E-Bike Industry Shakeup: More Brands Are Shutting Down TWR Ep 85

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Welcome to Electric Bike Report. My name is John. This week is a very business-heavy week in the world of e-bike news. So, we have two bike companies shutting down, another one going on pause, but it's not all doom and gloom as Paragon Machine Works has found a buyer. And then, we're also going to talk about tons of e-bike recommendations for different folks who have asked. So, stick around for all that and more on this week's episode of the Weekly Recharge.

[00:00:35]All right, jumping into this week's news. So, we'll cover some bad stuff first, then get on to the positive later on. So, first up, the Estonian e-bike company Ampler has filed for bankruptcy.

[00:00:47]So, we actually reported on this company kind of around the time that we started doing this weekly show. They had actually just released a couple of bikes that were able to be charged with USB-C cables. That was kind of a a big step forward and a pretty cool thing.

[00:01:02]And the company's generally just made a name for themselves by designing generally lightweight e-bikes that are pretty hard to tell that they're not an analog bike, especially at a time when e-bikes typically had like very large motors and external batteries. So, Ampler went a very different way in making things a lot more slimmed down and sleek-looking.

[00:01:26]So, they also opted for using rear hub motors paired with torque sensors instead of mid-drives, and that allowed them to, you know, keep weight down and also give their bikes sort of a light and natural feeling level of pedal assist. So, they also did some things fairly recently, including having displays integrated into the top tube, so they're just kind of continuing that really clean look. But then, they've also had started integrating GPS tracking features as well. So, in recent years, as we've kind of talked about on this show, sales in Europe have declined, and uh Ampler is a DTC company, so they've faced a lot of competition, and they've had a, you know, bit of a difficult time, you know, staying in the public line of sight here. Uh and there've also just been a lot of options out there with similar features at more affordable pricing. So, uh there's also potential that a long-term lease for their flagship store in Berlin may have contributed to to this uh unfortunate decline here, but uh it's not entirely bad news. So, they are basically working with the uh insolvency administrator of the bankruptcy filing to find some solutions to uh continue helping and and providing service to their customers. So, they're planning to to still cover long-term warranties uh and service, provide parts, that sort of thing.

[00:02:59]And they're trying to find options through third-party companies to do that. Uh it is, of course, possible that they will end up being purchased as well. We saw similar things with VanMoof and Cowboy, but uh that at this point in time remains to be seen, and uh we will have to see how things shake out.

[00:03:17]The next story, though, is kind of a similar one. So, the uh bike conglomerate United Wheels is going to close Buzz Bikes and Paz Niner Bikes. This company owns other pretty well-known brands like Huffy and Batch.

[00:03:33]So, it plans to focus more on Huffy and Batch to basically reduce overlap between product lines and get rid of excess inventory. So, until 2022, Huffy uh was really only sold in the US. It had a lifespan at that point of around 130 years, but now they've uh basically identified Europe, Latin America, and China as areas that they want to focus on growth in as as well as here in the US.

[00:04:02]But Batch is is kind of in a similar place. The US market seems to be one of the more promising areas for that. So Buzz is the brand that is specifically being closed for for the amount of overlap that it had with these other lines, but some of the models will be shifted over to either Batch or Huffy. So they will still exist just under a different name.

[00:04:23]But then Niner is going to continue the warranty and dealer service. They're just pausing their product development and marketing. So that they kind of attribute to the broad shift to electric mountain bikes as that company didn't didn't make those, but it also yeah had a ton of excess inventory and and had trouble moving that. So There's a quote here from United Wheels CEO whose name is Bruno Meyer and he talked about Niner here saying that we are looking at it as a product line for the future. Right now we want to rethink how we take that brand to market because there's still a great following for it.

[00:05:02]So as part of this pause the company's location in Fort Collins, Colorado will close. There have been four employees laid off and then others are going to be shifted around and reassigned. So you know, always sad to see brands go, but seems like they're doing some intelligent restructuring here and yeah, obviously we hope to see Niner pop up again in the future.

