Agreed, but a lot of cyclists don’t obey traffic laws.

At 73 years old I try and be as respectful as possible. When I see someone I slow way down, beep horn and go around them then speed back up but not too fast on Paved walking and bike trails. My biggest worry is someone in a car hitting me.

In USA it seems funny:
Guns don't kill people only people kill people - but e-bikes kill people instead of e-people. .
No explaining Logic to Americans, it's all biases.
Glad I am the sole exception.

I ride my E-Bike on Level areas in our parks on Bike/Pedestrian concrete paths. I do not ride over 5-8mph around someone and even go into the grass if needed to get around someone who is pushing children or a child is riding a small sitting scooter with their parents. So far I have not seen anyone whether bike or e-bike in our area. I do not want people being afraid of me riding period.

Here was a pretty fair, accurate and balanced video by Boston 25 News on eBikes:

• They badly described Class 3, saying "the speedometer maxes out at 28 mph", rather than "is pedal-assisted up to max. 28 mph". Other than that, pretty much spot-on.
• They hit the pros & cons pretty fairly
• They distinguish between legal and illegal and say why

Most of these e-bikes can do 28mph if you just unlock them, which is simple enough to do, and to compound issues, a lot of riders like to ride them on sidewalks and rail-trails, etc , where they're zipping through hapless pedestrians and dogs. I mean, you could send someone to the ER if you hit them at 20mph, let alone 28mph. I own an e-bike myself, but I stick to riding it on the street and I think there should be reasonable regulation.

There's plenty of reasonable regulation in CA (probably many other places), but no policing).

This is what it comes down to that no politician wants to admit. There's nothing wrong with an eBike going 28 mph on an empty bike path.

Write reasonable laws (which we've already done) post signs to their effects and fund police to enforce them. Cameras would be a huge help.

Most cyclists don't obey traffic laws. A few weeks ago, driving in my car, I had to brake hard to avoid a cyclist who was running a red light.
I mentioned it to a friend, a long time serious cyclist, and she said she always runs red lights. I told her she is going to die if she keeps that up.

Cyclists complain that motorists don't respect their right to be on the road, but cyclist don't respect the rules of the road.

I've read every comment here and nothing change the fact that it is NOT the bike that is the problem, it is the USER. Anything can become dangerous if used by someone irresponsible. Roller skates, skateboards, even jogging strollers. I've been nearly hit while walking by all of these.
The solution is to restrict use of potentially dangerous vehicles to adults because children lack the frontal lobe capacity to make good decisions. That means blocking parents from buying their kids high powered e-bikes unless they live out on a farm somewhere. It means treating adult riders who engage in dangerous behavior the same way we treat adult drivers - through enforcement of the laws. We don't ban autos that can go faster than 35mph from our city streets. E-bikes are vehicles and should be treated the same way in terms of speeding. I see plenty of riders being careful on our pathways - but we notice the ones who are speeding and don't even realize the ones going a proper speed ARE e-bikes.

I was a kid in the 60's, when the snowmobile craze and Japanese motorcycle craze hit.
Lotta regs were introduced, but the one thing you can not eliminate with legislation is stupidity

I completely agree with Zara Sp00k and linberl. You really cannot legislate common sense or basic courtesy.

Whether someone is on a traditional pedal bike, a high-powered e-bike, or an electric motorcycle, the core issue always comes down to the rider's behavior and respect for others sharing the path. Better enforcement of existing speed limits and traffic rules makes a lot more sense than just blaming the technology itself. We all just need to share the space responsibly.

another article to add to all of this is what Wired wrote about concerning these bikes, not gonna be pretty: https://www.wired.com/story/why-is-i...x-newtab-en-us

did i mention that i prefer my old classic steel bicycles bought used? see you all on C and E forums, where sanity still reigns.

And, unless I way miss my guess, she is still alive and still running them. So am I. At 68, I've run more reds than I have reds left to run. NYC being what it is, I'm betting the infrastructure alone means I ran more of them than your friend ever will in 3 lifetimes by the time I left NYC in 2001. I think I can state with confidence that, running red lights is NOT what will cause my death, nor your friends.

The truth is, most cyclists DO obey traffic laws. And it hardly matters because all the cyclists in a given area are but a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of the overall traffic picture. They, and what they do and how they do it hardly matters in the grand scheme. It matters more to you because you (presumably) drive far more than you bike. Your sensibilities are driver's sensibilities, not cyclist sensibilities. As a driver, you are held to a higher standard of roadcraft, AS IT SHOULD BE. But, when you are stopped at that 2 minute long, multi-feeder intersection, you notice the cyclist that blows it up because you can't! I'm guessing it was safe to do, because it didn't make 'Breaking News'. In fact, it is far more likely that when a cyclist is seriously hurt or, yeah, ... it is far more likely that they were in the right, and the driver was careless or aggressive. Good on you for not nailing that errant cyclist that ran the light in front of you. Take the pat on the back because if you push it further I might wonder if you aren't mistaken. Not that you are lying, but JUDGEMENT isn't something I give any driver credit for where bikes are concerned. You are certain that you would have hit that cyclist unless you braked 'hard'. Maybe. Maybe not. Take the maybe. I'm feeling generous today.

