john m flores 

https://youtu.be/96UNoHgs1RI?si=_VhDeEBxNq3TUTnw

Het Volk

They forgot to add that a big reason is because people are just lazy.

dayco

Riding e-bikes and g-bikes can be done safely. The only way to safely coexist with motorists on streets and roads is to follow the Rules of the Road. It's only way we have of predicting or knowing what the other vehicle is going or is expected to do. I've made and ride a g-bike. I like it. But if they turn e-bikes and g-bikes into just another class of motor vehicle because of misuse, accidents or deaths then they won;t be worth having or riding, for me anyway.

Would it really worth needing a license, insurance, title, registration, a vehicle with many new requirements just to ride an e-bike or g-bike around town at 10-20 mph? Probably not.

If you ride or plan to ride a bicycle, an e-bike or a g-bike on the streets and roads, I highly recommend you read Street Smarts - Bicycling's Traffic Survival Guide, by John S. Allen.

Be safe.

polyrhythmia

It's just a matter of time before e-bikes will be treated just like motorcycles, but I do think that e-bikes without throttles should be exempt. If you have to pedal, it should be treated like any other bike.

Wildwood 

The part of this I like - bike popularity is surging.



Yes, too many resemble motorcycles, ridden fast by folks with little intention of pedaling a 50+ - 100 pound electric motorbike. But, at the other end of the spectrum, there are a significant percentage sold that only power-when-pedaled and then only assisting to 15-ish mph with relatively little power.

I have little doubt that over time governments will change the rules and possible fees.

SW84

And it will start with LA, SF, Portland, and Seattle on the West Coast.

Het Volk

Too many is why all of these e-bikes is ending the standard bike. How many kids will never bother riding a normal bike; when they can just throttle their way around on an e-bike that requires little to no pedaling?

its ******** depressing what we are heading towards.

Wildwood 

Don't buy your kid an e-bike.

edit: You control the future (for you). I still ride bikes with frames 60, 50, 40 years old. And old components, wheels.

MarcusT

The problem is each state makes their own laws and some states want to scream "FREEDOM" like Mel Gibson, so they put practically no limits on bikes. Then there are the people who believe because their 1000 w ebike that can go 50 mph has pedals they can ride with disregard to traffic laws.
Europe has the simplest solution : Max 250w and 25 kmh. Anything more and it's considered a motor vehicle and needs to be tagged and have insurance.
Yes, there are those who will whine there are people do not follow the law. That has been a problem for millennia, and just like those who drive motor vehicles without a license or insurance or expired tags, they do not all get caught, but many do.

Rick_D

Cities don't license vehicles, states do.
IDK about outside the US.

SW84

When those cities talk, their Governors listen. That's obvious to anyone who lives in the other 90% of the state.

Rick_D

Please help us out with an example as regards licensing bicycles.

SW84

Just wait and see. It's only a matter of time.

Rick_D

How will we know. Will there be cake?

More seriously, this is entering "old man yells at cloud" territory. Why be paranoid over what-ifs? We have a new bicycle category that's expanding the sport to more people, and extending the sport to current riders. Is that not a good thing? Life is short.

2old

In CA, they killed the moped industry with it; they might not be too excited to try again.

dayco

Most e-bikes, g-bikes (and other things) being ridden by riders of all ages around here are found mainly on the streets and roads. Most are riding and behaving poorly. Almost none are following the Rules of the Road. Are they being illegal? Find out.

If you're a motorized bicycle having more watts, hp, cc than you're legally entitled to or are traveling faster than a motorized bicycle's legal limit or are missing motorized bicycle parts then you're an illegal vehicle.

Speeding? Having missing or inoperable pedals? Where's your license, title/registration, plates, insurance, lights, horn, directionals, mirrors, helmet, etc.?

Having a child or oneself issued $1000 worth of tickets will get most people's attention. I ride a legal motorized bicycle and I follow the Rules of the Road. I shouldn't have to be penalized, now or in the future, for those who don't.

Russ Roth

Or they want to get to work without sweating or do their work without driving through bumper to bumper traffic. After riding in a few times my wife decided she wanted she wanted an ebike, driving meant that she kept getting stuck in school drop off traffic while riding a hybrid got her there in nearly the same time but sweaty. We'll see how it works, we just bought it, but her new ebike should get her there in the same time or faster than her car while keeping her from putting in too much effort.

From testing out the wife's bike, her 500w hub had to be on full assist to get me and the bike to maintain 18mph with me pedaling. Throttle wise it wouldn't go past 17mph. But I fully agree there needs to be limiters built into the computers to so they max out at 20mph, pedaling above that is fine but at 20 perhaps have the motor cut out so it isn't assisting.

spdntrxi

exactly.. I got an ebike for the wife and it happens to be large enough so I can ride it too. Errands and recovery rides are awesome with it. I dont want to be penalized but the car culture rule makers.

Doc_Wui

If I were still working, I doubt I could ever commute to my last job. It's only 6-8 miles, and it's been improved with half of it bike path today. The last mile is a forced ride along a 45 mph 4 lane road, and now there's a white ghost bike on the side marking where a woman got run over six years ago, Someone still updates it with new plastic flowers as the old ones fade. Sad.

So I am retired and just ride every day that I can for fun, I don't do errands unless it's the library where they put cameras on the bike stand to cut down theft..