[00:05:26]But next up the roadies in our audience will rejoice here because the Electra company has finished its restructuring process. So they filed for a chapter 11 bankruptcy back in March and they basically have worked with their creditors to reduce their debt by 1.2 billion dollars. So that is definitely no small margin there. Of course, Lycra is known for manufacturing stretchy fabric. Uh it's actually basically spandex uh that is used in clothing and uh race apparel, that sort of thing. So, the company also has new owners, and that comes in the form of some global investment funds. Uh but then there's been some changes in leadership here.

[00:06:10]So, the company's former CEO, whose name was Gary Smith, uh stepped down, and he's been uh essentially replaced for the moment by the CFO Dean Williams. Uh Dean Williams has been raised the position of interim chief executive officer, and then uh the other executive team members are the same, though the company do has a new board of directors.

[00:06:31]So, Dean Williams, the new CEO, uh made a statement about the company's future, basically saying uh this emergence marks a defining moment for the Lycra company.

[00:06:41]We will now be a financially stronger, more focused organization that is positioned for growth. This milestone would not have been possible without our team members, whose resilience, dedication, and commitment to our customers enabled us to navigate this process without disruption. While we still have work to do to reach our full potential, we have never been better positioned to do so. So, they've actually gotten some new funding as well as a part of this, so that's uh over $75 million, and they plan to use that uh for innovation and expansion in other markets.

[00:07:09]But uh one thing that kind of stood out to me here, the company was very proud that as they'd worked through this process, it was actually able to continue production and just maintain the standard working relationships with its employees, its customers, and its vendors, uh which is always good to see. You know, I don't want to I don't want to see companies actually shut down, and it was pretty big news when that one did file for bankruptcy, so glad to see that they have made some progress and some changes. But uh now, yeah, let's talk about the Paragon Machine Works acquisition here. So, they've been acquired by the Portland, Oregon frame building company, First Hand Frame Building.

[00:07:46]Uh we talked about First Hand last year, so they uh you know, are a retailer of bike frame materials and supplies. They actually purchased a facility that they plan to turn into a retail and educational space uh with frame building classes, and that includes everything from, you know, welding and machining uh to to CAD design, that sort of thing.

[00:08:10]So, First Hand bought all of the assets of Paragon Machine Works when that company announced that it was closing back in March, and so that includes the Paragon brand, its designs and trademarks, its tooling, and its remaining inventory.

[00:08:26]So, with that remaining inventory, they've actually already started selling that on their website, and uh they plan to start manufacturing some of Paragon's proprietary parts later this year after they move around or purchase some new uh equipment. So, some of that equipment they they purchased from Paragon, so they need to relocate that, but then otherwise, they need to get some new stuff. So, uh unlike Paragon, they do not plan to do custom work, and the new owner, uh who also of course owns First Hand Frame Building, Chris Blandford, said that he plans to stop making some of Paragon's less popular parts just to sort of trim down uh their number of products. So, they There's a statement here from Paragon's former owners uh just kind of about the company's future. They said, "We are proud of the legacy we've created at Paragon Machine Works.

[00:09:16]Transitions are never easy, but working with First Hand to secure Paragon's future has been a dream come true. To see the product line not only carried on, but by a company that is truly investing in the future of frame building is more than we could have hoped for. We're thankful for our customer's support during the last 43 years, and we're delighted that the Paragon product line will live on." And then, we also uh have a quote from Chris Blanford. Uh he has basically said that they will contact Paragon's customers in the near future to kind of update them on plans and product availability for the future. But, uh for now, he said, "First and foremost, we'll be working with Paragon Machine Works over the coming weeks as they wind down to supply First Hand with an initial stock of some critical frame components. Next, in the short term, we'll be working with local partners produce a portion of the Paragon catalog for us. Finally, in the long term, we were already planning on producing frame components in-house for use in our school. Acquiring the Paragon catalog will allow us to eventually manufacture a selection of these parts in-house." So, uh Blanford also has said that he will have to basically make some changes to the business model to keep it going, uh but he wants to continue Paragon's legacy and really believes in his mission to manufacture affordable, high-quality parts here in the US. And uh we are definitely very supportive of that. It's pretty encouraging to see, you know, a relatively small company like First Hand Frame Building growing, especially in the face of all the challenges that have arisen over the past couple of years here. Uh obviously, even this week, we've seen some brands close. Uh over the past, you know, year or so, we've seen many brands go out of business. And, you know, it seems like this frame building is maybe a relatively niche thing, so it's exciting to see someone actually expanding that and having success. Uh and we look forward to seeing a little bit more about the education facilities there.

