E-bikes allowed on NPS trails
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/217777700

It was was bound to happen sooner or later. Only a temporary measure, but it looks as though places like the C&O Canal Towpath will no longer be limited to bikes, pedestrians and horses. Not likely to see an increase in long distance touring, but e-bike day riders will surely proliferate in places where they were previously banned.

"In making the announcement, the NPS touted the environmental effects of the new policy, saying the e-bikes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions when used as an alternative to cars and motorcycles and improve poor air quality at national parks by reducing traffic congestion."

Wut. We are talking about trails that are not open to cars and motorcycles. Is the suggestion here that park visitors with e-bikes will use them instead of motor vehicles to get to trailheads?

BTW...PA state parks have this same rule. If it's open to bikes it open to e-bikes. I noticed a few on the Lehigh Gorge Trail, which is a 20+ mile rail trail.

Do you really think so? This really just brings national parks into alignment with most other areas I've traveled, and I'd be surprised if there were hoards of e-bike riders in the area holding themselves back from riding on the canal trail because of the previous rule. I just rode from Pittsburgh to DC this spring. The GAP section, I assume, had no ban on ebikes, but if there were any ebikes sharing the trail with me over the course of the week, I didn't notice them.
Last fall I rode the Katy Trail, or part of it at least, and I did see a few ebikes. They were touring the trail as well, not "day riders," if that matters. One of them was one of my traveling companions, my uncle who had ridden the GAP with us the year before, but found it very taxing given his age and some recent heart issues. And then there was a father/daughter pair who stayed at many of the same places as us along the way. They both appeared to have reached retirement age, at least the father had. I only noticed they had ebikes because we shared a shuttle with them. Rode a stretch of the Erie Canal trail last month again with my uncle on his ebike. I didn't notice another ebike the entire trip, although we did run into one cyclist going the other way who stopped to grouse about a group of "cheaters on ebikes" he had passed earlier in the day. Why it ruffled his feathers how someone else traveled, I don't know. Why he had to share his displeasure with my 70 year old uncle who would not be able to travel with us if not for his ebike, I really don't know.

I ride all the time on trails where ebikes are perfectly legal, and I still hardly ever see them. When I so see them, I don't see how they are using the trail any differently than any other bike rider. Trail impact seems the same as another bike, so this makes sense to me. It also makes sense, if you want public support for these spaces, to make them as open to as much of the public as reasonable.

After I posted above I looked up the rules re: the GAP as I will be riding it (not on an e-bike) starting this weekend. Here are the rules:

Section B: Motorized forms of transportation are not allowed, with the following exceptions:
1. Maintenance and other purposes designated by regional and local trail groups;
2. motorized wheelchairs;
3. bicycles with an electric assist system; and
4. emergency and police vehicles

Bicycles with an Electric Assist System are considered to be any unicycle, bicycle, tricycle, or
quadracycle with an electric motor not exceeding 750 watts of power, a maximum weight of 100
pounds, pedal-assist, and top-speed utilized not in excess of 15 miles per hour, or less if
otherwise noted.*

*This definition is in compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Commission Public Law 107–319, 116 Stat., Act
2776 and the Federal Highway Administration Title 23, United States Code 217.

I didn’t see any e-bike tourers last weekend on the C&O, but did see several e-bikes out for a day trip. Older folks. Same on the Katy Trail last spring. A couple grey haired people zipping along. Last year I met a couple camping on the C&O, a man on a bike and a woman on a fat e-bike that had broken down. Wished them luck in getting it repaired as I rode on.

Yep, that's pretty standard and pretty much the same definition the National Parks Service is going to use. Although the 15mph limit is interesting given that I think most of us can get our human-powered bikes moving faster than that. In my state, a bike like that does not meet the state definition of "motorized vehicle" so it can go pretty much anywhere a bike can go. If you exceed that wattage, then I think you're in moped territory and have a lot of other rules and restrictions.

