E-bikes have been banned by default from natural-surface, singletrack mountain bike trails in Washington State by a new bill that just passed the state legislature. The bill grants e-bike access to paved bike paths and lanes, and depending on the class, sidewalks.
Like most of the recent e-bike bills that have been passed at the state level, including the recent bill in Colorado, the Washington State bill breaks e-bikes into three classes based on the speeds they can achieve and whether or not they have a throttle. Regardless of the class of e-bike, “generally, a person may not operate an electric-assisted bicycle on a trail that is designated as non-motorized and that has a natural surface, unless otherwise authorized by the state agency or local authority having jurisdiction over the trail,” according to bill SB 6434.
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The Washington State bill differs dramatically in this respect from the Colorado bill, which allows e-bikes to travel on mountain bike trails by default. The Washington State bill bans e-bikes by default. However, in both instances, the local land management agency still has the right to either ban or allow e-bikes on a case-by-case basis.
The exact language in the bill is a result of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA) working closely with “non-motorized recreation groups to assist the Legislature in refining the bill’s language,” according to a press release on the EMBA website. “Evergreen collaborated with other outdoor recreation groups to include language defining natural surface trails, and treating them differently than paved bike paths. The end result is that e-bikes are not allowed on natural surface trails, unless signed or stated open by the managing jurisdiction.
“We are satisfied with the outcome of this initial legislation, as it addresses a critical need for urban bike commuters, and gives land managers specific authority to implement e-bike policies,” the release continues. “It also recognizes that there is a crucial difference between road and trail use and it enables Evergreen to work on future legislation specific to trails, if deemed necessary.”
Why the effort on EMBA’s part? In addition to citing e-bike concerns posed by some of EMBA’s partners and possible funding issues, EMBA fears the “potential loss of trail access if land managers choose to close trails to all ‘bikes’ because e-bikes are now defined as bicycles.”
E-bikes are currently managed as motorized vehicles by the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service federal land management agencies, which in places like Colorado precludes the vast majority of nonmotorized trails from being used by e-bikes. While many trails in Washington are located on land managed by these agencies, it’s notable that none of the three highest-rated mountain bike trails in Washington according to Singletracks members–Galbraith Mountain, Tiger Mountain, and Duthie Hill–are located on federal land.
Consequently, this ruling by the state legislature could be poised to severely limit electric mountain bike adoption and usage in the state.
48 Comments
Mar 15, 2018
Mar 7, 2019
Impacts? All trails incur impacts with or without use and impacts are felt from all disciplines. Let's figure out a sustainable maintenance program. Yeah, we might even have to pay to play, see how much permit programs benefit motorized trail systems.
Trails for all, RESPECT the land and each other.
Sep 4, 2018
A smaller group? Yes. Elite and younger? I think that's reaching. I'd like to believe that even the zero-ebike purists have a motive that's more about preserving a more egalitarian sense of achievement of the sport by trying to assure that the people who ride the trail do roughly the same work. They will gladly welcome anyone who joins them, at any age, and any fitness level.
However, even for those who support (regulation conforming pedal assist) ebikes on trails, there is a significant challenge in allowing ebikes that meet a set of regulations, because they are really really hard to tell apart.
I personally support < 70lb 350w 20mph pedal-assist-only ebikes on trails. However, a 1000w 95lb, throttle-equipped "ebike" is basically a motocross bike but still looks like an ebike. IMO, we need to admit that and push for a practical way to restrict what ebikes are on trails, possibly through licensing, in order to find some kind of reasonable common ground.
Mar 6, 2019
The "limits"we've allllll been assured about are a great argument til you see the videos on how to bypass them, and there exist lots of ways to tweak their speed to allow much faster speeds. We see it here all the time in Summit County.
I'm a supporter of rules to govern trail usage, and support moto users having access to some trails that are shared, and some that are not, and motorized bikes have been prohibited from a lot of trails for good reason. I don't need to have my car everywhere. I don't need to have my bike everywhere either (we have many non-biking trails here in fact). I don't need to ride my road bike in the left lane of the interstate. How is this rule so offensive to people? Enjoy your e-bike and find the trails suited to them, without the red herring arguments.
Oct 22, 2018
Jan 7, 2019
Mar 16, 2018
2. Assistance on e-bikes is limited to 20 mph for class 1 e-bikes, a speed routinely exceeded by unassisted bikes with in shape riders.
3. I've test ridden e-bikes (Haibike and Bulls) on trails. Climbs are still hard, speed on level and downhill are still limited by prudence (crashing still hurts!).
