By Gail Marsh
Readers of RVtravel.com as well as folks in our Facebook groups have plenty to say about this poll question: Should e-bikes be allowed on traditional bike trails?
There are clearly two distinct opinions on the topic: those that answer “yes” to the question and those who answer “no”. Throughout the online conversation, a few folks offered some thoughtful suggestions that may work toward a solution. It’s worth a follow-up article on this hot topic, so here goes.
But first…
You may want to review the basic information about e-bikes from my previous article, along with a thorough explanation of both the pros and cons of the issue.
We can all agree that there are viable concerns on both sides. RVtravel.com readers commented on both the pros and cons. Here’s how some of them answered the question.
Yes, allow e-bikes on trails!
Rationale summary: Electric bikes allow physically challenged persons to enjoy scenic trails and the great outdoors. E-bikes also provide exercise for the rider at varying levels depending on the pedal assist setting.
Sheryl A. commented, “I am 67 and the e-bike has changed my life. I went from gardening being my only exercise to riding 20 miles a day. Last May, I rode the C&O Canal Towpath and GAP trail. 400 miles in 10 days, sleeping on the trail at night with one break on the weekend. Next May I will ride from NYC to Niagara Falls, 750 miles in 20 days. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe that I would be able to do anything near this. My bad knee on one side and bad hip on the other keep me from most exercise including cycling because of the hills.”
Johwanna T. said, “E-bikes have allowed me and my wife to ride together again. We have class 2 e-bikes. She has bad knees. She normally rides with the lowest level of assistance while I ride with none, unless there is a hill. We both enjoy the outdoors. Without e-bikes, I would be riding alone.”
Cancelproof addressed a reader who wondered just how much exercise really happens while riding an e-bike. Cancelproof said, “I think that the exercise equation is a very personal one. Improved balance and core strength are certainly improved through the activity even if coasting. Arm and grip strength, neck stretching and strength while riding and probably much more. An awful lot goes on in our bodies being moderately active versus sitting in a rocking chair.”
Amen to that!
No, e-bikes don’t belong on traditional bike trails!
Rationale summary: Contenders on this side of the issue claim that electric bikes can tear up and/or damage a traditional bike trail and/or cause potential harm to other bikers because of their speed potential.
Steve chimed in, “I don’t believe e-bikes should be allowed on bike trails. They are obviously a motorized vehicle. Their increased weight and torque will increase wear on the trails. As a long-time bike enthusiast (52 years) I’ve noticed that once a trail is built, there is a problem finding funds to maintain it.”
Rick E. comments, “From my experience, the majority of e-bike riders are not experienced or capable of controlling their bikes. Plus very few wear the safety equipment needed. Helmet & gloves. No physical ability is needed. Just hit the power. No knowledge or care of trail rules. Yes, e-bikes are a motor-powered vehicle. Too many bad experiences. The last one [I was] struck by an e-bike rider, resulting in broken clavicle and bike frame.”
Steven said, “E-bikes create a significant safety issue. To ride a bicycle in the 20 mph range requires endurance and skills that you don’t develop overnight. People who haven’t developed these skills are a danger on an e-bike. It’s a little like letting a 10-year-old drive on the freeway.”
Clarify terms
Many folks who offered their opinions wished that trail or park managers would clarify terms like “motor” and/or designate the class of e-bike allowed or not allowed.
Diane S. offered, “Any e-bike that can be propelled without pedal assist should not be allowed.”
Brian H. thinks, “You need to differentiate between pedal assist and throttle bikes. Pedal assist should be allowed. However, a throttle fundamentally changes the nature of the machine and should be banned from mountain bike and hiking trails.”
Joe suggested, “As a lifelong cyclist I answered NO, only because I think there should be limitations on all e-bike riders. What I find is many people get an e-bike and go riding with little to no riding experience. A few examples, we were riding a single-track mountain bike trail, basically a one-way circuit when someone on a class 3 e-bike came speeding around a turn taking out the lead riders. He had no idea what he was doing. The second example is uphill riders always have the right of way especially when they are off the saddle. I personally had an e-bike rider run me off the trail. Thankfully I just got scratches.”
Suggestions
Several folks commented that Class 1 e-bikes should be allowed due to their speed limitations. Others said Class 1 and 2 should be allowed, but not Class 3 e-bikes.
Elizabeth proposed, “Rules for commuter trails should be more lenient. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between a commuter vs. recreational trail, but in general, if it’s anywhere near a large city, someone probably uses it to commute.”
Maybe the trails need to be labeled so that all users understand how the trail is used.
Dave suggested, “E-bikes need to be clearly marked [to show] what class they are.”
Just Because says, “Take the throttle off e-bikes and everything will be cool. And all e-bikes should have torque sensors and not cadence sensors for assistance. You can pedal backwards with cadence and still go forward with the motor.”
Joe thinks, “There should be a mandatory class and test to pass before riding [e-bikes].”
Enforcement?
No matter where you stand on this topic, one important question remains: Who is going to enforce the rules and regulations?
John S. was skeptical. “So, as I enter the trail, there’s an agent at a gate to check the class of e-bike? Can the class be determined just by looking?”
