A new bill introduced in the Oregon Legislature aims to prohibit the operation of Class 3 electric-assisted bicycles on sidewalks, bicycle lanes, & bike paths.
Class 3 e-bikes are pedal-assist only, with no throttle and a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph.
That’s fast, though. Why would they need to go 50km/h? I don’t like banning things like e-bikes, but realistically, this is like double the speed that other e-bikes tend to be allowed to travel at with power.
High torque for something like a cargo e-bike I can get, but 50km/h? Are these race bikes, motorcycles, or something in-between?
My point is, giving your average Joe, who may not have the skill or experience to be at those speeds, “effortless” power to sustain those speeds is problematic in bike lanes.
To keep up with cars on city streets. Most cars will break the law and will pass you without giving you sufficient side clearance. So if they can’t keep the pace, the riders are in danger.
E-bikes don’t need to go faster, but they do need to accelerate quickly out of intersections. That keeps them safe, higher speeds do not.
The problem with e-bikes is that it gives people super-human powers, so getting to 50 km/h is “free”, while trying to do that on a regular bike for any given amount of time takes years of training.
I’m of the opinion that we should punish the rider, not the vehicle, when it comes to e-mobility devices.
But we know that a few riders behaving badly ruins it for everyone. This is why e-scooter programs have been cancelled or banned, and why e-bike laws are coming down hard all over the place.
We can ban this, and cap speeds, and all that… but someone who wants to ride like a jackass will find a way to do it!
How can we punish them without creating more barriers for everyone else?
The problem with e-bikes is that it gives people super-human powers
So do cars and bikes, and it’s not like we licence cars with any degree of scrutiny either.
The problem is that we as a society don’t punish antisocial behaviour enough. Reckless driving should get your vehicle impounded, regardless of it being a push bike, an ebike or a car. And police should be out there looking for it to the point that if you do something stupid, you can expect to be caught.
The problem is that we as a society don’t punish antisocial behaviour enough.
Agreed.
Reckless driving should get your vehicle impounded, regardless of it being a push bike, an ebike or a car.
Also agreed.
And police should be out there looking for it to the point that if you do something stupid, you can expect to be caught.
For sure.
This is why I don’t agree with banning them outright.
But there are too few resources to enforce bad behaviour, and while we can deploy tools like speed cameras, red light cameras, and automated ticketing, how would we do the same for ebikes?
Licensing would unfairly punish the wrong people.
Where I live, asshats on gas powered bikes tear through our trails. And then someone might complain about the “ebike” and we all become targets.
It’s a challenge to find balance. I think law makers ban things when they don’t have others options immediately available to them, especially with fast-moving (no pun intended) technology.
If you think that’s fast, you haven’t seen the Lycra-class in my city, lol. They go way faster than class III speeds on a road bike while on flat trails. One family friend actually got pulled over for doing 64 km/h on his standard road bike (with hills)
Yes, an experienced road cyclist can go faster than 50km/h in certain circumstances, and while I’d never condone those speeds in bike lanes, there’s a high level of training that acts as a gatekeeper to achieving those speeds. It’s also difficult to maintain those speeds for very long.
Ebikes enable people to go faster than they otherwise would, but it requires no skill or experience, which is where the risk comes into play.
In the elderly, ebikes are causing a massive spike in injuries, even in the Netherlands (ruling out poor infrastructure as the cause).
Speed limits should be common sense in bike lanes, but assholes will be assholes regardless of what the law says.
Fwiw, the average speed of a tour de France cyclist is only around 40km/h, and that’s with the benefit of drafting behind other riders.
That’s fast, though. Why would they need to go 50km/h? I don’t like banning things like e-bikes, but realistically, this is like double the speed that other e-bikes tend to be allowed to travel at with power.
High torque for something like a cargo e-bike I can get, but 50km/h? Are these race bikes, motorcycles, or something in-between?
You can get to that speed on a regular bicycle with gears on a flat without much training/conditioning (though sustaining it can take effort lol)
Oh, come on now. 50 km/h on flat without much training? For what, a few seconds?
These two guys are ex pros and couldn’t average 50km/h with high end bikes, on flat terrain, while drafting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuiPqbbIHH8
My point is, giving your average Joe, who may not have the skill or experience to be at those speeds, “effortless” power to sustain those speeds is problematic in bike lanes.
More or less, yeah lol
I hope you feel the same about cars…
To keep up with cars on city streets. Most cars will break the law and will pass you without giving you sufficient side clearance. So if they can’t keep the pace, the riders are in danger.
I’m torn on that idea.
E-bikes don’t need to go faster, but they do need to accelerate quickly out of intersections. That keeps them safe, higher speeds do not.
The problem with e-bikes is that it gives people super-human powers, so getting to 50 km/h is “free”, while trying to do that on a regular bike for any given amount of time takes years of training.
I’m of the opinion that we should punish the rider, not the vehicle, when it comes to e-mobility devices.
But we know that a few riders behaving badly ruins it for everyone. This is why e-scooter programs have been cancelled or banned, and why e-bike laws are coming down hard all over the place.
We can ban this, and cap speeds, and all that… but someone who wants to ride like a jackass will find a way to do it!
How can we punish them without creating more barriers for everyone else?
So do cars and bikes, and it’s not like we licence cars with any degree of scrutiny either.
The problem is that we as a society don’t punish antisocial behaviour enough. Reckless driving should get your vehicle impounded, regardless of it being a push bike, an ebike or a car. And police should be out there looking for it to the point that if you do something stupid, you can expect to be caught.
Agreed.
Also agreed.
For sure.
This is why I don’t agree with banning them outright.
But there are too few resources to enforce bad behaviour, and while we can deploy tools like speed cameras, red light cameras, and automated ticketing, how would we do the same for ebikes?
Licensing would unfairly punish the wrong people.
Where I live, asshats on gas powered bikes tear through our trails. And then someone might complain about the “ebike” and we all become targets.
It’s a challenge to find balance. I think law makers ban things when they don’t have others options immediately available to them, especially with fast-moving (no pun intended) technology.
If you think that’s fast, you haven’t seen the Lycra-class in my city, lol. They go way faster than class III speeds on a road bike while on flat trails. One family friend actually got pulled over for doing 64 km/h on his standard road bike (with hills)
Nobody can keep up with them in the bike lanes.
The context is important.
Yes, an experienced road cyclist can go faster than 50km/h in certain circumstances, and while I’d never condone those speeds in bike lanes, there’s a high level of training that acts as a gatekeeper to achieving those speeds. It’s also difficult to maintain those speeds for very long.
Ebikes enable people to go faster than they otherwise would, but it requires no skill or experience, which is where the risk comes into play.
In the elderly, ebikes are causing a massive spike in injuries, even in the Netherlands (ruling out poor infrastructure as the cause).
Speed limits should be common sense in bike lanes, but assholes will be assholes regardless of what the law says.
Fwiw, the average speed of a tour de France cyclist is only around 40km/h, and that’s with the benefit of drafting behind other riders.