Splitfirst Advances R&D in Smart Bike Accessories
Changsha – Splitfirst, a company specializing in the innovative design and manufacturing of bicycle components, announced recently that it will increase its R&D investment by over 30 million yuan in the 2025-2026 period. The funds will be focused on tackling the intelligent upgrading and performance optimization of core components such as handlebars, stems, and hubs, marking the company’s accelerated advancement in the high-tech transformation of cycling equipment.
This R&D upgrade accurately aligns with industry development trends. According to industry research data, the scale of China’s bicycle components market exceeded 50 billion yuan in 2024, with smart accessories growing at a rate of 18% to become the core driver of industry growth. Through in-depth research involving more than 2,000 professional cyclists and riding enthusiasts across the country, Splitfirst identified gaps in traditional accessories regarding lightweight design, data integration, and durability – long-distance riders demand more accurate status monitoring, while mountain bikers urgently need high-strength, impact-resistant components.
In response to these needs, Splitfirst has established a three-dimensional R&D system integrating “material innovation + intelligent embedding + iterative optimization”. In terms of material application, its new hub adopts 7075 aviation aluminum, reducing weight by 22% compared to traditional products. Simultaneously, drawing on the thermal stability technology of carbon-ceramic brake discs, the structural stability under high-temperature conditions has been improved by 40%. The smart handlebar integrates micro wind speed sensors and posture monitoring modules, which can real-time capture data such as riding wind direction and body tilt angle, and synchronize it to the cycling computer terminal via Bluetooth, providing data support for climbing planning and cornering safety. These technological breakthroughs are mass-produced in the company’s newly built intelligent manufacturing workshop, which uses an automated inspection system to raise the product qualification rate to 99.2%.
“We insist on involving cyclists in the entire R&D process,” said the R&D Director of Splitfirst. The company continues its “testing-feedback-co-design” iterative model and has established a joint team consisting of more than 50 professional cyclists, mechanical engineers, and data analysts. The new stem component has completed three rounds of field testing, and its damping adjustment system has been optimized based on feedback from off-road riders, improving handling stability by 35% on complex road conditions. Currently, the product has entered the finalization stage and is expected to launch pre-sales next month.
This R&D upgrade coincides with a critical period of industry transformation. As cycling evolves from a means of transportation to a “technology + health + social” lifestyle, Splitfirst’s technological breakthroughs not only deliver tangible value to users – third-party tests show that bicycles equipped with its new accessories have a 12% improvement in overall riding efficiency and a 20% reduction in maintenance costs – but also drive the upgrading of industry standards. The “smart hub data transmission protocol” led by the company has been incorporated into local industry specifications, providing technical references for similar products.
Looking ahead, Splitfirst plans to launch a smart accessory set equipped with IoT modules in 2026, enabling remote monitoring of parameters such as tire pressure and wear, and forming a data closed loop with cycling APPs. “We aim not only to be a high-quality accessory manufacturer but also a technology service provider for the cycling ecosystem,” revealed the company’s leader. Relevant technologies have been applied for 15 invention patents, and some achievements will make their debut at the international bicycle exhibition in the second half of the year.