edition of Taipei Cycle, an exhibition for the newest products and gear in cycling which kicks off today, the organizer, TAITRA, applauded the 154 submissions from 16 countries it received for its Design & Innovation Award.

The panel of judges emphasized the smart technology and convenience aspects of the products that were submitted, ultimately choosing to give 57 submissions awards, with seven receiving the highest-standard Gold Award.

These products include the Alinka Lock, which unlike a typical bike lock, is locked and unlocked via a smartphone, and Taiwanese company Merida's eONE-SIXTY 900, a shock-resistant mountain electronic bike.

Head judge Liang Chih-hung (梁志鴻) commented on the trends the judges saw in this year's submissions, saying that the industry was putting an emphasis on "environmentally friendly production processes and materials."

All these award-winning innovations will be on display at the 30th Taipei Cycle, which runs from today to March 25.

What's New at Taipei Cycle?

This year's Taipei Cycle will take place at two separate venues, the Nangang Exhibition Center and Taipei World Trade Exhibition Hall 1, featuring 1,115 businesses at 3,340 booths.

On top of the usual European Union Pavilion, the French Pavilion, and the Japanese Pavilion, visitors this year will see the inclusion of the Italian Pavilion, which is joining the show for the first time in its history.

The Italian Pavilion is made up of six businesses displaying their products at 14 different booths.

Aside from booths where visitors can purchase cycling products and exchange contacts, the 30th Taipei Cycle is hosting a forum on March 23 to discuss the trends in cycling, electronic bikes, and the design and marketing of cycling products.

The forum is bringing together four experts in the cycling industry, including IDberlin's General Manager Norbert Haller, Great Britain Bike Association'sMark Bickerton, New York Bike Union's Kenneth J. Podziba, and Taiwan's Welltech Energy's General Manager Yang Mo-hua (楊模樺).

Perhaps the most unique part of this year's show are the 10 limited-edition, commemorative bike models that local leading bike manufacturers Giant, Merida, and Pacific Cycles will be showcasing throughout the event.

Taipei Cycle will be taking place alongside the Taipei International Sporting Goods Show, so sports enthusiasts will be getting ample exposure to the latest in sports equipment and gear this week.