That's the official speed limit on the GAP. Assuming they added that verbiage to make it abundantly clear that just because you can more easily exceed that on an e-bike doesn't mean you are allowed to. I am sure I was guilty of speeding the first time I rode it, at least when descending into Cumberland.

That makes sense if what they're saying is that ebikes are meant to obey the speed limit, and I gather that is what they're saying since it says "utilized speed." It's just a rather roundabout way to say that and makes it sound like they might define an ebike as being capped at 15mph. Some ebike restrictions do mention that the electric assist cannot be used over a certain speed, but generally they don't restrict the bikes from going faster than the top assisted speed. But speed limits remain the same whether you have, use, or do not have an electric assist.

But, yeah, descending into Cumberland, my speeds were likely determined by how fast I felt was safe, not by any awareness of my current speed and the existing speed limits. Still probably didn't exceed 15 mph on a fully loaded bike, but I probably would have if travelling without gear.

We definitely saw e-bikes on the GAP and C&O when we rode last month. As one who has a spouse that struggles to keep up with me I'd love to get her on an e-bike.

I'm all for more bicycles being out there. Even the ones that have some power beyond mere crankset power.

Just so long as passing speeds are reasonable, and so long as folks don't put others in danger. At which point, I fully expect such folks to be just as accountable as anyone else putting others at risk with close and/or overly-fast operation for the conditions.

Good step. At some point, it was bound to happen, simply given the trends in bike sales.

I dialed it back after I hit a ballast stone that had rolled off the active rail line and nearly wiped out.

I am interested to feel what it's like to ascend to the divide from Cumberland. The ruling grade for the entire trail is only 1.5%, but the climb is a bit of distance. I did the 14.5 mile Route of the Hiawatha Trail fully loaded west to east back in June. That's the uphill direction. RWGPS showed grades in the 3% range. The surface is rougher than the GAP. Much rougher in places. Many (if not most) people ride it the other way and catch a shuttle back.

The GAP from Cumberland to the continental divide is in great shape and is even paved outside Cumberland. Much easier ride than a few years ago. Still an uphill grind, but it’s only 25 miles. I rode down that stretch this year, but another time, my average speed fully loaded was about 12 mph uphill.

I'm curious about that as well. I've ridden the GAP 3 times now, and always starting in Pittsburgh. I don't mind the gentle climb to the divide in that direction. I might not hate it going the other direction without much gear, but I feel like going with all my camping gear uphill from Cumberland for 20+ miles would get old pretty quickly. Still might have to try it some day.

See... IMO the real problem here, is that there are, at least, "two speeds" a bicyclists goes by, Level road, and up a hill, then there is into the wind, and with the wind. BUT, for now, The real "problem" with speed limits and power levels on E-Bikes is, IMO ... Is, it doesn't take into account up-hill speed... Yes, the "legal" assist may cut out at 28MPH, but if the E-Motor is more than lets say 500 watts, (with a throttle and no need to pedal) it can also keep the speed up to, at lets say 28MPH going up a hill... NOT a bicycle, IMO... :innocent:

Only allowed on trails that currently allow bikes.

I have mixed feelings. I think how good or bad it is depends on how well they maintain and police the definition of what an eBike is. If we wind up with folks using what are essentially motor bikes either by just using real eBikes in throttle mode or cheating and passing off things that actually don't meet the stated definition of an eBike then it could be a bad thing.

If it just gets more folks riding who couldn't otherwise, or allows them to be able to haul themselves or themselves and their young kids up the hills, it will be a good thing.

As far as whether there will be hoards of them... In some places yes probably, because there will be rentals available very close by. After all some places there are currently lots of bikes because of bike rental places. Not sure if this new ruling applies to the Virginia Creeper National Trail, but I can imagine hundreds of rental eBikes there if allowed.

It might even get a few cars off the road by having some people ride their eBikes to the parks. I can see that happening frequently in parks in or near metro areas like the C&O towpath, especially the sections closer to Washington DC, Frederick, Hagerstown, and Cumberland.

Thankfully! I'd have been dead set against it otherwise.

