Proliferation of e-bikes raises question of whether they should be on trails



The rising popularity of electric bikes raises some difficult questions for land managers in Washington state and around the country.To get more news about electric bike, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.

Nearly everyone appreciates how e-bikes can encourage more people to go outside by improving accessibility for those unable to ride traditional mountain bikes or otherwise enjoy trails. But disagreement persists on what kind of e-bikes, if any, should be allowed in places where they could create additional safety risks or cause damage to fragile environments.

“The whole debate is where do you draw the line on e-bike to motor scooter and then where do you draw the line on how much assistance is actually necessary to get people out there?” said Braydon Shields, a mountain bike racer and the primary contact for customers looking to buy e-bikes at Sporthaus. “It varies. It definitely does.”Most of the e-bikes sold at Sporthaus go to customers interested in using them on roads for their commute, perhaps to help them avoid rising gas prices. When the motors and batteries are added to mountain bikes, the question of where they can travel becomes much more complicated.

Rules vary by agency, with national parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service largely allowing e-bikes to travel where other mountain bikes go unless local administrators institute specific guidelines, and Bureau of Land Management officials able to authorize the use of e-bikes on any nonmotorized roads or trails. The U.S. Forest Service announced new guidelines in March to allow all e-bikes on motorized roads and trails, then let local officials decide beyond that, which the agency said opened up 38% of all trails with the possibility for more soon.

In May 2021, Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5452, requiring the Department of Natural Resources to undergo a public process to collect info on e-bikes and obtain feedback from various groups, including tribes, disabled people, conservation organizations and various recreational users. That information must be submitted to the Legislature by Sept. 30 and could lead to policy that would replace current regulations essentially treating e-bikes as equal to motorized vehicles.

Different bikes, different opinionsFor many land managers in Washington and elsewhere, whether to allow an e-bike on trails depends on where the bike falls on a spectrum likely to keep expanding as technology improves.

The general consensus among speakers at recent WDFW and DNR meetings held that class 1 e-bikes should be allowed on any trails with mountain bikes, since the motor only engages through pedaling and stops assisting at 20 miles per hour. They’re essentially a heavier traditional bike capable of climbing noticeably faster, which avid biker and Single Track Alliance of Yakima vice president Will Hollingbery said can create some additional risks.Some critics worry about trail damage, although a study by the International Biking Association in 2015 showed e-bikes caused only a minimal amount more damage to trails than traditional mountain bikes. However, they also noted the use of a throttle can cause significantly more issues, and Shields pointed out the increased range of an e-bike will inevitably lead to more damage.

Class 3 bikes are mostly commuter bikes and can go up to 28 miles per hour with a pedal-assist, but the throttle comes into play with Class 2 e-bikes. Those bikes, which are the only type prohibited by Washington State Parks on its bike-friendly trails, drew considerably more pushback in the state’s conversations.

“It’s a motorcycle, virtually,” Shields said. “It’s a great tool for commuting, cutting your expenses, maybe even cutting your commute time to stay out of traffic, but it doesn’t have a whole lot of practical use on a nonmotorized trail.Some e-bike advocates disagree, noting the motor stops assisting at 20 miles per hour and allows access for those who may be unable to pedal for health reasons. The state’s current regulations make an exception for Class 1 and Class 2 riders, allowing them on trails if they display an ADA parking placard.

Otherwise a $99 failure to obey penalty can be given to e-bikers on nonmotorized trails or roads, although DNR spokesperson Stacia Glenn said enforcement prefers to focus on education. Hollingbery and others at the state’s virtual town halls also voiced concerns that some e-bike users, especially those with Class 2 bikes, may be less experienced, something Shields said is definitely true in his limited experience selling bikes.