[00:11:06]But, that'll do it for this week's news.

[00:11:12]All right, if you like keeping tabs on what we have going on, this is the section for you. Uh we've got one product that we have in the works now.

[00:11:20]Unfortunately, it is under embargo, but I can tell you it's a fat tire e-bike, and it's going to make a pretty big splash when it comes out. It's got a lot of cool stuff going on, but that's all I'm going to say for the sake of safety.

[00:11:32]But we did have a few reviews go live here.

[00:11:35]So the event in Pace 5 rec, that was a little bit of a surprise. We didn't necessarily know that that was coming so shortly after the Pace 4. Little bit of a refresh and redesign that kind of harkens back to the roots of the Pace and also has the similar treatment to the level 4 rec with the regenerative braking. So pretty cool there. If you're interested in a city cruiser, definitely check that one out. We also had the Ride 1 Up Versa Lite review go live.

[00:12:01]Kind of another one that's harkening back to a previous model that is of course the Ride 1 Up Limited V2. It came out a couple of years ago. So the Versa Lite is part of the Versa lineup, but it is sort of the stripped-down version of the Versa where it doesn't have a cargo rack or fenders or anything. It's just kind of a simple, straightforward bike and it's done really well. So definitely encourage you to check that review out. But then if you're looking for a cheap bike under a thousand bucks, we did a round-up of the best e-bikes under a thousand or around a thousand cuz there's some that are right there.

[00:12:33]But yeah, there's a nice selection of options there including one very cool moped style e-bike that we don't normally see you know in this price range. So if you're interested in something full-size, something folding, something fast, definitely check those ones out and make sure you're subscribed so you can stay tuned on all of our new content.

[00:12:52]All right, summer / vacation season is coming up here. So we're going to help you out find a cool place to take your e-bike. This week we're going to be talking about the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Massachusetts.

[00:13:04]This is a paved rail trail that's between 25 and 27 and a half miles long depending on where you read about it that stretches across Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

[00:13:15]It runs through a whole bunch of different areas. So it starts in the South Yarmouth / Dennis area and then it runs eastward and I'm going to probably butcher some of these names, but Harwich, Brewster, or Orleans, Eastham, and then it ends in Wellfleet. Uh this is considered one of the premier bike paths in New England just because of the fact that it is a pretty long trail. There are no major grade changes or inclines.

[00:13:43]And there's kind of a wide variety of scenery to enjoy along the way. And then of course this is suitable for all kinds of recreation activities, biking, walking, inline skating, wheelchair use, all that good stuff.

[00:13:55]As a rail trail, it was the location of a former railroad. So it follows the route of a line once operated by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.

[00:14:06]And it was actually originally constructed right after the Civil War.

[00:14:10]It carried both freight and passengers across Cape Cod.

[00:14:14]But like many other rail trails in America, the ridership on the railroad declined as cars became more popular and highways kind of took over. So passenger rail service here ended during the early 1960s. So it was abandoned for a little while, but it was over time repurposed into what it is today, that recreational trail.

[00:14:37]Just preserves kind of a safe off-road route and aids in tourism through the area. So there are continued regional and state efforts to expand and improve the system.

[00:14:51]There's some extensions on the western side that are planned but have not yet come to pass. So obviously we're going to show some photos here, but there's all kinds of good stuff to enjoy here. There's as far as scenery goes, of course you've got coastal landscapes there. That includes the Cape Cod National Seashore. And there's lots of beach access there.