In my state the bike industry and bike federation see more dollars to their organizations with a larger population of users, even if it is a safety problem, so it will probably be only a matter of time before some pedestrians are killed in my area. So far many of the e-bikers are following the city ordinances and staying on roads - or not using the motors when on bike paths. Some of the e-bikers that are illegally using the trail systems in my community are riding them as if they were in a motorcycle race. Sometimes they ride the ones that have to be pedaled to energize the motor, sometimes not.

A lot of the e-bikes out there have had custom chips installed to override some of the speed limiters etc. Two months ago I was touring on PEI, I was going down a bike trail (their Confederation trail system is very nice and well maintained). It was raining and windy, so there was a lot of the wind noise in the trees, lots of rain noise on my helmet cover, and of course the tire rolling over gravel noise from my bike. So with the background noise I did not hear the e-bike approach behind me that was going at least 40 mph as it passed me on the trail, I was probably doing about 12 mph at the time. Scared the crap out of me as it suddenly was only inches to my side and flew by as fast as the cars and trucks on the highways that I was trying to avoid by using the bike trail to ride from Charlottetown to the Confederation Bridge that day. I took the photo below on that trail that day.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bb4e1b19fb.jpg

That's a bummer when that happens as it can really upset your tranquility. However, it was very fortunate that you did not into his line of travel just as he went to pass you. That could have resulted in some serious injuries to you. I still think that E-bikes should be banned from multiuse paths because of the speed and quietness of even a normal E-bike.

Glad I am that you weren't hit.

Cheers

Agree with most of what you said. In my opinion far too many E-bikes are ridden as if they were electric motorcycles. I see them the odd time running through a park here in town that I ride through to get to another main road. Even though the E-bikes I see there have pedals on them the pedals are NOT in use and the E-bike is being ridden at a high rate of speed. I shudder to think what's going to happen when their luck runs out and they hit some kid or some stroller with kids in it because the E-bike rider is riding at too fast a speed to be able to stop when someone comes around a blind corner or something.

Cheers

I get the desire to accommodate riders whose physical limitations have them on pedal assisted motorcycles, yet it’s opening a huge can of worms to allow them off road or off pavement. Trouble is there’s a fine line between riding on a gravel rail trail that heads down a dirt double track that turns into a single track, etc..... and I really think motor assisted cycles have no place on designated mt. bike trails.

Biggest issue is it’s really hard to tell when a motor assisted is a pedal only assist or one equipped with a throttle and as far as I know, the throttle models have significantly more horse power and as result can do more damage to trails.

And I've seen this at a local park that has an extensive mt. bike trail system, having seen throttle controlled e-bikes on the trails. When I see mud racing stripes up a riders butt and back, I know they are gunning it and doing damage that a pedal only mt. bike isn’t going to do.

And who’s around to enforce it ?, nobody really. Thus it’s going to be a problem that is easily resolved in parts by adopting a rule that ANY cycle with a motor has no place on bicycle only trails.

Really... ??? I find it quite easy to tell.. :innocent: If the person is not pedaling, he/she is not riding a bicycle, IMO, it really IS that simple... ;)

There, is the real "problem" IMO I am actually, 100% behind allowing E-Assist bicycles to be legally a bicycle... BUT,I am find it really hard to swallow that using a throttle, and just because it Looks like a bicycle is going to be considered the same as a bicycle, IT IS A FAIL, in the end I fear all, E-Assist bicycle will become relegated to "moped" status... and.. that is going to end up as a dis-service to all bicyclist's… IMO

At least to the one's who want to get into cycling and need a bit of assistance or even the ones who want to keep on cycling but need a bit of assistance....

Climbing from Cumberland to the divide into a stiff wind with a full load is trying. Ask me how I know. Saw no e-bikes today. Enjoying a cold one by a 🔥 in Rockwood.

Time for a new train video.

...as more of these hit the road, especially the way they are being designed and marketed in the US, there's gonna be a pretty steep learning curve. Bicycle Darwinism.