The Battle Over E-Bikes: Bans, Backlash, and the Road Ahead

[@pedrofernandez8729]

Those reckless e bikers with their 3000 Watt jobs are the main reason these communities are restricting them. We all suffer the consequences.

[@LightsOnMultiMediaMindArts]

Fair point. Which is why all states need to adopt the three tiered classification system (although I think throttles have no impact on it) and anything faster than a class 3 needs to be insured, licensed, require signals just like a moped or a motorcycle. If we don't do that then all ebikes will need to suffer unnecessary regulation.

[@davidfeador4125]

agree agree agree

[@stevearrowood7430]

Yep, and they are not street legal at all. I tried.

[@jayobannon5359]

In CA, I do not use the bike paths as the e-bikers have been a scourge. We have had 2 deaths in a year and both were e-bikes. There is a sign at the entrance to the bike paths that says "No Motorized Vehicles." Doesn't that include e-bikes?

[@Right.To.Resistance]

@@jayobannon5359 No. Probably Californian Definition would be matching with that, but in general rules of other states, like differences with CARB and 49 States legal, PEV is basically not including the prohibition, if the device is in the class II(All PEV) or Class III(E bike) condition. The legal understanding of PEV's bike path accept is either it has a motor or not, the vehicle is low speed(Class II, 20MPH) vehicle. And dude, do we need to ban Harley or Indian because of the M.C? I think we don't.

[@pedrofernandez8729]

As far as the Fl incident, just enforce the ban on kids under 16 to ride e bikes. Key Biscayne has had a fair share of dead cyclists. I don't recall any uproar due to that.

[@ziploc2000]

They also have a lot of car accidents, but still allow cars. The ban is an emotional response, not a rational one, and voted for by people who do not own eBikes.

[@kradwonders]

If this is the reaction to an e-bike accident should the same be applied to all vehicles? If not, why not?

[@rwent1]

These latest e-bike bans are just the latest in a series of knee-jerk reactions that get applied with all the measured jurisprudence of a sledgehammer. It's so easy to vilify "those darn kids" with their new-fangled whatevers. But, instead of regulating the actions of those who ride recklessly or (heaven forbid) creating bike lanes, it's so much easier and cheaper to blame the existence of the inanimate object. So, let's do it -- here are the new laws to be proposed: - Ban ebikes -- they cause accidents - Ban pencils -- they make spelling mistakes - Ban forks -- they cause obesity - Ban scissors -- they put people's eyes out

[@jacknewjerseydouble6164]

I know she's a community person whatever don't blame. The twelve-year-old boy, the boy had helmet on he had gears on he had whatever he had on his body, he wasn't going fast. He stopped at a traffic sign, he proceeded. She proceeded she cut in front of him and she fell off the bike and struck her head on the concrete and all the by the way , she should have been wearing a bicycle helmet , she was still be here alive😊

[@susanfudge1737]

Grammarly would help your writing.

[@ziploc2000]

Do you have a source for that information? I've been searching but everything just says it was a head-on collision. I still believe she was at least 50% at fault, and would not have died if she had been wearing a helmet, but if she did cut him off that's even worse, 100% her fault.

[@BMA0522]

How did you verify that the e-bike rider struck the other rider? I have not been able to find any details of the accident. Thank you.

[@markrhuett]

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I believe the powers that be see a chance to make money here.

[@sspoonless]

Bikes are different from motorcycles, & electrifying them doesn't change that, there remains a difference between e-bikes & e-motorcycles. Please Google 'e-bike classes 1 2 3', & thank you. E-bikes that don't meet definition for Class 1, Class 2, nor Class 3 are actually unrecognized stealth e-motorcycles. E-motorcycles do need to be registered, safety inspected, insured, & operated by licensed drivers.

[@mrgold3591]

It seems ebikes restrictions should extend to any pedal bike that have the same capabilities of a 20 mph max Class I & II ebikes. I ride my ebike around 12-16 mph on average on the bike only paved trails and 16-20 mph on the open road. I'm always getting passed at 18-22 mph "tour de France" wolf packs or single riders on pedal bikes constantly. Not sure why a $500-$10000 "Tour de France" type pedal bike that can go +20 mph isn't restricted, regulated, need to register, or need insurance compared to a slower ebike?