[00:15:13]There's also some cool tunnels and overpasses and scenic crossings. You're going through wooded areas including pine forest. There are a whole bunch of ponds all over the place, including Seymour Pond and Long Pond in Harwich.

[00:15:27]And then, this stood out to me, there's some cranberry bogs. That seems pretty cool. There's also some salt marshes.

[00:15:34]But, if you're using this, you're also going through all kinds of towns.

[00:15:38]There's all kinds of cafes, seafood restaurants, ice cream shops, bike rental shops, and other businesses and and places to stop and enjoy along the way. And then, of course, uh it connects to other bike trail systems as well. So, there's the Old Colony Rail Trail that goes from Harwich to Chatham. And then, there's trails within Nickerson State Park. Uh and that park also offers some nice camping, from the looks of things.

[00:16:03]Now, as far as rules and considerations go, Class 1 e-bikes are allowed. So, if you have one with a throttle, you will need to disable that. Class 3 e-bikes are are not allowed here. Most of the route, as I mentioned, is separated from traffic, uh but you still can encounter road crossings, so be careful there. And then, if you're going this summer, just know that that is tourist season, and especially areas near downtowns and the beaches can become pretty crowded with both pedestrians and fairly inexperienced riders, so just be careful when you're there. But, uh yeah, I personally I've never really spent a whole lot of time in the Northeast, uh but I really dig the vibe here. It looks absolutely beautiful. And it's a nice long trail to, you know, get a a pretty different feel for things as you're going along the way. If you've had the chance to enjoy this one, please let us know what you thought of it down in the comment section. And as we talk about every week, if you've ridden a trail that you want us to cover here, uh something that you think was really cool that the audience would appreciate, be sure to let us know in the comment section or uh through our email address, which is [email protected].

[00:17:09]All right, let's get into this week's Q&A section next. Of course, this is where we carve out some time to help answer questions that you guys have sent over, and we're always happy to do that.

[00:17:17]So, be sure to leave us any questions that you have on any of our reviews, but yeah, let's get into the first one here.

[00:17:23]This is from Overbuilt Gaming on the Aventon Pace 5 wreck review here on YouTube. They said, "Of course you're wanting a suspension seat post because the bike is so upright. There's this whole persona going on for a while that everyone wants to ride straight up at 90°. Then complain when every bump jars through your spine. Also, a spare chain isn't going to help you if it's stuck and requires disassembly to remove. Why would you need a spare chain? Does the throttle not work when the chain is off?"

[00:17:49]So, bunch of good questions here about that and and just for some background info with the Pace 5 wreck. Basically, this person is addressing our couple points of critique. So, number one, in contrast with many of Aventon's other models, most of Aventon's other models, I would say, this bike does not include a suspension seat post and we felt that that was that would be a very good compliment to the bike's style and its intended audience.

[00:18:16]And then number two, we had an issue where the chain kind of popped off the chainring and then got wedged between the chainring and the frame where there's some sort of like bosses there that that really got that stuck. And in order to fix the chain issue, we actually had to do a lot of disassembly.

[00:18:33]We had to remove the cranks, we had to remove the chainring and actually ended up didn't need to go this far, but we disassembled the bottom bracket. So, doing all of that stuff required some very specialized tools that, you know, if you're just at home in your garage, you may not have those specific things laying around.

[00:18:51]So, the bottom line is that we recommended that, if, you know, you're getting this bike and you're concerned about that chain issue, just having a spare chain on hand, especially one with a master link, that would likely be the easier way to to fix the bike if this happens to you and that would just be breaking the original chain and then replacing it with that that new chain.

[00:19:14]Um but then yeah, about the uh suspension seat post thing. So, bottom line is just a a good saddle and a suspension seat post can go all a long way in making up for a fairly bumpy ride. And of course, the Pace 5 is a fully rigid frame there as well. So, um yeah, good stuff, but I I would say that you know, the chain issue hopefully should not affect many people. Um but yeah, if it does, then I think the the breaking the chain thing will be a little bit easier for the average rider. And this is also just a good opportunity to mention something that that we actually learned from an audience member, and that is that uh AAA offers roadside assistance for e-bikes.

