I found this interesting reading and not just because I agree

key quotes
"I’m writing because I care deeply about where bicycles — and electric bicycles — are headed. We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make about language, power limits, and definitions will determine whether Class 1 e-bikes remain accepted as bicycles — or get grouped with much more powerful machines that don’t belong in the same category.It’s time to define our language and it’s time to draw a line in the sand of when e-bikes become too powerful"

"Today, the term “e-bike” is used to describe everything from a lightweight pedal-assist mountain bike to electric mopeds and full-blown electric motorcycles. That lack of precision creates confusion—and conflict—with land managers, other trail users, parents, and lawmakers.

If we don’t define our terms, others will define them for us.

Ideally, “e-bike” would mean one thing: A Class 1 pedal-assist bicycle with a maximum assist speed of 20 mph, no throttle, and a motor not exceeding 750 watts of peak power."

"We need distinct names for distinct machines:

• E-bicycle (EMTB): Class 1 pedal-assist only (20 mph max assist, 750 watts max peak power)
  
• E-moped: Throttle-equipped or faster than 20 mph or exceeding 750 watts, incl. Class 2&3
  
• E-motorcycle: High-power electric motorcycles well beyond bicycle-level performance
  

Clear labeling should be mandatory. Every electric vehicle should visibly state its category, assist speed, and peak motor power. This isn’t about enforcement — it’s about clarity and accountability."


https://www.bicycleretailer.com/opin...7eJ9a-bdNWu23g

In most countries motorcycles are divided into displacement categories, each category requires a different level of drivers license. A license for a 1000cc motorcycle is more difficult and more expensive to obtain. These categories are easier to differentiate and regulate in some countries. I live in Japan, which uses this kind of system for motorcycles, and it works well here, as Japan is a high-trust society in which people very seldom break the law. If a certain license is required to operate a certain kind of vehicle, a Japanese rider will get that license. The consequences of breaking traffic laws in Japan are severe, the law in Japan has big teeth and bites hard. Such a system is much harder to establish and regulate in America, which is why America doesn't have displacement categories for motorcycles. In America, if it has two wheels and an engine, it is a motorcycle, and requires a motorcycle endorsement. Despite the simplicity and low cost of this system, about one fifth of motorcyclists in America don't a have a motorcycle license, and this one-fifth is responsible for nearly half of fatal motorcycle crashes. Traffic laws in America are far from harsh, and are not very stringently enforced. Since there are no genuine consequences for not having the correct license, why bother to get one? It may cost your life, but hey, everyone dies eventually, right?

The problem with e-bikes is there are no genuine standards. Any pedal assist bike or e-bike can be modified to exceed its labeled speed limit and power output. Verifying these things requires equipment which is simply too unwieldy and complicated to use on scene. Then there is the issue of even unmodified bikes exceeding their labeled ratings. One can buy complete bikes online, or bike kits, or conversion kits, this marketplace is huge, and very difficult to regulate. And even if you do attempt to regulated it, a significant number of people ignore the regulations anyway. When I was a kid, I put together BMX bikes and cruisers, kids today are building and modifying e-bikes. These e-bikes are far faster and more dangerous than anything I and my friends could put together. The same is loosely true of motorcycles, one can easily bump up the displacement of a motorcycle, it may say "750cc" on the paperwork, but it could easily be 1000cc. A blanket rule is the simplest and least expensive thing to implement. But even if it is implemented, don't count on many people complying with it.

Then there is the age factor. Most of those being injured and killed on e-bikes are minors, many aren't even old enough to obtain a license. If these kids' parents won't protect them, then the law must try to do their work for them. Most of us already have a drivers license, and for us the entire matter is moot. The law, as usual, isn't really necessary for the responsible and law-abiding. Most of us don't need a law to prevent us from driving without a license, or shoplifting from stores, or robbing banks. The law exists mostly for those who are mostly likely to ignore or break it.

I agree with OP, but it's going to be a tough uphill battle. Even if the manufacturers agree, the masses won't notice or care. Ditto the local politicians who make the rules about bike paths etc., and even IF there are some local rules made, good luck getting law enforcement involved.

You sure you want to die on this e-bike hill?

In my area of socal, the constabulary won't even police the easiest rule, that anyone under 16 riding an "e" must wear a helmet. Good luck with anything more stringent.

Two good things about e bikes are: They increase the number of people who will want bike friendly traffic management. They can get the elderly, infirm, or merely lazy out.
Ok, three, they may give more drivers a better perspective on the rights of bikes.