Mar 16, 2018
Jul 22, 2018
This whole banning ebikes from single track thing is like using a 12 guage shotgun to swat a fly. Fear mongering. Sure, there's going to be bad people doing bad stuff. So what's new. Banning me from cycling the only way I can is stupid and mean. Most of the comments against ebikes on single track sound more like Evangelical furvor then logical arguments against them. Has anyone shown that ebikes actually cause all problems they talk about. And not just anecdotes?
Mar 15, 2018
Oct 22, 2018
Most of the hate comes from people that haven't ridden them or ridden with them.
I still ride a single speed MTB and a fat bike. And the ebike has actually helped improve both my skill AND fitness for riding my analog bikes.
Jan 7, 2019
Fast forward to last fall, a friend asked me to join him on a mountain bike ride. He was on an e bike, I was riding a 10 year old something. He suggested that I purchase an e mountain bike. My first response was something like, "I am not riding any bike that has a motor of any kind after a near life time devoted to pedaling and high heart rate efforts. Well, I borrowed his wife's Giant e hardtail and I could not stop laughing; the experience was insane fun.
See, at 62 years of age, I no longer have the desire to maintain high HR lactic acid threshold training events...I'm not sure that these types of efforts are beneficial for me. I borrowed a friends 2018 specialized base Levo and took to the woods a few more times to get a better feel for the bike while wearing my HR monitor. my average HR was 157 with a high of 174, 25 beats less than my max HR. This is the range I belong in and the e bike offers me the opportunity to enjoy the woods without killing myself. I tested a 2019 Stump Jumper Carbon Comp back to back against the e Levo for 10 miles in the woods yesterday. I love the e bike!
I read comments above about motorized vehicles destroying the trails...I can see how one might attach to this belief but one must consider the math, as was pointed out above as well. A Carbon Comp Levo weighs 45lbs, I weigh 162. Place a 180 lb human on a 25 lb Stump Jumper and we are in the same weight range. Adding rider aggressiveness, skill level tire type and width and its possible to absolutely blur the differences. Dare I write that an expert weighing 180lbs riding a 25 pound bike aggressively has the potential to disrupt trails more than an e bike. In my hands, an e bike is not a down hill villain, my pace on the flats is enjoyable, I keep the power mode in what might universally eco on the flats and in sport whilst climbing rocky difficult terrain.
This is about having fun, about emptying my brain for a few hour a couple times a week without killing myself...I was an angry human every Saturday morning performing 70-80 TT events as part of my training. I have zeri desire to work that hard on a bike.
For those of you who feel an e bike is cheating, I get it, I did too...until I hopped on one. They are not as flickable - if at all - as a non e bike but if your goal is to have fun, serious fun whilst riding in the woods you should really treat yourself to ride one. If you are a younger rider, like I was once, racing a few days a week, an e mountain bike isn't your thing...it would not have been my thing. But we all age and keep the love for riding alive in the woods, away from cars, just puts a smile on my face.
Jan 7, 2019
Jul 31, 2018
Aug 31, 2018
I am another 60+ rider(62). I built my first MBT in 1981 from new and used parts, inspired by the pioneers on nearby Mount Tam in Marin. Now my knees are older and stamina not as great. My pedal assist hard-tail allows me to get out and enjoy riding like I used to. I cannot hike due to a disability with my foot- severe heel pain from plantar fasciitis, so biking is really important to me.
As others have said here, a speed limit seems the most compassionate and inclusive way to limit harm and danger.
Also, the best way to limit danger on any mixed use trail, is to slow down around hikers or horses.
It seems like one really obvious point that has not been talked about here much is that high speeds are mostly achieved going down-hill. The E-assist on my Haibike cuts out at 20MPH. Coasting, any MTB can exceed 20MPH on a smooth, open, downhill track.
I wonder how much of the energy behind banning ebikes off-road is self centered--- in a desire to limit access to a smaller elite group of fit, younger people. I can understand the appeal of having more space and access for one's own tribe, but is it fair to the older and less-able among us?
For those who feel competitive with ebike riders: Simply resist the temptation to view the geezers and weeker people on pedal assist Ebikes as competitors, see them as possible friends with differing abilities.
Jan 3, 2019
In addition, I dont buy the fact that pedal assist ebikes that dont add any power over 20mph is more destructive on a trail than some of the hard chargers
Maybe all the anti ebike zealots should ride single speeds because gears make riding easier!
Let everybody enjoy the trails!
