E-bikes and regulations

[BobbyStrawberry]

I might be a cycling elitist, but I am biased after being rear-ended and having my bike wrecked by an e-biker who wasn't paying attention.

That was in a busy urban area though, so I wouldn't have a problem with sharing the paths in more open areas, as long as people are aware of their surroundings. And don't get me started on distracted car and truck drivers! (There are cyclists who are total a**holes too, of course)

[Rad_Hazard]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

I might be a cycling elitist, but I am biased after being rear-ended and having my bike wrecked by an e-biker who wasn't paying attention.

That was in a busy urban area though, so I wouldn't have a problem with sharing the paths in more open areas, as long as people are aware of their surroundings. And don't get me started on distracted car and truck drivers! (There are cyclists who are total a**holes too, of course)

I don't blame your reaction to getting hit by an e-biker who wasn't paying attention, I would be upset too.

When I say "cycling elitist", I'm more referring to the people who are on standard bicycles who pass me and yell/give me the finger/glare at me just for riding an e-bike.

I am hyper aware when I'm riding mine and I always slow down when I see someone approaching (cyclist or pedestrian), but I realize there are bad eggs out there. They aren't all that way though, I did have a cyclist follow close behind me for quite a few miles one time and thanked me for the draft lol.

[packs]

There's always room for nuance. When I think of a "bike guy" I'm thinking of the guy who thinks cars and drivers must obey every single law and to the letter, but you know, if "bike guy" is sitting at a red light and no one's coming, why can't they just roll through the intersection?

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Rad_Hazard

I don't blame your reaction to getting hit by an e-biker who wasn't paying attention, I would be upset too.

When I say "cycling elitist", I'm more referring to the people who are on standard bicycles who pass me and yell/give me the finger/glare at me just for riding an e-bike.

I am hyper aware when I'm riding mine and I always slow down when I see someone approaching (cyclist or pedestrian), but I realize there are bad eggs out there. They aren't all that way though, I did have a cyclist follow close behind me for quite a few miles one time and thanked me for the draft lol.

Yeah, I think being aware is the key. I do get the concept of the "cycling elitist" for sure - I'll never forget one time walking over the Brooklyn Bridge (which has a shared walk/bike path) and seeing a cyclist aggressively trying to push through a very dense crowd while screaming at the top of his lungs "GET THE F*** OUT OF THE WAY!". I was like, yeah, you're the reason people hate cyclists, bro.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by packs

but you know, if "bike guy" is sitting at a red light and no one's coming, why can't they just roll through the intersection?

Originally Posted by Smarti5051

We have about 50 roundabouts in our little city, and the ebikers are traveling at 20 MPH through crosswalks and parking lots as if they are pedestrians. It is easy to see and slow/stop for a pedestrian or bike going 5-10 MPH, but when you are going 30 MPH down a street and a bike going 25 MPH comes out of nowhere, it takes a great deal of skill to avoid hitting them.

If you are on a bike trail or area that is not heavily populated with cars and cross traffic, I have no problem with ebikes.

First, I am the biker guy who rolls through intersections / red lights if no one is coming. But I also do it with me car late at night. (shoulder shrug emoji)

In my neighborhood, we have a kid who owns an app controlled one-wheeled-skateboard. He runs red lights across a road where vehicles travel 45MPH+.

As for the OP's original question about laws and e-bike regulations... I would assume that the city is receiving complaints on trails that already have regulations that don't permit ORV. For instance, we (Spokane WA) have trails near my house that are for non-motorized vehicles only. We also have trails / nature reserves that include noise regulations. The humming of e-bike motors might break current regulations regarding man-made sounds. So the city might be trying to codify a new machine to fit into existing expectations of other motorized vehicles.

IMO, I'm sorry that your desire to be in nature is being thwarted. You live in a beautiful part of Montana. Is that Bozeman? I lived in Billings for 10 years. I romanticize the ecosystems of Eastern MT; the sagebrush, the small canyons and ravines. My wife hates it. She wants trees.

[Rad_Hazard]

Originally Posted by todeen

First, I am the biker guy who rolls through intersections / red lights if no one is coming. But I also do it with me car late at night. (shoulder shrug emoji)

In my neighborhood, we have a kid who owns an app controlled one-wheeled-skateboard. He runs red lights across a road where vehicles travel 45MPH+.

As for the OP's original question about laws and e-bike regulations... I would assume that the city is receiving complaints on trails that already have regulations that don't permit ORV. For instance, we (Spokane WA) have trails near my house that are for non-motorized vehicles only. We also have trails / nature reserves that include noise regulations. The humming of e-bike motors might break current regulations regarding man-made sounds. So the city might be trying to codify a new machine to fit into existing expectations of other motorized vehicles.

IMO, I'm sorry that your desire to be in nature is being thwarted. You live in a beautiful part of Montana. Is that Bozeman? I lived in Billings for 10 years. I romanticize the ecosystems of Eastern MT; the sagebrush, the small canyons and ravines. My wife hates it. She wants trees.

I live in Missoula, the picture is the trail on the way to Lolo/Hamilton.

The bill wasn't brought on by any issues with e-bikers, it was actually from a law maker that owns and rides e-bikes and wants to make them officially legal everywhere bikes can go. The problem is that the bill has now been amended to classify different speeds and types of motors and local jurisdictions will be given the power to decide access to certain trails.

Missoula is full of the elitist cyclers that frown upon the use of e-bikes because they put in years of work etc etc, and they tend to get what they want. Well I don't have the time nor body type to make that happen so I just want to get out in nature and enjoy it with no restrictions. Where I go I see lots of older folks riding e-bikes and having a great time, this will affect them directly as well.

[bnorth]

No laws in my little town. There are in the larger(LOL) towns around here.

What I have noticed is it depends on their power/speed if you can ride it on a bike path. Mine is one that you can ride on bike paths most places that have laws. Mine tops out at 20MPH and is a class 2. When it isn't winter here I have a couple friends that live in a really small town 9 miles away. I ride it back and forth at least once a week to their houses.

I have had mine for around 4 years and have had to replace the tires 3 times. I honestly can't believe how long it has lasted with all the miles I have put on it. I noticed the street tires last a lot longer and will let you go a lot farther on a charge. The one pair of knobby tires lasted less than half a season before they went bald.

[Smarti5051]

My problem with ebikes is that in my neighborhood we have about 1000 kids. Every one of them has an ebike. There is no "training" of any sort before a kid can ride an eBike. So, these kids are zooming around the road and sidewalks with no understanding of the rules of the road. We have about 50 roundabouts in our little city, and the ebikers are traveling at 20 MPH through crosswalks and parking lots as if they are pedestrians. It is easy to see and slow/stop for a pedestrian or bike going 5-10 MPH, but when you are going 30 MPH down a street and a bike going 25 MPH comes out of nowhere, it takes a great deal of skill to avoid hitting them. Same is true when you are backing out of a parking spot and a kid flies by on a bike going 20 MPH through the parking lot.

If you are on a bike trail or area that is not heavily populated with cars and cross traffic, I have no problem with ebikes.