An e-bike makes it easier to get up that hill.

Seems that even Hans Rey may have left out a classification or so.....




As they are, they aren't a issue. At least not for the few times I've encountered them. However I can imagine some adolescent wanting to hot rod them into something else. And perhaps manufacturer's sensing that need by adolescents and others wanting bigger more powerful anything.

The point of establishing the classes in the first place so that the manufacturers could have it both ways with higher power and throttles. It’s worked for a while. I was surprised that the blanket ban in New Jersey was so popular in their legislature. I would’ve thought that the business would be better about lobbying vs the talk radio grievance people.

Young men going too fast is a perennial complaint that I don’t think is specific to E bikes.

Even at 67yo, I still like to go fast. However the weight of e-bikes can be a significant difference in the outcome for it's operator and any other person it hits.

The tricycles I posted weigh close to 100 pounds. So considerably more potential damage to a body than a person with a 17 to 24 pound road bike going the same speed.

I almost hit two fools flying on throttle e-trikes as I was slowly backing out of a parking spot at a trailhead. That trail, like all state park trails in PA, only allows Class 1 e-bikes.

pedal assist e bikes can do this. the e-mopeds and e-motorcycles seem to cause more negative images for bikes from what I see

I agree with some of what is said but STOP LUMPING BICYCLES WITH E-MOPEDS stop it everyone. A bicycle only moves forward via pedaling that can include something that is completely free of assist or it can have assist that goes to 20 or 28mph but does not have any throttle capabilities. I understand his want to limit e-bikes on actual MTB trails to 20mph class 1 machines, I don't disagree there but we cannot lump bicycles and mopeds together because it causes more issues. We need to keep them separated and make sure we are regulating the throttled vehicles very carefully while avoiding adding bicycles so cyclists aren't getting unfairly targeted in the throttle epidemic.

If the concern is speed on a multi use path, I get it 100% but you have to also make it clear to anyone going over speed that it is a problem. Certainly if you make sure throttled vehicles are gone you eliminate some issues but you still have some typically road and tri cyclists who tend to not care and use it for training purposes. However it would be nice to have cycling paths that are only for cycling and keep them only for cycling and allow higher speeds for cyclists and just like on roads faster cyclists pass on the right slower cyclists on the left and no throttled vehicles or non-bicycles.

I don't take it seriously, because that tricycle is essentially a mobility scooter dressed up as a bike. What if you hooked up the full terrifying 750 watts? One entire horsepower? It's got bearings of the worst quality and huge soft tires not to mention the worst aero. And it's not like gramps is adding any extra watts.

Speaking of hp, for most of history the kids going too fast were on 1000 lb horses that were doing 30-40 mph and only taking suggestions about steering.

You better catch that genie and get stuffin'

Speak of the devil. Woman dead after collision with young person on an e-bike on a MUP.

https://people.com/cyclist-dies-afte...chool-11918236

In the eyes of the general public, all e-bike variations get lumped together. There are stories on the news of deaths and injuries and they say "e-bike" even if it's an electric motorcycle without pedals.
There are multiple complaints at local police departments about the young kids racing around the streets, pulling wheelies, and upsetting drivers. This has resulted in crackdowns in several areas where the bikes are impounded and kids detained. Electric motorcycles must be licensed as motorcycles and riders must have a m/c license.

My road bike club allows e-bikes but the only ones that show up are pedal assist, usually 250 watts or even less. These are all experienced roadies who have gone electric for whatever reason.

Problems happen when you put an inexperienced person on a 750 watt bike and turn them loose where other people are. Maybe some sort of classes could come with the purchase of these things, or at least a discussion of the potential danger to others from riding like an idiot. To me, the greatest risk from these things occurs on the local mup. There is a wonderful network of paved trails near here that I have used for years. The danger has increased dramatically over the last few years. Even today, a moron on one of the huge e-bikes ran into a friend and bloodied his arm and broke his computer mount. Lucky they both got slowed enough for it not to be worse.

I am old enough to have experienced these same concerns over gas powered mopeds. I grew up in a small bedroom community and all the rage was the Solex and Puch mopeds, and all the parents of kids who didn't have one created a ruckus over the things buzzing through traffic, on sidewalks, etc. The city council made rules and the cops enforced them heavy handed. It fixed the problem of foolish kids on mopeds and then out of nowhere the things petered out and the market for them dried up.
The shop I worked in sold and serviced the Puch mopeds, and we were very happy to correct course on that mistake after 2 years of enduring it. Easy money up front, but as ebikes are proving, they become a hassle to service as they age and get abused.