You'd have to find me actual cases though, of scofflaw cyclists getting road justice for their stupidity to make me change my POV. If you've ever sped up and slid through a stale yellow/fresh red. YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW. You are no better than the cyclist running the same light. You are simply able to do it much faster because 100+ horsepower. And you do it many times a month without a thought. Cyclists that live to my age actually DO consider each and every single yellow/red we encounter. The GO/NO GO calculation takes less than a second for each instance. Do you really consider outcomes when you hit the gas to speed through a stale yellow? A cyclist can also choose to 'run' a standing red, assuming no cross traffic with scant consequences. It would be a far more provocative action by a driver, even if 'safe' because cyclists behavior is not nearly as tightly controlled as a motorists, AS IT SHOULD BE. "See to the log in thine own eye before you address the mote in thy neighbor's" -Matthew 7:3-5

I'm pretty sure the shops in my burg, orange county CA, will only work on brands they sell (maybe specific bikes they have sold). Fortunately I can handle my (and wife's) DIY(s) and the only OEM had one easily-diagnosed and repaired problem. If I had a bike shop there's no way I would consider repairing any brand I didn't sell.

E-bikes aren't the problem... They are clearly a better product. Speed should be limited to 32 km an hour which is as fast as most people can bike anyway. Anything beyond that or over 100 lb should be banned from roads and trails and paths.

We absolutely need some rules and laws regarding E bike operation. I was walking home the other day, and a kid came from behind that Knee bike and hit me with his handlebar going perhaps 15 miles an hour. I was lucky it wasn't worse. That's just plain carelessness and poor education. He had 3/4 of the sidewalk to easily maneuver around me and yet chose to cut close to me.
I'm an avid e-biker as well as a non-E biker and I see no reason why we can't respect each other's life and property when we operate them. We do need some rules and enforcement. It's just a matter of time.

I admit I'm late responding to this one, but seriously - Where does that logic take us? Is there anything wrong with a loaded semi doing 100mph down a hill on an empty freeway in the middle of the night just to save some momentum for the next ascent?

Following Mike's logic -

Spoons are obsolete because mixers are clearly a better product
Bow saws are obsolete because chainsaws are clearly a better product
Stairs are obsolete because escalators are clearly a better product
Screwdrivers are obsolete because bit drivers are clearly a better product

This response is literally from that future. In the interim, New Jersey has passed legislation that requires a minimum age, a licence, a motorcycle helmet, insurance, and an annual registration sticker to ride any type of electric powered bike just about anywhere in the state.

A couple days ago, I took my acoustic bike out for a lunchtime ride. I was riding in the gutter/bike lane. I crossed paths with 5 boys on e-moto-style e-bikes. They were riding on the sidewalk. We traded leads several times. They stumbled on a patrol car running radar from a parking lot. They showed deference and the officer didn't hassle them. At some point I saw one of the boys pull a couple wheelies. At another point, I pulled over to play with my phone and one of the boys asked me if I needed a push. The only problem I had with the boys was that I didn't think they belonged on the sidewalk.

I hit a woman, years ago, riding an "accoustic" bike, when I was a bike messenger in Manhattan in the 80s. SHE walked out in front of me, when I had the right of way AND no option to stop, and wrecked my loaner bike. My speed was well above 15mph. She tried to have me arrested, much to the amusement of the NYPD and the witnesses. Pedestrians tend to be the a-holes here in NYC - even TODAY!

I've never been a crap "acoustic" or ebike rider, BUT the non-motorized bike riders tend to go faster than 20mph, causing most UNREPORTED bike related injuries. We definitely need laws in place, but the problem really comes down to accountability. Parents, nowadays, tend to be idiots. They don't teach their children correctly, and there's no repercussions for them when their offspring cause issues, and people are hurt - or worse. I have 4 adult children, and I STILL wouldn't allow them to be poopstains towards others. That INCLUDES, but is NOT LIMITED, to them riding a motorized or non-motorized bike. We even have multiple electric scooters (I personally own 2), and pedestrians are prioritized when out-and-about. It's how I've raised them.

Remember, these "laws" people want (20mph is the least possible speed necessary in NYC IMO, since it's unsafe if you can't keep up with traffic otherwise, and that's dangerous for the rider. We're not allowed BY LAW to ride on a sidewalk when the age of 14 is reached) aren't always realistic, don't take into account the varying conditions and situations of the location of the riders, and are all blanket attempts (usually) of local politicians to suck money out of their constituents - claiming it's for the "good of the people".

Where I live, in the Bay Area, it is almost always "kids" on ebikes that have been derestricted or just go too fast that are the problem. That means the problem is actually parents who are the ones paying for these ebikes. They can't say no to their kids and then don't supervise them. Make them 18+ and confiscate and fine massively any parent who buys one for a younger kid. Unless a kid has a disability, they do not need an e-bike to ride to school and on sidewalks. Buy them a dirt bike and take them offroad if they have that interest but kids in America are badly out of shape and riding a regular bike should be the only cycling option until the frontal lobes are fully formed. Actually, I'd be fine with not selling them to anyone who isn't willing to sign a legal declaration that the user will be 18 years old +. Set the parents up for criminal charges. Not a lot different than handing kids a gun to use unsupervised; both can injure and kill. I'm sure that seems extreme, but kids are allowed to ride on sidewalks in many jurisdictions and the laws don't distinguish between bikes and e-bikes in that regard.

Nah. Let's not extrapolate the logic to the point of absurdity? I once met a guy oncoming on the bike path at night who was on a motorcycle. He saw me oncoming, slowed to ~15 mph, and then wicked it up again when we were past each other. He was probably thinking: "Geez, I hope that's not a cop, but why would it be?" while I was thinking: "THAT is a proper headlight, for a bicycle..." Technically illegal, but the guy was at least being safe-ish about it.

But hey, I'm willing to walk that back a bit too. My local law doesn't allow Class 3 on separate paths, only in streets or roadside bike lanes. Fine.

The idiots ruin it for everyone. We have to write laws for the lowest common denominator. That's why plastic bags say to not put them over your head. Sigh.