Two bills moving through the California legislature this year could change how e-bikes are bought, ridden, and regulated across the state. One would require
45 km/h is still freakishly fast for all but professional cyclists. I do not agree that more restrictions are unnecessary. A simple, paperwork-minimal registration scheme would allow proper accountability for reckless bicycle-riding (which is uncommon but still happens) and would deter theft, especially since e-bikes cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, pounds, or euros. The problem with fast e-bikes (especially those which can accelerate without pedalling) is that they let anyone’s grandmother reach the speeds of professionals without actually being an experienced cyclist. Ideally, there should be three levels:
Bicycles and low-speed e-bikes, where registration is not required
Moderate-speed e-bikes which can accelerate without the use of the pedals, where minimal registration formalities are required (namely, affixing a registration plate that comes with the bike along with registering an owner online). The registration process should be free of charge, one-off, and should not take more than 5 minutes to complete. I am against requiring anything which resembles a driving licence for these e-bikes.
High-speed e-bikes and motorcycles, where ordinary vehicle registration, motorcycle licences, and inspections are required.
In the United States, we have a tool to deal with fragmentation in state laws: uniform acts.
An adult in half decent physical shape can hit 45 km/h on level ground for a short time on a 9 year old midrange racing bike. Source: I own a 9 year old midrange racing bike.
FYI 45 kph on a non-motorized bicycle is not really “freakishly fast”, that’s a normal downhill speed on your average middle age guy’s weekend workout. And I think this concern is already addressed by signed speed limits.
That’s also not a speed you hit on a pedestrian walkway between intersections with crossings where you have to look out for cars or pedestrians stepping in front of you.
I think the most I’ve ever clocked on a bicycle was 56 km/h (as I didn’t usually ride with a speedometer and me being in good enough shape to do that without having to go downhill was before I had a phone with a decent enough battery to run Strava or something for every little ride), but that was out of town, on a straight road. On a pedestrian walkway that requires me to stop or slow down every hundred or two hundred meters, it would take effort to even consistently hit 25 km/h. But with a motor assisting you, you can hit higher speeds much quicker.
Estonia. Bicycles are allowed on either the light traffic road, or the car lanes. You’re not supposed to go very fast around pedestrians if you opt for the former, but a lot of people (teenagers mostly) do anyway. That’s why I’m saying an e-bike that can do 45 km/h should be considered a moped, and be restricted to being used on the road where cars go. In fact that’s how it is here. An e-bike that’s considered a light traffic vehicle is only allowed to assist until 25 km/h. This is also what California seems to be doing, with higher speeds requiring a license plate and the class 1 vehicles getting restricted.
Here in the states we don’t have a “light traffic road” as you describe. That’s just not a thing in our infrastructure. This situation would be easier to resolve if we did.
Fair enough. Yeah if all e-bikes are going to be sharing the road with cars anyway, I can see why it wouldn’t make sense to limit unlicensed ones to 25 in your case. But at the same time, it makes sense that if a vehicle is capable of speeding, it should have a license plate on it and require the user to be 18. No?
45 km/h is still freakishly fast for all but professional cyclists. I do not agree that more restrictions are unnecessary. A simple, paperwork-minimal registration scheme would allow proper accountability for reckless bicycle-riding (which is uncommon but still happens) and would deter theft, especially since e-bikes cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, pounds, or euros. The problem with fast e-bikes (especially those which can accelerate without pedalling) is that they let anyone’s grandmother reach the speeds of professionals without actually being an experienced cyclist. Ideally, there should be three levels:
In the United States, we have a tool to deal with fragmentation in state laws: uniform acts.
An adult in half decent physical shape can hit 45 km/h on level ground for a short time on a 9 year old midrange racing bike. Source: I own a 9 year old midrange racing bike.
A professional can sustain that speed.
FYI 45 kph on a non-motorized bicycle is not really “freakishly fast”, that’s a normal downhill speed on your average middle age guy’s weekend workout. And I think this concern is already addressed by signed speed limits.
That’s also not a speed you hit on a pedestrian walkway between intersections with crossings where you have to look out for cars or pedestrians stepping in front of you.
I think the most I’ve ever clocked on a bicycle was 56 km/h (as I didn’t usually ride with a speedometer and me being in good enough shape to do that without having to go downhill was before I had a phone with a decent enough battery to run Strava or something for every little ride), but that was out of town, on a straight road. On a pedestrian walkway that requires me to stop or slow down every hundred or two hundred meters, it would take effort to even consistently hit 25 km/h. But with a motor assisting you, you can hit higher speeds much quicker.
Why are you biking on a pedestrian walkway? That seems like it’s own seperate problem.
Uh most people don’t cycle in car lanes unless going very fast.
Where do you live? I’m in the US where almost all vehicles, including cyclists, ride in the street and only car drivers refer to them as “car lanes”.
Estonia. Bicycles are allowed on either the light traffic road, or the car lanes. You’re not supposed to go very fast around pedestrians if you opt for the former, but a lot of people (teenagers mostly) do anyway. That’s why I’m saying an e-bike that can do 45 km/h should be considered a moped, and be restricted to being used on the road where cars go. In fact that’s how it is here. An e-bike that’s considered a light traffic vehicle is only allowed to assist until 25 km/h. This is also what California seems to be doing, with higher speeds requiring a license plate and the class 1 vehicles getting restricted.
Here in the states we don’t have a “light traffic road” as you describe. That’s just not a thing in our infrastructure. This situation would be easier to resolve if we did.
Fair enough. Yeah if all e-bikes are going to be sharing the road with cars anyway, I can see why it wouldn’t make sense to limit unlicensed ones to 25 in your case. But at the same time, it makes sense that if a vehicle is capable of speeding, it should have a license plate on it and require the user to be 18. No?