Super73’s Mysterious New Model, Public Lands to Be Open During Shutdown, Blaupunkt to Assemble E-Bikes in the US | TWR Ep 51

As shown above, the iconic California-based e-bike company hinted at a new release by sharing a shadowy image of a new bike through its social media channels. The image was accompanied by the following caption:

“For years you’ve been waiting for innovation from the brand that started a movement in two wheel transportation. We’ve heard you and we’re proud to be showcasing our next big thing (figuratively speaking), at Moto Beach Classic on October 11th. Be the first to experience an entirely new generation of electric mobility.”

The mysterious bike has the brand’s typical moto styling, along with chunky tires, a long saddle, a large headlight, a dual crown fork, and a set of BMX style riser bars. It also clearly has the pedals that define it as an e-bike and a chain-driven drivetrain.

Micah from Electrek pointed out that it has no visible suspension elements, so the new bike could be a lighter-weight or more simplified model with a focus on affordability. He also compared the bike to the Super73-Z Miami e-bike, which might suggest that the new bike is larger if both models share the same 20” wheel size.

Our Take: To us, the brand’s cryptic marketing lingo stood out and might provide a hint. The phrases “big thing (figuratively speaking)” and “new generation” could point to a small e-bike geared towards children.

Considering that some schools in California have banned Super73 and similar e-bikes, it’s also possible that the brand is releasing a more community-friendly model geared toward students who use their e-bikes to commute.

According to an article from Bicycle Retailer, law enforcement (including border operations) and emergency response teams will still respond to incidents on BLM and NPS lands. Most roads and tourist stops will remain open at national parks, but park employees won’t update road or trail conditions or be active on social media.

Some operations will continue at BLM locations where the public is charged for entry. Some non-essential BLM activities have stopped, but public lands and facilities that can be kept open to the public will be.

Here in Utah, the 15th Outerbike Moab event is set to take place this weekend. The event, which would normally be affected by the shutdown, will continue after being supported by state funds.

Our Take: We hope that policymakers in Washington are able to quickly make an agreement to reactivate government offices and programs. In the meantime, many public lands host bike trails, so we’re happy to note that many of these areas will still be accessible to the public despite the shutdown.

Blaupunkt, which currently paints and assembles its e-bikes at a factory in Paraguay, is in the process of relocating to a new facility near Asheville, North Carolina. This move will add Blaupunkt to the growing list of brands, including Santa Cruz, Pivot, Electric Bike Company, and eBliss, assembling its e-bikes domestically.

The company’s CEO, Brian Tedesco, has referred to Blaupunkt as the “first major” brand to start assembling bikes in the US. About the move, he said, “It’s a risk to go first, but we believe in the American worker, and we plan to hire 60–80 production line employees over time. The new facility will be designed to produce up to 250,000 UL 2849-certified Blaupunkt foldable e-bikes per year.”

Casting of Blaupunkt’s magnesium frames will still happen in Chinese or Malaysian factories. Painting and finishing will, for the short term, still occur in Paraguay, but these operations will be relocated to the NC factory eventually.

According to Tedesco, the new facility will continue using advanced manufacturing processes and will adhere to the same safety and quality standards Blaupunkt has been using since setting up in Paraguay.

Our Take: While we expect that, like Blaupunkt’s frames, its bikes’ components will still be manufactured overseas and imported, we support brands that do as much production as possible on American soil. We hope to see the growing trend continue—especially if it can reduce (or maintain) costs by lowering the amount of tariffs brands pass on to consumers.

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