I knew when Sally rolled into office for a second term with his anti-electric agenda, the war on e-bikes would begin. The industry was already collapsing on itself since most of them came about during Covid and once fat lazy Americans could go back to driving cars to work, their bikes are collecting dust or are sitting at a pawn shop. In fact you can buy non-used older models for about 1/3 of what they cost new. There have been tons of regs passed across the country that have really killed sales. Many states either limit throttling to a certain speed OR it is NOT allowed. A lot of the newer bikes have PAS only, that means you only get assistance while pedaling and have no throttle only pedal activated motor. This means slower starts and since an e-bike is really a motorcycle when you are NOT pedaling and only throttling is probably the reason states have limited throttling. Which I totally understand. I hardly use my throttle except to push off, while riding I can maintain speeds depending on my pedaling cadence and PAS level. I can max out at about 14 MPH in PAS 1 and 33+ MPH in PAS 5, all controlled by my pedaling and no throttle. Believe it or not, I like the exercise. If you bought an e-bike to ride like a motorcycle, go buy a motorcycle and get off the trails.
New Jersey went a step farther and put age restrictions on the bikes. You will also have to have a valid driver’s license or equivalent for an e-bike (you will be able to get an e-bike license if you CAN’T get a car license) and you will have to carry insurance.
The reasoning is that a lot of teens are getting killed in NJ on E-Bikes. OK. So how do any of these laws fix that? The age restrictions, sure, I don’t take issue with that. But the other crap? Really? This just sounds like a scam by the insurance companies to expand into another market. They look at these as motorcycles, and they are, IF they have a throttle, but if they don’t they are simply a bike with a battery. Personally I think the industry should stop putting throttles on them.
It angers me, not only the license and registration part, but the insurance grab. The original reason I bought an e-bike was to lose weight, and it worked! But in that process I realized that an e-bike is so functional and multi-purpose that I use it for everything. I also like that I don’t have to put any gas in it. I do spend a lot on maintenance. In fact 3x more than on my car a year, but I love the freedom. Now days when I leave the house, the only decision I have to make is ‘which bike do I ride today?’ depending on the weather.
I think it would be a f’ing travesty if they started requiring e-bikes to be registered with the state, I will revolt like a MOFO! There has been talk of this over the past couple of years and I have convinced moderate Republicans to hold the line on it, and so far they have held back the goons both on the left and the right, but I think the MAGA steam is a building, so we need to watch this.
It is also a kick in the nuts to the guy who is just trying to get back on his feet out of prison, and was able to pick up a decent ride at a pawn shop, and the next thing he knows he needs a DL to ride this thing* and he can’t get one because he just spent 3 years in the penn for 6 DUI’s. When we talk about re-offenders in Sioux Falls, this kind of crap contributes to it.
*I also find it funny to think they can police this. They already make throttle e-bikes now with hidden batteries and even motors. Some even have cruise control (mine does) so the throttle can be hidden in the app.
If any of these hair brain ideas pass in SD, it certainly won’t make our lives better. I would agree that throttles are BAD if you don’t know how to use them and maybe there should be age restrictions, but all that other crap, no way. Maybe another idea would be requiring all e-bike shops to offer a FREE one-hour class once a month on e-bike safety. Oh, and it would be nice if I could buy full coverage insurance for my e-bike, but right now, I can’t find it. So there you have that.
If Mopeds don’t have to have all of this stuff, then e-bikes shouldn’t have to, either. But then again, if Mopeds aren’t allowed on the bike trail, then e-bikes shouldn’t be, either.
But, I think the maintenance issue is going to be the real killer of the e-bike fad or trend.
AND, let’s not forget that the City’s 180 turn on their attitude about e-bikes, and especially in terms of the sidewalks and the bike trail, was never about exercise and facilitating a citizens’ need or interest. Rather, the Parks Department Board and the Active Transportation Board changed their votes from 6 to 0 against e-bikes on our sidewalks and bike trail to 6 to 0 and 4 to 2 in favor, in just six months, to just facilitate the profit needs of a corporation called Jaunt. In fact, even Jaunt doesn’t want you to use their e-bikes on the sidewalks, because they too understand the safety issue with e-bikes and sidewalks especially (Although the bike trail presents the same relative peril), but the sidewalk usage had to be legalized so that they could rent them to us from our sidewalks, which then resulted in a greater safety issue for our citizenry and all in the name of siding with corporate profit versus what is best for the Sioux Falls citizenry. Because the e-bike story in Sioux Falls over the past two and a half years is a textbook example of how too often our local Council represents the interests of money and corporations over what is best for its citizenry.
MAGA is against e-bikes because it has an “e” in front of its name. It suggests to them a pro-climate change concern or something like that…. Change it to DJT-bikes, and they would be for them…. Then maybe eventually DJT-bikes could then replace big trucks on our downtown streets and help alleviate a parking problem, too 🙂
( and Woodstock adds: “Well, as long as they leave my e-pogo stick alone, then I really don’t care about the rest…. 🙂 )
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1-oo2XXE3n0
“Say, wasn’t it Charlton Heston who once said, ‘They will take my e-bike from my cold, dead hands’ ? …. “
It was inevitable. There’s some sort of fee for a license and/or tax in mind. It’s still just a bicycle with a motorized assist. What will happen is clogged traffic courts addressing tickets nobody intends to pay. Collecting bike tickets will become a measure of pride like as for parking tickets now.
When will clogging the bike trail be a ticket?
Funny. When my bike runs out of juice, which has happened to me several times, I call the ride ‘rawdogging’. Because the bike is fixed gear, I can’t crank down the gears, and the crank is small, also, the bike weighs 120 lbs with accessories. I will admit, I even got it up to 12 MPH rawdogging, but it’s a beast. E-Bikes need power, because they are so damn heavy!
And yes, I know what ‘rawdogging’ really means 🙂
I also think a more simplified rule would be requiring E-Bikes with a throttle and the capability of exceeding 20 MPH to only be allowed to ride in the streets. This wouldn’t harm the casual ebike riders on the trail and would put a clear distinction between models and classes. I think that is where the confusion comes in. I tell peeps all the time, it is about the power and torque, ignore all the other factors. If it is over a certain amount, it should only be street legal. I think you can make a clear line in the sand when it comes to output instead of worrying about all this other boloney. I also think that E-Bike safety training should be required by everyone who purchases one. This is an easy problem to solve, you just have to make succinct distinctions instead of blaming the rider, you need to look at how these products are made.
Also, yes, maintenance on E-Bikes is expensive, but if you set up accounts with online parts dealers and buy the right tools, you can do a lot of the work yourself. I won’t lie, I can do a lot of the work myself, but I am not a farm boy anymore and I do NOT get any pleasure out of turning wrenches, I actually despise it, so I like the fellas at SF Bicycle Shop. Kevin is a bike tech GAWD and he is pretty funny. Always treat me great, will work on any bike (but NO electronics), incredibly fast and pretty affordable when you compare to car repairs. They even agreed to be my bike repair shop before I started my pedicab bizzo, I needed someone to rely on if I had issues, and they delivered! Always took care of me on the fly! You never forget customer service like that. But I will say, my gas savings have been astronomical. While I have to spend 3x on maintenance for my bike vs. my car, my energy savings are incredible. I figured for every dollar I spent on gas I spent about .01 cent on electricity to charge the bike. So there is savings. There is also the convenience and excercise. But my favorite, and I never thot I would become this person, a Vitamin D, Sun Worshiper! Nothing like it on your face! (Wear Sunscreen!)