[00:19:54]Um so, if you have a AAA plan, you can always call them if you're out and you get stuck.

[00:19:59]But also, it's a good uh time to mention that for this commenter's last question, does the throttle not work when the chain is off? That is one big benefit of e-bikes with rear hub motors. So, when this happened to me, I I wasn't super far away from our office, but uh I did, you know, if if I didn't have the throttle, it would have been a little bit difficult to make it back. So, I was able to just sort of cruise back, uh let the motor do the work. That's sort of the the benefit of a rear hub motor along with some other things. But uh yeah, so anyway, hopefully that answers those questions.

[00:20:31]Moving on though to uh one from Mac Air Tuber on the Juiced Scrambler hardtail review here on YouTube. They said "EBR, you've ridden both. Which would you get for your teenager and for taking to California on vacation to make trips from the vacation rental to the beach quick and easy." In parentheses, "two up." So, again, a little bit of background info here. Uh if you're not familiar with the Juiced Scrambler, the company released both a hardtail and a full suspension version of the bike. We reviewed each of them individually. You can get uh all the info either on our website or through our full length reviews here on YouTube, but uh assuming that this person is talking about having a rider and a passenger, that that being the two-up thing, we would definitely recommend the hardtail version of the bike, and that really just comes down to the fact that the two different models have uh very different weight capacities. That's really one of the differences caused by the inclusion of a full suspension on that version of the bike, so the rear shock definitely improves the overall ride quality a lot. It makes it a lot smoother and softer and more comfortable, but as a trade-off, it does drop the weight capacity. So, the hardtail version of the bike can carry up to 300 lb, while the full suspension is limited to 225. So, yeah, if you're going to be having a passenger with you, that definitely would make a big difference there. And then also, just, you know, if this is a bike that you're looking to transport, having a rigid frame in the back, and then of course, the fork has a lockout on it, like that would just make that bike a little bit easier to transport as the rear shock, you know, can cause some additional movement and motion that if you're using tie-down straps, that can be a little bit harder to to get into place there.

[00:22:21]So, yeah, again, hopefully that answers your question. The hardtail definitely seems a little bit better suited for passengers.

[00:22:27]But, third question here, this comes to us from LovesAllBikes279 on the Aventon Pace 5 review here on YouTube. They said, "Hi John, new subscriber here. Love the content."

[00:22:39]Thank you very much. "What bike do you recommend if you want to get good exercise, but still have help when needed/wanted?

[00:22:46]I definitely want to go mid-drive. I've been looking at the Velotric and the Aventon that you recently reviewed. Any other bikes you can recommend?"

[00:22:54]So, I'm assuming here that you're talking about the Velotric Discover M and the Aventon Level 4 ADV. Both of those are mid-drive equipped. Um so, bottom line is that most mid-drive equipped e-bikes are going to be able to give you both of those experiences. That sort of lighter level of pedal assist that will give you a good workout, and also a pretty good amount of power for when you do need it. Um you know, the benefit of a mid-drive is that uh well, I guess a couple of things. Number one, it it's tied in with the drivetrain, so you get to leverage the gearing as well as your own effort. Uh but then kind of separately and in addition to that, it basically magnifies your effort instead of just adding a flat amount to it. Um so, yeah, that definitely makes a big difference when it comes to the ease of climbing.

[00:23:41]Um So, just as a an aside here, you know, most mountain bikes uh electric mountain bikes use uh mid-drive motors, and they're going to be, you know, fairly low on the power scale, but that doesn't mean that they're not effective. So, um you know, we're going to cover some differences here in motor power. Just know that uh the sort of baseline 250 W level is plenty. Um that's what you're going to find on most eMTBs. Of course, those do peak to higher power levels.