Gene W. wondered, “I never see park personnel at the trails I ride now. Why would it be any different if e-bike rules were clarified and posted? There’s nobody to enforce them.”
Lorelie asked, “Who is going to know if you’re riding [a specified] class?”
It’s not the bike, it’s the people!
Tony B. said, “As an avid enthusiast of e-bikes I fear that people who misbehave while riding are going to get these wonderful forms of transport kicked out of a lot of places.”
Sheryl A. offered, “There are reckless e-bikers and reckless cyclers. They are far more careful and considerate in both categories than not. My camping trips are now arranged around where my husband and I can go e-biking on trails. Most all trails have a speed limit of 15 mph. I will continue to ride trails sensibly and with care and responsibly.”
Bill B. agreed, “It comes down to the rider, not what is being ridden.”
Everyone can agree
There are certain things that both e-bikers and other bikers agree upon. They include:
- Always wear safety gear.
- Know how to safely operate your bike or e-bike and control it at all times.
- Obey trail and biking rules (e.g., speed, right of way).
- Use courtesy and kindness when riding.
Conclusion
What a great discussion! Perhaps if park services can clarify trail rules and implement some of our readers’ suggestions, all bikers can stay safe, enjoy the ride, and get along with one another.
I like how Joe summed things up. He said, “This becomes one of those [questions] where no one is right, and no one is wrong. This is all about human nature. You have those that obey rules and those that do not. Signs all over National Parks tell you to stay on the trail, pick up after your dog. Speed limits on bike trails and speed limits on our roads. Some of us obey the rules and some of us don’t. You figure out how to fix that and you will have solved your e-bike debate.”
And probably a whole host of other problems, too. Thanks, Joe, and everyone else who added to the lively conversation.
##RVT1148
Great article and discussion on E-bikes. I’ve been a distance cyclist since 1991 and last year ended up with more than 35,000 journaled miles. I have had many kinds of bikes and have loved being a bike coach with new riders and others recovering from health issues. The real KEY to this topic to me is E-bikes with THROTTLES and not pedal-assist.
A pedal-assist E-bike is a bicycle. We pedal to ride bikes. Motorcycles operate on a throttle and make it very easy to get carried away with too much speed and less focus on balance and pedaling. It’s just as easy to purchase a pedal-assist bike as one with an independent throttle. But we know that any kind of cyclist can be unsafe.
I agree it’s not the E-bike that’s the problem. It’s the user! This process we have about not allowing things because some humans abuse them is not the approach to take. Unfortunately, it is easier to ban something rather than deal with the real problem. JMHO
I want an e-bike. I don’t want speed, just peddle assist. I had a fat tire bike. I loved that bike. When we bought a new rig and were getting ready to cross 1/2 way across USA, I sold it. We had no way to carry it or store it on short notice. My biggest problem was I couldn’t ride my standard 7 speed fat tire bike most places we are workampers because no bike allowed. I still want another bike, preferably an e-bike. If I want speed I will drive our vehicle. I read this argument on Reddit daily. The two will never agree.
I had to laugh at some of the opinions, which are like anuses, everyone has one and they’re generally stinky! 😉
Joe sounds like a very decent guy. He’d be welcome at my campfire anytime.
We are in our late ’70s and rode road and mountain bikes in Colorado since we were old enough to ride. Age and physical problems caught up with us and we stopped skiing and biking in our 60’s. With our MH and two folding Class 2 E-bikes, we now ride everywhere we travel. Not to worry, hard core bikers, we only ride on paved bike lanes and gravel paths, not on dirt single-tracks. But E-bikes have changed our lives!
My wife and I bought e-bikes last year. Ours can change settings as to what class it meets. I don’t use the throttle as I want exercise but want it in case as I am in my upper 60’s and was born with back and leg issues.
So, in my area of West Denver, the biggest hazard is the Tour DA FRANCE folks that wear Lycra, GREATLY exceed the 15 mph limits on paths and don’t warn pedestrians. I have been an avid cyclist for 50 years and Ebiker for 15 years, so know the ropes. I have both class 1,2, and 3 e-bikes for different purposes, used to bike commute, and now ride for exercise at 72 YO.
Look at the Optibike RIOT Class 1,2 and 3 with verifiable switching for the way of the future.
At $15K for an e-bike, it isn’t in MY future!
Not when most models are 10x less than that!
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 The final comments, those on enforcement, were telling. Until a way to easily enforce the rules exists, how much do the rules matter? Thanks again and safe, sunny travels! 🙂
I smile at the cyclists that say motorized e-bikes should not be allowed on the trails. I’m sure many of them think it is absolutely ok to ride non-motorized bikes on the roads that were built only for motorized vehicles. I say live and let live.
I don’t believe roads were built for motor vehicles only. I do think the roads were designed for motor vehicles. If built for motor vehicles only, it was short sighted.
Where did you get the idea that “roads were built only for motorized vehicles” Fred? You need a history lesson. It was bicyclists with the “Good Roads Movement” in the 1880s who first advocated for better safer roads and cyclists were the first road users cause it was before cars existed. That’s why the laws across the USA today ensure cyclists can use the roads equally with cars. The only exceptions is where it’s prohibited such as on interstate highways, but if there is no other way to get where you are going except by using the highway, it’s legal for cyclists to even ride on those highways. Summing up, bicycles and cars share the road and always have.