Mar 19, 2018
Mar 22, 2018
Oct 22, 2018
Jun 6, 2019
I wonder if this restriction would apply to something that really isn't a mtn bike trail.
e.g. One of my favorite approaches for a multi-day backcountry hike that starts with 5 miles of old fireroad that was decommissioned/tank-trapped decades ago.
It's not a named trail on any map. It's not in any hiking/riding/equestrian guidebooks, although it is part of the approach for a Cascade peak listed by The Mountaineers org. Only a half dozen people a year go there. I've been going there for 10 years and have seen 3 people in total.
The approach is 5 miles of 10% grade, with multiple unrideable washouts and downed trees, and some exposed sections of rotten rock and shale that are tricky to walk, let alone ride.
Most of the 'trail' in in Nat Forest land, if that matters.
Nov 15, 2019
There is 0 difference in riding an ebike on any trail other than you get a little help going up hills. That's it. Period. If this gets more people out on the trails and off the couch, then it's a win for everyone. The more people, the more trail builders, the more events and more new awesome trails. Use your brain to see how you can leverage all the new riders and find out what they can do for your trails, businesses, organisations, groups, schools. The ones who welcome all these new riders will be the winners in the long run. #evergreenmountainbike
Remember ebikers DON'T need to shuttle to the top of every hill so they can ride down. That's just lazy. They ride up. Ebikes are the snowboards of 25 years ago, they are taking over the world of biking and there is no stopping them. 90% of the people who are complaining will own one. Someday.
Mar 18, 2018
"Generally, a person may not operate an electric-assisted bicycle on a trail that is designated as
nonmotorized and that has a natural surface, unless otherwise authorized by the state agency
or local authority having jurisdiction over the trail."
As I understand it... and PLEASE correct me if i'm wrong, but this basically translates into... no ebikes on unpaved, non-motorized trails.
Us bikers are supposed be united... an "alliance", if you will. Legislation with a clause of this nature is divisive and harmful to the mtb community as a whole.
Ebikers aren't some crazy new breed of rider that we should fear. They are the same as us... they ARE us. Many of us own several bikes of different utility and use them accordingly. We have just embraced technology as it happened on us. Just like the microwave or the e-book, some cooks and readers of books were proudly slow to accept and adopt, while others saw immediate utility. Like so many others, I don't suddenly become irresponsible when i ride an ebike, or somehow gain responsibility when i solely ride under my own power.
Non-motorized trails in the in the back country were conceived for conservation, namely pollution or risk of fire -not for etching out an exclusion for battery assisted bicycles.
If it is about speed, post an overall speed limit... or different speeds at different times.. That's how a shared public road works... doesn't matter if you're driving a bike, e-bike, scooter, Prius, Tesla, or Mack truck - you have to obey the speed limit. The roads are for the young & healthy, our elder population, and our disabled. I'm sorry, but there are some jerks out there on the trails that are unsafe and selfish... they can be way too fast, tailgate, pass too close, etc. They may be behaving in such a way on a bike with 5" wide tires with huge nobbies that shred the trails. Though now, we'll have a smaller force and smaller voice to admonish the real troublemakers out there on the trails.
Wow. To put so much time and effort into this legislation... it got us all excited, and hopeful and then this?? Selfish. Shameful. Divisive. C'mon, where's the unifying love, mountain bikers? Or, are motor-less riders somehow more ethical or "pure"?? It is important to realize... sharing the trails with E-bikers would not have taken away that [baseless imo] belief.
Oct 22, 2018
May 9, 2019
However, I won't say anything if they're not going faster than regular bike traffic. If they're "coasting" along at 20 mph into a headwind...then YES, I will speak out to them.
I'm 55 years old and take care of myself, so I don't require any motor assist. If there comes a day when I can't hike up 14ers or ride mountain bikes challenging trails, then it's time for golf or road bike riding.
Jul 24, 2018
Mar 20, 2018
"NOTE FOR ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDERS: This map represents how e-bikes are interpreted in each state’s vehicle code, and where e-bikes are allowed to go on the road, bike lanes, bike paths, or other paved or hard-surface bicycle infrastructure. The vehicle code does not apply to electric mountain bike access on motorized and non-motorized trails typically used for hiking, biking, and other singletrack or doubletrack trail experiences. eMTB access on singletrack is different than access to paved and soft surface bike lanes and bike paths; eMTBs are not allowed everywhere traditional mountain bikes are; and on federal, state, county and local trails, eMTB access varies significantly. Always consult with your local land manager for access questions."
https://peopleforbikes.org/our-work/e-bikes/
Here's Colorado's: http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_1151_signed.pdf
Mar 6, 2019
ADA rule applicability was adjudicated long ago (hence why you don't see dirt trails being modified to allow wheelchairs, for example). Further, yes, it's your tax dollars in many cases supporting these trails. But that's also the case in places like the interstate, where rules regulate your ability to, say, ride your road bike on them (in most cases, you can't). It's an absurd comparison here, but it's worth pointing out that taxpayer "rights to use" are not totally unfettered.
