Rad to make Bikes Domestically; Juiced Comeback Nearly Complete | TWR Ep 74
Plus Orbea’s New Carpe City Bike, Lightweight Bikes With Hill Power, & More
This week’s e-bike industry news includes the finalized sale and next chapter for Rad Power Bikes. The sale is now complete, with Life EV assuming Rad’s assets, IP, inventory, and more.
New owner Rob Provost envisions a future for Rad Power Bikes that involves a lot more stateside production. It won’t mean full-on factories making motors, batteries, and frames from scratch, but the plan does include U.S. assembly and a proposed 100,000-square-foot base of operations in the central U.S. aimed at reducing bottlenecks and improving quality control. That, at least, is the vision.
In other news, Juiced Bikes has teased a return in the not-too-distant future. Spring 2026 relaunch teasers are already live on the company’s website, with photos offering only brief glimpses of the revamped product line. Meanwhile, Orbea has launched its latest ride, the Carpe city e-bike. It’s a lightweight option with a compelling spec package that looks like a promising choice for riders wanting to keep pace with traffic.
Then, John and Griffin dive into this week’s comments with discussions about multi-use path solutions en lieu of outright e-bike bans, bringing e-bikes back from the dead, and finding a bike that’s light enough to carry up a flight of stairs but powerful enough to tackle steep hills.
This Week’s E-Bike News Headlines
Rad Power Bikes’ Sale Finalized, LifeEV Plans Revitalization of Brand
On March 6, 2026, Life Electric Vehicles finalized its $13.2 million purchase of Rad Power Bikes, or $14.9 million when liabilities are accounted for, ushering in a new chapter for the brand. The immediate plans are to resume operations, expand the retail footprint, and support existing Rad customers.
In a GeekWire interview discussing the future of Rad, new owner Rob Provost outlined potentially major changes to the company’s operations, including a desire to bring product assembly stateside.
Parts would still be sourced globally, as most major electronics continue to come from Asia, but bike assembly would move to a proposed 100,000-square-foot facility in the central U.S. The idea is that this would allow for a Foreign Trade Zone structure to help offset tariff burdens, which was one of the major factors in Rad’s downfall under previous ownership.
Other stated goals include improving distribution and logistics, expanding retail stores in key areas, establishing a battery replacement program—one of the final nails in the coffin before the bankruptcy sale—and more.
Our Take: Few brands have the name recognition Rad does across the e-bike landscape, so it’s encouraging to hear the new ownership has both short- and long-term plans for getting the brand back on track.
That said, this won’t be as easy as flipping a switch. Rad has endured plenty of rough headlines over the last few years, so winning customers back will take time and real effort.
The long-term goals are especially interesting. We’ve seen other companies aim for heavier stateside involvement in production, but with mixed results at best. If Rad can pull it off in a way that helps it better withstand the tariffs and logistical issues that contributed to its bankruptcy, then great—but for now, it still has an uphill climb ahead.
The Juiced Bikes Comeback Is Nearly Complete
Juiced Bikes was one of the early standout names in the American e-bike scene. The company built a reputation around a certain cool factor, thanks to its moped-inspired designs, while several of its models became known for fast speeds and distinct styling.
Like many other companies over the last couple of years, tariffs greatly hurt the bottom line, and some mismanagement eventually caught up with the brand as sales slowed, leading to bankruptcy and a sale. Juiced was later acquired by Lectric E-Bikes co-founders Levi Conlow and Robby Deziel.
This past week, Juiced’s website started showing signs of life, with a return date teased for Spring 2026.
While there are still few concrete details about what the comeback will entail, teaser images of familiar-looking Juiced models suggest the brand will be sticking close to its roots. Moto-inspired designs, large bench seats, BMX handlebars, and 20×4” fat tires all appear to be part of the formula.
Austin Gomes is also prominently featured as the new general manager. He brings notable experience, having led the design of Lectric’s XP4, which Lectric has called America’s best-selling e-bike.
Our Take: We couldn’t be much more excited about this. Juiced was an icon, and we’re happy to see it make a comeback. Lectric’s owners have shown strong business instincts in turning Lectric into a powerhouse, so there’s reason to believe they can iron out many of the logistical issues that held Juiced back in the past. On top of that, having a proven designer helping lead the charge for whatever the next generation of Juiced bikes looks like feels like another win.
Juiced was never necessarily about having the best specs on paper or the smoothest ride around. It was, as the kids say, a “vibe.” The bikes were fast, fun, and the kind of thing you’d see someone riding and immediately feel a little FOMO over.
Needless to say, we’ve got high hopes and expect to see some interesting things from Juiced again soon.
Orbea Released the Carpe City E-Bike
The Carpe is marketed as a natural fit for city life, moving you quickly and seamlessly in the flow of the streets.
The mid-step frame looks primed for city / commuter life with a pretty impressive spec sheet to go with it. Orbea has three different spec levels for the Carpe, but all bikes include a:
- Mid-step aluminum frame
- Shimano EP600 mid-drive motor
- 420Wh battery
- Rigid Carbon fork
- Shimano MT200 Hydraulic brakes
The premium Carpe 10 gets a Shimano Motor Unit Di2 5-speed drivetrain, while the other two models get a 9-speed Shimano Cues.
Pricing ranges from $2,999 – $3,999
Our Take: Maybe it was the plan along, but it’s delightful that Orbea now has both the Carpe and Diem models. Seize the day indeed!
Orbea makes sleek bikes and develops a bit of cult-level enthusiasm. The brand is a Co-op afterall, and the pasion in the products is evident to anybody who rides them The Carpe looks nothing if not promising for active city transport and a lightweight ride you won’t have to sweat lugging around too much like other heavier weight e-bikes. Orbea, please sign us up for a test ride!
Topics Covered In The Weekly Recharge
- Have we tested many e-bikes that do solar charging like the Mokwheel models?.
- Is the new Ride1Up Vorsa FT a good thing with a similar platform with tweaks to fit needs?
- Should Velotric make cargo bikes again?.
- The JackRabbit XG, Urtopia Carbon Fold 2, Trek FX+1 and other lightweight bikes for climbing hills. .
- Would banning throttles on multi-use paths be a fair compromise instead of an outright ban?
E-Bike Deals Found This Week
- Tenways Spring Offer – $300 off the Wayfarer
- Regularly $2200, now $1899
- A well equipped cruiser/commuter hybrid
- Torque sensing 750W peak motor
- Throttle-equipped
- Class 2 and 3 capable
- Heybike Spring Sale – Savings up to $600 + Accessory gift add ons
- Save $600 on the Mars 2.0
- Now just $899
- Powerful 1800W peak motor
- 20×4” fat tires
- Folding frame design
- Ride1Up Winter Clearance Sales – Up to $600 off select bikes
- Save $100 on the Trailrush
- Now just $1995
- The cheapest entry point into a legitimate Trail eMTB we know about
- 90Nm Brose mid-drive
- 120mm Rockshox Judy air fork
Make sure to tune in to the full episode to see the e-bike trail system highlight and rider of the week! Want to be featured in future episodes? Comment on any YouTube video or page of the website, or send to [email protected].