[00:24:11]So, between those two bikes that you're looking at there, uh the Level 4 ADV does have a 250 W nominal mid-drive, and the Discover M is a little bit more powerful. That's actually a 500 W nominal mid-drive. Um both will give you that light end workout. The Discover M's more powerful mid-drive really does make a giant difference uh on hills, though.

[00:24:33]It's a lot more relaxed and and lower effort.

[00:24:36]So, um I would say that, you know, if you're leaning towards something a little bit more powerful, the Discover M is a very easy bike to recommend. And overall, 500 W mid-drives or or higher uh are fairly uncommon. So, the majority of mid-drive equipped e-bikes out there that you're going to find are 250 W nominal. So, if you do want something that is a little bit easier on the high end, then you know, that's a good option there. But again, if you're kind of in that normal range or or common range of 250-W mid-drives, then there's a few recommendations here that we can steer you towards. So, mostly pooling from our list of the best mid-drive e-bikes on our website here.

[00:25:21]And these are things that we generally try to keep up to date. I think this is a little bit of an older list, so I do need to get on that. But the things here that we're going to cover are are fantastic bikes all around. So, if you do want maybe want to go with an electric mountain bike, the Aventon Ramblas or Ride1Up Trail Rush are both really good entry-level options. So, the thing, in addition to just being very affordable, good place to start, they just have really good bones. So, that if you do kind of get more into that style of riding, you can upgrade them later on just to suit, you know, the environment that you ride in and how hard you really go there.

[00:26:03]But if, you know, you're maybe that's a little bit extreme for you, you want something a little bit more toned down, the Tenways Ago X or the Ride1Up Prodigy V2 are both really good sort of SUV style e-bikes. So, they're primarily geared towards commuting, but you know, they can do a little bit of off-roading as well. The Tenways Ago X is actually a personal favorite of mine. Um, both are actually very affordable for mid-drive equipped e-bikes though.

[00:26:32]And then I really like the Prodigy because that one has a really good upgrade option. The base is right around 15, 1600. But then if you spend a little bit more, you can get an option with a belt drive and a continuously variable transmission or CVT.

[00:26:47]Nice high-end, low-maintenance options there.

[00:26:50]But again, yeah, Ago X is another good starting point. We're actually going to talk a little bit more about that bike later on if you want more info.

[00:26:57]But, then another one that I pulled from the list that was pretty easy to to uh recommend and stand out. This is a little bit uh on the other end of the spectrum. So, this is the Trek FX+ 7S.

[00:27:08]And uh this is a little bit of a lighter weight, pretty strictly city-intended option. Um this one has a more subtle level of pedal assist. So, it feels incredibly natural. The motor is like whisper quiet. It's actually one of the quietest motors I think we've ever experienced here at Electric Bike Report. Um so, I just based on what you said, I this probably the least likely to fit your needs, but it's worth mentioning just because it feels really dialed in and it it does really give you the sense of being on an analog bike.

[00:27:39]Just uh sort of takes the edge off. Um but, then, you know, just to kind of round things out, back to to the beginning, the uh Velotric Discover M and the Aventon uh Level 4 ADV are are both fantastic bikes. Definitely good starting points if these other things, you know, maybe don't work out. Um you know, I think the Discover gives you a little bit more power than than usual, and that makes climbing just a breeze. There's also a ton of customization options there. And then, the strength of the Level 4, in addition to some customization options, is just its security features. Aventon does a a great job with those. So, if you like any of those options, if you, you know, decide to to go ahead and pull the trigger on any of those, let us know, you know, which one you go with.

[00:28:22]We're always curious to to find out and happy to uh get a sense of how you like the bike after you take a spin on it.

[00:28:28]But, yeah, let's keep things moving with our last question of the day. This is from uh well, actually, a little bit of a back and forth here. So, this is from Nikolina Danielle on our best cargo e-bikes uh video, the the most recent of those.

[00:28:44]Um she said, "Uh I thought I had decided, and now I have no idea. Can someone ask me questions and help me?" And for the record, we're always happy to do that.

