Rad Power Bikes Sold at Auction, New Hampshire Bill Would Force Bike Registration | TWR Ep 68

Rad Power Bikes has been sold following a small private auction held on January 22. Life Electric Vehicles Holdings (Life EV) submitted the winning bid at $13.2 million, with Retrospec listed as the $13 million backup bidder.

The sale follows Rad’s December 2025 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, during which the company reported $32.1 million in assets against $72.8 million in liabilities.

The transaction still requires bankruptcy court approval, but is expected to close between February 13 and 27. Included in the sale are Rad’s remaining inventory, intellectual property, accounts receivable, company equipment, select contracts and leases, and the warranty obligations tied to those assets.

This marks Life EV’s second acquisition of a recognizable e-bike brand. The company previously purchased Serial 1, Harley-Davidson’s e-bike spinoff, in 2023.

Life EV’s website currently lists no in-stock e-bikes of its own, and the company has not yet disclosed its plans for the Rad product line or its future direction.

Our take:
We’re glad to see Rad continue under new ownership, even if the path forward isn’t fully defined. With nearly three-quarters of a million Rad bikes on the road, preserving the brand ultimately benefits the broader e-bike community. Rad’s story is also a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift. A few years ago the company had raised over $329 million and carried a valuation of $1.65 billion, only to be sold for $13.2 million in a few short years time.

There are examples of successful turnarounds in similar situations. They might not reach the same heights as before, but they move forward more positively than in their rockiest years nonetheless. Hopefully, Rad becomes one of them.

Representative Thomas Walsh of New Hampshire has introduced House Bill 1703, a proposal that would require annual registration for all bicycles—including e-bikes—used on public roads, paths, and trails. The registration would cost $50 per year. Riders who fail to register could face $100 citations for using public infrastructure without proper documentation.

Supporters of the bill argue that the fees would help fund transportation infrastructure, much as snowmobile and OHV products have. Local cycling advocates, however, warn that the administrative burden would be significant and costly, and that the measure could discourage people from using bicycles as transportation despite their environmental and health benefits.

Our Take:
This could get complicated fast. Requiring every bike—not just e-bikes—to register and pay an annual fee introduces logistical challenges that seem difficult to manage at scale. Maybe that’s easy to implement within retail locations, but imagine tracking every marketplace bike, beater bike, or garage find in the state and making sure those get registered, assuming you can get the public to be aware they’re legally supposed to. Then there’s the question of enforcement.

The bill will likely face a steep uphill climb. It’s hard to imagine many cyclists embracing the current language and there will likely be major pushback; it remains to be seen whether lawmakers will see it through as workable policy.

Velotric is gearing up to launch the latest evolution of its flagship Discover line, teasing a February 10th release date. This time, the brand isn’t unveiling just one bike but two: the Discover 3 and the Discover M, which is the brand’s first-ever mid-drive model.

The Discover 3 closely follows the design language of the Discover 2, retaining the 750W rear-hub motor, step-through frame, and adjustable stem. New additions include an air-suspension fork with 80mm of travel and a suspension seatpost, underscoring an even stronger focus on comfort.

The Discover M marks a major step for Velotric. It features a 500W mid-drive motor that peaks at 960W and delivers up to 130Nm of torque, paired with a 9-speed Shimano CUES drivetrain. A thumb throttle is included, and Velotric is quoting up to 95 miles of range.

Our Take:
We’ve had both models in testing for several weeks now. While we can’t share anything beyond what Velotric has publicly teased, we can say that our early impressions have been positive.

The Discover 3 feels like a thoughtful refinement of a bike that was already a bright spot in the industry, while the Discover M puts Velotric squarely into new territory—competing with more premium cruiser and commuter offerings. Full testing impressions and a complete review will go live in the coming days so stay tuned!

Two major riding destinations are expanding access for e-mountain bikers. Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes National Forest and the Lake Tahoe Basin have both approved Class 1 e-bike use on a combined 273 miles of singletrack.

In Bend, 161 miles of trail across five networks will open to pedal-assist eMTBs beginning April 1, 2026. Some winter restrictions will apply to protect wildlife habitats. To enable this change, the Deschutes National Forest reclassified the approved routes from non-motorized to motorized specifically for Class 1 e-bikes; all other motorized vehicles remain prohibited.

The Lake Tahoe Basin will allow Class 1 e-bikes on 112 miles of trail following an extensive environmental review. The rollout will include some new trail segments as well as strategic reroutes.

Our Take:
Over a year ago, the National Park Service noted that Class 1 e-bikes did not produce significantly more trail wear than traditional bikes, and shifted decisions to individual parks and land managers. Since then, we’ve seen access expand gradually, and the opening of two high-profile trail networks feels like further meaningful progress.

From Oregon to California, this is the kind of momentum eMTB riders have hoped for. Here’s hoping more land agencies continue to follow suit.