Cracking Down On Illegal E-bikes
For quite some time I have been warning that crack downs on illegal e-bikes were coming. The photo header is from England but yes, sooner or later confiscation will happen here too (why we allow importation is beyond me). When that time comes, will cyclists accept responsibility or blame it on the dealer or mfg of illegal bikes? “Hello, Kuppe & Abraham?”
This is why I have refused to build over powered bikes or unlock the speed on my builds. I lose at least an order every week or two because of it. This is on top of builds refused for other dangers. Usually, the person making the request has already lost their driver’s lisc for some irresponsible choice (my buddy Tim calls them, “Court Appointed Cyclists”).
Officially, Illinois doesn’t allow ANY e-bikes on state trails! Unofficially, they are taking a wait and see attitude, but seem to be leaning towards the same policies as California, now Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.* Arkansas and Missouri appear poised to follow suite quickly. The Class I e-bikes they allow are all we’ll sell. You should be able to ride your bike from Ruby’s anywhere traditiinal bikes are allowed, in The U.S. Does your provider even know these laws exist? Don’t wait to get a ticket to find out.
When you pedal, your power is multiplied. That assist stops at 20mph. It allows a maximum of 750 watts or one horse power to get there (how safe is a horse galloping along a crowded sidewalk?). We all like to think we were Major Taylor reincarnated in our younger days, but the fact is, we don’t ride sustained speeds that fast, especially in stop and go traffic.
We brought regulation upon ourselves. Speed limits on trails are 15mph and pedestrians are getting injured by speeding cyclists (traditional and pedal assist). Trails are for recreation and relaxation, not racing. If you want to ride fast, wait til you get out of town or put on your big boy bibs and ride with traffic!
The fact is, bicycles are rider top heavy. They do not stop or handle well at sustained speeds above 20mph. Add to this the poor quality of most factory e-bikes and you have a recipe for disaster. Tires designed for 6-8mph off road really do not stop or make evasive manuevers well at twice those speeds, on pavement.
Conservation officers are an available resource. Tickets are a great source of revenue for these rediculously under funded agencies. I expect these policies to filter down to the county level quickly. Community MUP’s, experiencing the greatest problems, so they can’t be far behind (look out trail racers and those foolishly training on trails).
E-bikes were meant to make traditional cycling easier, more convenient and accessible, not faster. They are not motorcycles or mopeds free of lisc’s or insurance.
*https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Pages/EBikePolicy.aspx#:~:text=An%20e%2Dbike%20is%20a,no%20more%20than%20100%20pounds