I’m a walker/hiker.(retired Mountain Biker)
My biggest complaint is Bikers coming from behind and not announcing their presence. My favorite is a Bell starting a ways off , or at least an “on your left or right”. Please!
I’m happy to get out of your way.
Not sure how many more of these absolute surprises my 79 year old heart can take.
As an avid (EMTB) mountain biker, I find the most prominent issue is that both hikers and bikers lack proper trail knowledge and etiquette, which can be easily resolved with a few minutes on YouTube. And, always be prepared for trail idiots; “coming by on the left” does not mean you step to the left and block the trail, yeeesh!
Simply put…it’s not about the bike! Someone I use to admire made that the title of his book. I have been a recreational bike rider and a long distance charity rider. I have seen, and still see, experienced bike riders who don’t adhere to basic rules of the road and cause injury to themselves and others. I’m sure there are those who ride e-bikes who are equally disrespectful of others and the environment. Smart people can come together and create a set of of rules, but they are useless if people don’t abide by them. Personally, it’s like the NO TRACE concept of camping. Be respectful of others and the environment.
I have a class 2 ebike (could make it 3 but 2 goes fast enough). There is a definite learning curve to ebikes. When I was living in Richland, WA I use to ride along the Columbia. I can’t tell you the number of bikers that would fly by me over the trail speed limit. I can’t remember seeing any ebikers going fast or like me slowed down when others were near. Wasn’t safe anyway since even though there were separate paths for walkers and bikes, the walkers would be on our path often with dogs or kids running around. If you warned you were approaching walkers would ignore or give you a dirty look as you passed by.
I have been in Quartzsite this winter. The variety of bikers – both regular and ebikes – have been interesting. I find majority do not wear helmets. Too many ride on the road against traffic. I was criticized in a local Facebook group that driver’s manual which bikes – regular or ebike – are to follow states bikes ride with traffic not against. They brought up if a car swerves you can maybe avoid it. I asked if they would rather be hit head on or from the back? They never answered.
Yes how safe, courteous and thoughtful depends on the riders. Really no different than auto drivers.
I think the people who are arguing about throttle vs no throttle are missing the point.
As a commuter, where I ride on recreational paths and streets, I use the throttle to get going from a stop. With the weight of my ebike plus everything I’m carrying, I’d blow my knees out if I didn’t have my throttle. Then I pedal the rest of the time with various levels of assist, depending on the terrain.
I see a lot of people with kids on cargo bikes In my area, and starting with a throttle is safer for them than struggling to take off from a stop. I suppose a mountain bike trail is a different calculation, but ebikes are a great mode of transportation and I’d like to keep it that way.
We were riding down the Creeper Trail in Va and my little niece was almost ran over by an e-biker doing at least 30 mph. We were riding single file on the right side, I was behind my niece (10 yrs old on a little mini rental bike) and she abruptly dodged a rock in the road and as this college aged guy missed her by inches. No bell , passing on the left, nothing. We are all sight seeing and enjoying the ride down, first time, and he is trying to beat his fastest elapsed time record from start to end. So it’s a stopwatch race for him. Another inch or two and it would have been a hospital trip for little Lucy. Oh you know what, it wasn’t an e-bike, it was a 21 gear mountain bike, sorry.
The debate reminds me the nordic downhill skiers and snowboarders in the late 1980s and early 90s.
Better clarification on what is allowed on trails would be nice. I ride a 750 watt Ezip scooter as a disabled person. It is limited to 15 miles an hour on flat land. Legislators always go after the watts which just help me when climbing hills. It is speed that is the problem and at 8-15 miles an hour I get passed by regular bikes whizzing past me at over 20 all the time. I also walk my scooter past walkers or go very slow while bikers do not. I am not the problem.
Mountain Biking and Trail-Building Destroy Wildlife Habitat!
The major harm that mountain biking does is that it greatly extends the human footprint (distance that one can travel) in wildlife habitat. E-bikes multiply that footprint even more. Neither should be allowed on any unpaved trail. Wildlife, if they are to survive, MUST receive top priority!
What were they thinking??? Mountain biking and trail-building destroy wildlife habitat! Mountain biking is environmentally, socially, and medically destructive! There is no good reason to allow bicycles on any unpaved trail!
Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate objects and have no rights.
Why are these PAVED ROADS called “trails”? Trails are unpaved. This is greenwashing.
Well it seems like we all agree the bikes aren’t the problem it’s the idiots who ride them. I always see the tour de France types flying past me as I putt along at 12-15mph. Weight destroys the trails? Really maybe we should put a weight limit on riders then? Most folks on their e bikes aren’t looking for off road mountain bike trails anyway leave that to the young maniacs. It would be stupid to not have a throttle along with your pedal assist as the point is to assist starting from a dead stop. Ebike riders learn to maximize their range not burn up the battery using only the throttle. I’m ok with requiring a safety and ability certification to ride an assisted energy bike. Free yourself.