Prior to e-bikes existence, our county imposed a 15 MPH limit on MUPs. Speed limit signs were posted and they even had motorcycle and bicycle cops out with speed guns enforcing the limit because of too many bicycle/pedestrian accidents. Some e-bike riders are a menace, however there are some entitled people on road bikes zooming along on densely populated trails as well. The focus of the problem has shifted but I witnessed last Saturday a 3 persons pace line going way too fast on a local trail weaving in and out of people. The county can no longer afford to police speed limits but they probably make more revenue with people on electric powered devices (mono boards, skate boards, exclusive e-powered bikes) than they tried with hot dog cyclists.

Are you talking about real e-bikes (pedal assist only) or e-mopeds or e-motorcycles.

The whole point of the OP is that these things are all called ebikes and are not the same and do not need the same infrastructure.

Relate to the spirit of what he presents but the piece lacks consideration of regulations already in place and the actual electric "bike" landscape.
Already defined where the effort has been made. California has the following in place:

E-bikes ("electric bicycle"), all—no license required, not registered with DMV—750W max power, riders under 18 helmets required, allowed on roads, bike lanes, "many" paths, some class 3 restrictions.
Class 1 boost bikes capped at 20 mph, no age restriction.
Class 2 throttle bike capped at 20 mph no statewide age restriction, some municipal restrictions.
Class 3 boost bike capped at 28 mph. Rider must be 16 or older.

Separately, DMV define Motorized Bicycles or Moped, Motorized Scooter, Motor-Driven scooter. All are registered with DMV, all require a license to operate and the last two require an M1 designation. None is allowed on any bike path, nor highway or freeway.

I have no idea where one-wheel things or e-skateboards fit. Some I encounter go well north of 30 mph. Are they "mopeds"?

I assert we don't have "an e-bike problem" we have an enforcement recognition and application problem. Within the last year the metroplex and its paths have become jammed with BIG throttle devices, many ridden poorly and swiftly. They're not e-bikes and are being operated illegally. IDK if there's staffing or training to deal with it, but we certainly have the rules.

Because we all have anecdotes my latest was Monday, when a dude in full moto rig, including full-face helmet riding a big throttle bike came towards me passing two people on foot and one bike, all going his direction. He panicked, crossed into my lane and passed to MY right. I had stopped to ponder my next few seconds. WTAF?

Suppose I get the spirit of a 750W cap but question its viability. e.g., my class 3 bike is only 250W to go 28. A weight limit seems more on point.

Because they're licensed with DMV as noted earlier, Motorized Bicycles or Mopeds, Motorized Scooters, Motor-Driven Cycles are defined and plated so thus, are already "clearly labeled." Mine has a compliance sticker with all the details, just not visible at a glance. It's adequate for any ranger who wished to see one.

This is where a strong and active bike advocacy group can help shape the public narrative, finding opportunities in media to present the bicyclists' perspective in the conversation.

I just looked at the League of American Bicyclists website - no mention about this incident or the recent law in NJ. Nothing on their Facebook page either.

What advocacy groups are out there presenting our side of the story to the general public?

Conversely, there's the epidemic of pedestrians walking on bicycle paths while a perfectly good footpath exists only a few feet away. The Ohlone Bikeway in the SF East Bay comes to mind, as do others. Then there are the people who walk into traffic after only listening for oncoming motor vehicles. Bicycles are essentially silent. (EVs will help thin the herd of morons.) Pedestrians have their own clueless constituents as well.

I get a lot of runners in the bike lanes near me. I yell at them frequently because these are literally just bike lanes not shared paths. I would do more but I fear they might retaliate and cause harm to cyclists beyond the harm they are already creating by occupying a bicycle path built (poorly) because several people died along the route on bicycles including some kids and it hurts when I see them disrespecting it. The cars as well because they will frequently park in it or think it is a good place to stop (yet having two perfectly good car lanes beside it plus plenty of places to turn off.

Shouting at others is just going to make you look like a grouch. Believe me, I once was that person. Correcting those people that you believe shouldn't be on the path or are doing something they shouldn't should probably be left up to the proper authorities.

However, I am realistic in that probably the authorities aren't going to do anything. So at that point you should just smile and enjoy your de facto MUP.

E bikes are becoming a real issue on the paths and trails my wife and I ride. That says nothing of the issue these riders on e bikes are causing on sidewalks and in bike lanes. I'm at a loss as to do and so - apparently - is our local City Council and State Legislature.