Urtopia’s Owners Buy Pedego, Trek’s Brake Recall, D.C. E-Bike Speeds Reduced | TWR Ep 58

The ownership group that now owns Pedego has been renamed New Pedego Holdings Inc., with Pedego’s CEO, Larry Pizzi, still at the helm.

Earlier this spring, Verlinvest—the investor group that previously held the majority share in Pedego—decided to back away from the brand. Following this development, Pizzi explored deals with four potential buyers before finalizing the purchase with the group behind Urtopia.

Prior to this deal, Pedego was already working with Urtopia; 58 of the brand’s stores acted as dealers for the newer company’s carbon fiber e-bikes. Pedego found that Urtopia’s products sold very well to younger riders, which complemented their own focus on an older crowd.

According to Bicycle Retailer, “Urtopia will provide engineering and supply chain efficiencies and will allow Pedego’s licensed retailers to access high-tech models that complement Pedego’s existing product line. The partnership will also create engineering and supply chain efficiencies that will benefit both Pedego- and Urtopia-branded e-bikes.”

Urtopia bikes will continue to be sold by other dealers in both the US and Europe, as well as via the company’s website.

During the pandemic era, Pedego dealers were established in 220 locations, but that number has slipped by nearly half. Now, Pedego stores will sell e-bikes under their own label, Urtopia’s name, and from a few other brands as they work to expand back to their pandemic-era size and beyond. The company’s goal is to have 500 dealers by the end of 2029.

Our Take:
It seems that this partnership will provide synergy between both companies, giving Pedego a needed injection of vitality while providing Urtopia with a wider distribution network. Pededo is a reputable, well-established e-bike brand that stands on its own merits, and based on our experiences with Urtopia’s e-bikes, we believe it deserves greater recognition.

We’re hopeful that the partnership will prove beneficial to both companies, and look forward to testing and reviewing more products from Pedego and Urtopia.

The recalled bikes (which are analog, not electric) were sold under both the Trek and Electra labels. The recall also affects some replacement rear wheels. While 6,820 of the recalled bikes were sold in Canada, the rest were bought in the U.S.

Fortunately, the recall is preventative; there have been no reported injuries we are aware of at this time. Trek released a statement saying that the internal surfaces of the coaster brake assembly may not have been properly lubricated, resulting in excess wear or potential damage. These potential issues could cause riders to lose control of their bikes and crash or fall.

Affected bikes were sold through online and brick-and-mortar stores between August 2023 and September 2025 in a range of 13 colors. The bikes cost between $300 and $660, while the wheels were between $66 and $77.

If you have one of the recalled bikes or wheels, DO NOT USE IT. Instead, contact an authorized dealer to get a free repair or replacement wheel, as well as a $20 credit that can be used in-store on Trek or Trek-owned merch.

Trek has released an online tool you can use to find out whether your bike is affected; a serial number starting with WTU should be printed under the bottom bracket.

Our Take:
Recalls are an unfortunate but not uncommon event in the bicycle industry, among many others. While we never love hearing that potential issues could affect riders, we’re pleased that Trek responded before any injuries were caused by the brakes.

We do our best to cover any bike-related recalls as soon as possible to raise awareness; be sure to check our weekly newsletter for updates.

Prior to this change, the speed limit for shared e-bikes from Lime and Veo has been 20 mph, but the city has received many complaints about riders speeding past pedestrians on sidewalks. A spokesperson for the D.C. police department also said that Lime bikes/scooters are enabling juvenile robbery or assault suspects to evade arrest.

The DDOT reached out to Lime and Veo, asking both companies to reduce the speeds of their rental fleets. Lime agreed to limit its bikes to 18 mph. Veo originally dropped its e-bikes’ speeds to 15 mph in October, but bumped them back up to 18 mph in early November to “maintain safe operations while meeting the needs of riders,” according to WTOP news.

Bikes from another similar company, Capital Bikeshare, are limited to 17 miles per hour.
City officials have limited speeds in some busy areas such as Chinatown and the Navy Yard to 8 miles per hour to encourage safety and good behavior.

Our Take:
While we understand the goal of these measures is to encourage safety, it’s hard to say whether a 2-3 mph drop in speed will have much effect. Additionally, the change may discourage some commuters from using the rental e-bikes if their travel time is lengthened.

We are typically proponents of education over restriction. Encouraging riders to be more mindful of pedestrians through training and safety classes may be a better alternative to promote responsible e-bike use than enacting widespread speed restrictions; it seems like a case of “one bad apple spoils the bunch.”

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