[@stevemcgowen]

A e bike weights 50 or more kg, while a pedal bike weights maybe 14 kg. Big difference in the potential damage they can do.

[@mrgold3591]

@@stevemcgowen It also depends on the weight of the rider. The bike or ebike might be between 14kg or +50kg; but, the rider, skill level, riding environment, road conditions, type of (e)bike, brakes, tires, etc... are also factors that should be considered if both bike/ebike crashes happens at the same speed.

[@pgg.9485]

Karen 😂

[@yt.damian]

@@stevemcgowen the vast majority of ebikes weigh under 35kg. While your 14kg bike + 80kg rider travelling at 35km/h hits with significantly more force than a 35kg bike + 80kg rider at 25kmh and you have less reaction time to stop or change direction.

[@stevemcgowen]

You must not have seen many e-bikes or videos of them. They are going in and out of traffic and on the sidewalks at speeds faster than cars are allowed to travel. @@yt.damian

[@paul6894]

We have beautiful bike paths in Florida. I ride a recumbent Terratrike about an hour everyday. My average speed is about 5 mph. I don't like the big tire heavy e-bikes that go by me at 20+mph. They are usually driven by kids who are inconsiderate and they are going back and forth. No one ever pedals these kind of bikes. They are too heavy. They are closer to electric motorcycles.. I have had three electric bikes over the last 30 years and I loved them, I rode to work many times. I also crashed many times. We just need some common sense rules and maybe some cops on e-bikes at busy times. If you can't pedal an e-bike ten miles it's a moped.

[@stevemcgowen]

Some of the 'e-bikes' don't even pretend anymore and don't come with pedals.

[@djones811]

I ride as a senior . When I see the packs going all over the road and blocking traffic when people can't get where their going it creates problems

[@pedrofernandez8729]

As if New Jersey needed another reason for people to move away from there.

[@myfunrunandhealthactivities65]

I am a new e-biker, and I love it, but at 65 years old, I always keep in mind my lack of experience and the risk of riding on traffic roads. Helmet and protective gear are essencial. Please, if we all follow these safety rules, there's less chance of more legal laws against e-bikes.

[@vancen1911]

can someone tell me how ebikes are ecofriendly?

[@yt.damian]

Compared to driving a car they are significantly more eco friendly.

[@dionne8837]

@@yt.damian except when you factor in making and charging the batteries. as well as what to do with batteries once they are done as well as the risk of fire

[@joeharris3810]

@@yt.damianeco friendly is using your own energy

[@stevemcgowen]

Have you ever been in a large city? The reason non gasoline/diesel powered vehicles are green is because hey have no tailpipe for pollution to come out of and hover over the city. @@dionne8837

[@yt.damian]

@@dionne8837 even when you factor in making and charging batteries as well as the very small (statistically) number of fires they are still more eco friendly than a single person driving a car. is a candle more eco friendly than a battery powered torch?

[@Kolbra2004]

If there be regulation it should be with speed limits for e-bikes. 10 mile an hour is fast enough on bike trails especially with pedestrians and children. Faster speeds could be implemented on bike-only trails. People have to remember that heavy e-bikes take longer to stop unlike regular lightweight bikes. Minors under 16 don't know how to handle these heavy weights and can end up in more accidents.

[@SonLe-gh3dz]

The stigma come from going too fast too easily

[@granitecolorado]

It's because people are getting healthier from enjoying ebikes and that means less hospital visits. And more people are riding instead of driving and using fuel and road tax. The corrupt are seeing dwindling profits because people found something enjoyable. We pay enough!

[@kanehill7697]

As much as a good e-bike cost it only makes since to have some kind of insurance protection. At least from theft, damage or loss from fire ect. I have over a few thousand invested in two e-bikes and my annual insurance cost is $150.00. My home insurance does not cover any loss of a e-bike like my conventional bikes do.