People for Bikes is supported and primarily funded by the industry that makes these bikes. It's their mission to expand access. Fine and all, but they're not exactly objective.
Mar 21, 2018
That's not exactly true. I did extensive research on this, speaking with the representatives who sponsored the bill, and interviewing land managers tasked with implementing the law. While People for Bikes or other sponsors of the bill may have intended the bill to work this way, in practice that is not how it's being implemented.
https://www.singletracks.com/blog/trail-advocacy/electric-mountain-bikes-allowed-singletrack-colorado-yes-no/
Mar 22, 2018
Mar 15, 2018
Any type of power delivery (electric or gasoline) that exceeds a human (~1/4HP sustained) is going to accelerate trail wear. You either only allow human powered vehicles or you don't - that's how trails should be defined in my humble opinion.
Oct 22, 2018
While the ebikes are about 10-15 pounds heavier than an analog bike, that weight difference is well within the variance of rider weights which vary by 150 pounds or more. (just mentioning it because the weight of the ebikes has been used in this argument by others).
Jun 6, 2018
What if the power assist systems were tuned to only supplement the rider ONLY to get them up to the power output of a fit human?
Sustained for a few hours, an average-fit human is 200w or 1/3hp, while a top amateur is 350 watts or 1/2hp, and a pro is 500 watts or 0.67hp. Sprinting for 30 seconds, some claims say pros can do 1500-2000 watts. Let's call a reasonable trail figure 350 watts sustained, 1500 watts for 20 second sprints.
If a rider put in 200 watts, the system could add 150 watts extra. If a rider put in 50 watts, the system could put in 300 watts extra. Likewise, on a short 20s sprint basis, if the rider put in 400 watts, the system could supplement up to 1500 watts for 20s. I don't want to get buried in the mathematics, I'm just trying to illustrate that an electric assist system could be designed just to bring less athletic folks up to the level of athletic folks, for the purpose of trail usage and wear.
Mar 15, 2018
Mar 16, 2018
Mar 16, 2018
Apr 8, 2018
Kinda makes me think its a welfare tool for under achievers that want to say that they MTB.
Oct 22, 2018
Mar 16, 2018
My worries apply to both natural and paved surfaces:
1) What is the guarantee to limit total output to human levels? None. Look at all power sports, and increases in power have been the norm over decades of development. Horsepower sells.
2) When mixing powered motorized vehicles, with non motorized trail/bike path users, it boils down to speed differentials. The speed differential is why bicycles/farm equipment/pedestrians are not allowed on highways. It gets dangerous to have slow vehicles in a realm of fast ones, and vice versa.
So my position, is to not allow powered bicycles on trails or bike paths designed for pedestrian/bicycle use, simply due to the increase potential in more users having the ability to go much faster/easier than before, creating large speed differentials. If there were guarantees that the power outputs would never exceed average human output, than I would be open to the conversation of pedal assist bicycles used along side normal bicycles, but history of business models and product development show this would not work.
Now if e-bikes are to be used on shared roads with cars, or off road on dirt bike trails, then perfect, add the needed power and range, to decrease the speed differential.
Mar 15, 2018
Greg, I have a question for your readers. When you reach that point in your life, either through age or through any physical/medical limitations, where you aren't able to spin the pedals unassisted, will you deny yourself the joys of riding your favorite trails if it means using an e-bike?
Feb 10, 2019
Oct 22, 2018
Mar 23, 2018
As it is, I have reached a point where I can't ride trails I used to, or at least don't because it's too darn difficult.
I have never even considered getting an e-bike to help me up those 3,000 vertical ft climbs I used to do with ease, but can no longer do.
Either I find a way to overcome my recently imposed limitations, or I don't do it at all. It's that simple. If the bike does all or even some of the work getting me to the top, it's not the same. If I have to cheat to win, I just won't play in the first place.
Mar 16, 2018
Mar 16, 2018
Oct 22, 2018
And yeah it would be nice to be as fit as some of those guys (and gals) but you know, some of us have jobs most of the week, and are old lol
Mar 15, 2018
Feb 27, 2019
Mar 16, 2018