[00:28:52]So, uh I jumped in and said, you know, "What are you looking to do with your bike? Do you have a price range in mind?

[00:28:57]What features matter most to you?" And uh she responded, "Hi, thanks. I need a cargo bike cuz I don't travel lightly and I carry my 20-lb dog with me. I love most cargo bikes, but I don't like that they can't go on trails. I'm not saying mountain biking, just dirt trails. Or can they? I also like speed and distance. So, basically, I want a car.

[00:29:17]No, seriously, I don't, but as close to it an e-bike in an e-bike would be great. So, uh yeah, I've got some good recommendations here, I think, for you as well.

[00:29:26]Uh bottom line is you're on the right track. A cargo bike is about as close to the a car equivalent as you can get in the world of e-bikes. Um but, in my experience, the average cargo e-bike isn't the most well-suited for dirt trails, at least not right out of the box. Um most, I would say, should do okay on relatively smooth dirt as long as you maybe swap out the tires. You might also consider adding a suspension seat post to make the ride a little bit more comfortable. But, there were three specific bikes that stood out to me. Um now, I didn't get a a price range here in mind, so I'm kind of covering uh I would say the middle of the road to the more premium tier, just kind of to to cover what you're looking for here.

[00:30:12]But, the first thing that jumped out was the Cicada Touring. Uh now, this bike is um actually the the company that makes it is owned by Sole Fitness, so very large fitness company.

[00:30:23]This one is fairly interesting in that it is not strictly a cargo bike. It's sort of a cargo commuter hybrid. Uh it is a really nice middle ground, I think, between the things that you seem to prioritize. And as far as the long-range thing, that that definitely has this box checked. It covered over 120 miles on a single charge in our range testing.

[00:30:46]Um but yeah, it definitely handles a little bit more like a, you know, non-cargo bike, a regular bike. Uh but it does have a nice long cargo rack on it so that you can really load it up and uh go to town. So, the other one that stood out to me was the Murf Higgs Cargo. This is another one that we've covered fairly recently.

[00:31:03]And this one is uh as cargo e-bikes go, a little bit more off-road friendly than most. It has knobby 20 by 4-in fat tires. It's more or less designed to, you know, ride to the beach, ride around on the beach. Uh Murf is very big in California. So, uh that's kind of where that comes from. But yeah, definitely a a little bit more capable and I would say comfortable than than most bikes, especially going off the beaten path.

[00:31:31]But then kind of on on the extreme end of the spectrum here, the next one is the Tern Orox S12. So, uh this is very off-road intended, very off-road friendly. It's it's actually basically made for bike packing and and adventuring uh and and hauling tons of cargo. So, it is definitely priced on the premium end of the spectrum. I want to say it's between 5 and 6,000 dollars. Um but it's extremely well built. There's actually a story that we reported on in in the news recently where uh Tern e-bikes that are used in New York City for delivery fleets and that sort of thing um have far outlasted their uh expected lifespan. And that we would expect to be true here. Um so, this is yeah, kind of an interesting fusion between like a cargo bike and a mountain bike uh in that it has big fat tires uh and it's just kind of built in the way that uh geometry-wise that an eMTB would be. But yeah, definitely very all-terrain capable. Really good bike. And uh just as a bonus with Tern bikes, it actually can stand vertically on its rear cargo rack, so it doesn't have to take up a gigantic amount of space, but yeah, in any case, that does it for this week's Q&A section. Hope that I was able to help. If there's ever any, you know, unanswered questions or or you need a follow-up, feel free to reach out, always happy to dive back in. Of course, you can comment here on any of our reviews, either on YouTube or the website, or that email address again, which is [email protected].

[00:33:10]All right, it's time to save you some money, and I have my emotional support friend behind the camera. So, it's time for deals of the week.

[00:33:19]Deals of the week. Thank you, Christina.

[00:33:22]Appreciate you keeping me going there.