[@michaelbuday]

Sorry, but if you lived in SoCal, you'd understand why most residents want strict EBike restriction put in place - and I'm an EBike advocate - however, most of the EBike riders causing big issues here are from 12 to 16 years of age generally. They're riding in large numbers together, often blocking traffic, riding on the wrong side of the road, running red lights, running into people in cross walks, taking over local parks and turning them into obstacle courses, flipping people off (they feel safe because they know they can escape someone running after them quickly) - so the facts are - reckless EBike riders are ruining it for everyone. So yes, make their parents responsible, force them to register their bikes and get insurance, and if they're breaking the law and the rules of the road, fine the crap out of them. You'll find no one here shedding tears for putting regulations into place. It's about time it happened.

[@m9078jk3]

Personally as a disabled heart patient Senior Citizen home/ property owner Ebikes are healthy aerobic excise therapy for me in my very hilly area as we as a partial transportation tool (I take my ebike right into my local grocery store 3.2 miles away and use it as my personal shopping cart. I am permitted to do so under a ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act ) case and carry the documentation with me. On the day of March 2,2024 I did just that shopped for groceries there with my ebike. These micro mobility vehicles are a big solution to mitigating the Carbon Cycle imbalance/Ocean Acidification/Anthropogenic Climate Change/6th great species problem. Millions of people around the Earth are killed by Internal Combustion Engine motor vehicles every year and they are significantly more destructive and deadly especially considering their vastly disproportionate weight and speeds.

[@judithmacdonald363]

Over 20 mph is too fast for a bicycle! And making helmets mandatory is also good. Lady who was killed was not wearing a Helmet. Helmets should be required for bicycles and motorcycles!

[@charlo90952]

Maybe a special licence should be required to ride an ebike. European ebikes are pedal assist and are limited to 250 watts to limit speed. In US ebikes are throttle controlled with no pedalling required like motorcycles with no safety training. It's not surprising there's a backlash. They go much too fast.

[@ziploc2000]

You are wrong. We have class 1, 2, 3 and class 3 are motor vehicles.

[@charlo90952]

@@ziploc2000 OK. Seems you are correct. But there still should be a licensing requirement.

[@ziploc2000]

@@charlo90952 I agree the e-motorbikes should be licensed, you think that eBikes that go no faster than a regular bicycle should be as well? If so, why?

[@charlo90952]

@@ziploc2000 Maybe not. I'd look to the Dutch for best practices. Good quality bike infrastructure minimising bike/vehicle conflicts is probably the most important.

[@stevemcgowen]

Here in Prague Segways were banned in the centre. Why? They go fast and are heavy enough to seriously harm someone when the person riding them gets out of control. eBikes today are basically mopeds or electric motorcycles, not pedal assisted bicycles. Here in Prague an e-bike which can go more than 25kph is considered a motorized vehicle and falls under the same rules and laws as a motorcycle.

[@rwent1]

This is a perfect example of the gross over-generalization of the term "ebike" which now encompasses everything from a Class-1 all the way to a Surron. Banning all ebikes without any further clarification or distinction is like banning all "four wheeled vehicles".

[@JimQuinn-tb3uq]

In most states in the US any bicycle is considered a vehicle and has to obey the same traffic laws as a car. Which means that riding on sidewalks is illegal, and riding on pedestrian only paths is illegal. You are supposed to use the roads to ride. Not really enforced anywhere though.

[@coleorum]

I'm in the UK and depend on my e-bike to haul my aging body around. Normal cyclists are always overtaking me.

[@jasonkrantz8946]

Gov. Wants to make money bottom line.kinda sad

[@wronkstudios]

How can we make money off of people riding E bikes?

[@barry_k]

By opening a repair shop. There seems to be a lack of shops that can repair e-bikes, especially the mail order bikes that have no real support.

[@glasslinger]

License them and control them like motorcycles.

[@DeathsquadDemongods]

Adding infrastructure is expensive for the government. Mandating insurance and licensing is cheap and puts the onus on the bike owner and not the government. It's now a revenue stream instead of a cost! Hence their wanting to do it