Joe Bikerider

Driving home just now I came across a sheriff with lights on, he had pulled over one of the many drivers who speed though our local 3-way stop, looked like anyway. That's on my favorite ride and one reason I was driving was because on the weekend (especially Saturday) the bicycle traffic on our local "Iron Horse" trail has become overwhelmed, mostly with ebikers with no riding skills except to just crank it up. It was tempted to stop and yell but thought better of it. I feel protective about my street and we neighbors have tried lots of things to keep the cut through away it's still a favorite. Yes, I hate ebikes and their impact on traffic on the local trails as well as the cars on my street. I have heard all the arguments about how ebikes are so great and I just think they are for lazy fools.

bikingshearer 

I feel your pain re e-bikes. I would say, though, that e-bikes aren't necessarily for lazy fools, and not everyone on an e-bike is a lazy fool, but plenty of lazy fools use them. It's kind of like lawyers - is just 95% of them that give the rest of us a bad name.

Around the Democratic People's Republic, most e-bikers fall into one of two categories: (1) parents transporting their little darlings to or from school or on errands and (2) folks who use them as unregulated urban motorcycles, usually on models that are clearly designed to be used as such, with enormous tires and riding positions that make actual pedaling close to impossible.

I have mostly made my peace with the first group. They sometimes do dumb things on the road, but they are far less likely to kill me by doing something dumb when riding e-bikes than when driving the Volvos, Mercedes and Urban Assault Vehicles they would be driving otherwise, so I guess it is an improvement overall.

I try very hard to ignore the second group for the sake of my blood pressure, with mixed success.

curbtender

I've learned to be tolerant. I'm guessing the ebikes you consider a problem belong to people who haven't rode a standard bike and never walk the trail. I'm sure there are some cops who wouldn't mind setting up a speed trap out there.

Reynolds 531 

It's only been two days since Christmas, and I am shocked at the 10-11-12 year olds hauling ass on streets with 35 mph speed limit, on those e-scooters that Santa put under the tree.

folmonty 

Feel your pain but my wife and I ride an eBike , along with analog and motorcycles. We're NOT the eBikers you detest and think it's pretty shallow to lump all eBikers into groups. It's everyone's responsibility to represent the sport. That includes parents teaching kids how to be respectful. Wish there were more of this these days but sadly what we'll soon be seeing are many new laws, regulations and the like.

If you think the Iron Horse has issues you wouldn't believe what I've seen in Orange Country So. CA over the holidays. The bike trails there have kids on mini-bikes (gas powered), mopeds (gas powered) and the fat tire eBikes by the hundreds if not thousands. What scares me the most are the familes with young kids just learning to ride or walkers not knowing what's coming! Things will surely be changing with regards to eBikes. FWIW - we ride our eBikes on the Iron Horse mostly turned completely off so as to not offend anyone. Power up sometimes when the headwinds are strong.