[00:33:24]But yeah, let's I I mentioned earlier that we were going to talk a little bit more about the Ego X, and now is the time. So, there's some good sales going on over at Tenways. The Well, let's talk about the Ego X first, so of course, that is the mid-drive equipped SUV commuter that is $600 off. It is down to just $1899, and that is one of the lowest-priced mid-drive equipped e-bikes that we've seen, and it's a very good one on top of that, so definitely take advantage of that if you are curious.

[00:33:52]The Tenways Wayfarer is also on sale, so that is a little bit more of like a city cruiser, but very comfortable. There's a suspension fork and seat post. You have a throttle there, which is fairly new for for Tenways, and then of course, quick class selection, as well. That is 400 bucks off, down to $1799, so good deals going on there. But then, Heybike's anniversary sale is still going on. That should be wrapping up pretty soon, but they actually just released a new e-bike called the Saturn. This is a moped-style e-bike that is priced MSRP of 1100, but it is down to just $999, and that makes it one of the most affordable of its kind that we have seen. So, we haven't had our hands on that one yet, but it looks pretty intriguing. So, if that interests you, that's a an interesting option. But then, many of their e-bikes do have some sort of discount going on, and they also include an anniversary gift box that comes with a bunch of stuff, including a free water bottle, a hat, a towel, a key ring, and some other things. And then, one lucky rider gets their purchase refunded every week in celebration. So, yeah. Uh hopefully, that gives you some ideas if you are shopping for an e-bike, and maybe one of these will take you to the Cape Cod Trail that we talked about earlier.

[00:35:12]As always, we really appreciate all of you guys and your interaction and support. So, we have a segment of the show where we highlight one of you guys who has written in, and we also give you a free T-shirt. Um but this is also a good reminder to say that even if you haven't been highlighted on this segment of the show, that you can still get some cool merch over at our website, electricbikereport.com. So, there's a link up in the top right to our shop. Uh this is just one of many options. I really like this one personally. Uh but yeah, anyway. So, this week's rider of the week is Patrick Frank 366, who commented on last week's episode of the show. Patrick said, "I take my e-bike to work on a barrier island, and I'm always carrying tools or materials and a lunch bag, drinks, and an emergency tool kit for breakdowns on the bike. A lot of my ride is through deep sand, and more power is essential. The sand really puts a strain on the motor, and if it doesn't respond, I don't move. I've also had meltdowns, wires literally melting the insulation off and eventually shorting out. Getting stuck isn't fun. So, I haven't heard back from Patrick yet, but I did reach out to try to find what e-bikes he's had that that worked better than others.

[00:36:22]Definitely sounds like a pretty extreme commute there, but Patrick definitely would like to send you a t-shirt. So, if you get this message, then please be sure to fill out the Google form that's down in the video description. And if you've been highlighted on this segment before, but you haven't received your t-shirt or you haven't signed up for your t-shirt, then you can also do the same thing down there. And of course, check out the ones that we have for sale on the website.

[00:36:47]All right, as always, thanks very much for hanging out with me this week. As a heads-up for next week, I may be taking a little bit of a break here. I'm going abroad for my first trip overseas.

[00:36:59]Going to maybe do a show over there, a short one, but we'll see. I may also just decide to enjoy my vacation. Not really sure yet. Either way, keep your questions and comments coming.

[00:37:09]You can keep an eye out for all of our new reviews and videos. Make sure you're subscribed, hit the like button, share this with your friends. Let us know what topics you want us to cover later on, but that'll do it for this show. My name's John, and this is the Weekly Recharge.

[00:37:23]>> Very business-heavy e-bike week in the world of e-bike news, yeah.

[00:37:31]>> Where the Paragon Machine Works company that [music] announced bankruptcy went uh Dang it.

[00:37:39]Yeah, but I don't But it's not all doom and gloom because there is one revital- revital- wow.

[00:37:50]As a rail trail, of course, the route existed as a the location of a Wow.

[00:37:58]>> [clears throat] >> railroad.

[00:38:01]So, good questions here.

[00:38:03]Um oh, you know what? I'm going to have to sign back into my Google account.