Electric mountain bikers: What do you do if you don't have enough local e-bike trails to ride?

Electric mountain bikers: What do you do if you don’t have enough local e-bike trails to ride?

61% of survey respondents say they don't have enough e-bike-legal trails in their local area. So what do you do if you don't have enough trails to ride?

By Greg Heil
July 28, 2024

11 comments

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Two weeks ago we ran a survey on Singletracks asking, “Does your local area have the right number of e-bike-legal MTB trails?” While we didn’t receive nearly as many responses to this survey as we did to the e-bike ownership survey, a full 61% of survey respondents said, “No, we don’t have enough.” We want to know how eMTB owners deal with a lack of legal trails to ride locally.

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11 Comments

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ironhead700 Ontario // 2009
Jul 30, 2024

I have been riding an e-mtb for the last 5 1/2 years. After 15,600 miles of riding many, many trails in Ontario, Canada, the States of Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, North and South Carolina I have never been told that I cannot ride my e-bike on any particular trail. I purposely stay away from the trails where the trail stewards are 'anal' about e-bikes but I do ride......and enjoy....... many trails where the "nefarious" e-bike is supposedly not allowed. It is hard to fathom that this neanderthal-type attitude concerning Class 1 e-bikes still exists.

3 reply

volleybrian Oregon // 2024
Aug 1, 2024

I ride forest roads. There are no restrictions, I almost never encounter anyone, and I happen to appreciate the wider path compared to a single track. There are also far more forest roads than bike trails.

1 reply

Varaxis New York // 2010
Jul 28, 2024

I've been riding random dirt roads and remote pavement, just guiding myself by pointing out some point on the horizon and saying I want to go there.

Riding these areas on a normal bike would normally be pretty unrewarding, due to less fun and less beauty, but the novelty of adventure/exploration, the lack of traffic, and the emtb's ability to make short work of dull stuff makes riding this stuff a decent use of my time.

Better than changing up my bike or riding buddies to freshen up the experience of the same old riding spots.

Sethsquatch Colorado // 2024
Jul 30, 2024

So I called my local county, asking for an exception because I have a torn meniscus in my knee and I cannot ride a normal bike, I asked for a special use permit. They said I am clear to ride any trail I'd like, I'm protected under the American Disability Act, no permit required, no problem riding on any trail. Since then I've been confronted exactly zero times riding all my local trails, in fact, the couple times people have noticed my ebike on a clearly marked "no ebikes allowed", the response was overwhelmingly positive.

Babysue Washington // 2016
Aug 8, 2024

I am a 70 year old female and have been riding mountain bikes since 1985.
I no longer have the balance and aerobic capacity to ride single track without riding an ebike. Even though I am riding an ebike I don’t go as fast as my younger husband who still rides a regular mountain bike.
I LOVE riding single track trails and am frustrated that most of the single track trails are off limits to ebikes.
I think that maybe the older generation of mountain bikers should be allowed to still pursue their love of the sport by allowing us to ride our ebikes on all of the beloved trails that we could ride when we were younger.

0 reply

Peterj72 United Kingdom // 2012
Aug 2, 2024

In the UK we do not have the same laws/rules for e-bikes on purpose built trails as long as the bike's top speed does not exceed 25kmph. Many non purpose built trails can also be used such as bridlepath and some other permissive rights of way.
I wonder with regards in the US, can you simply ride your e-bike without the battery on the stricter - 'no e-bike', trails??

Robzee67 North Carolina // 2024
Aug 2, 2024

First, Thank you Greg for making e-mtb content and surveys. It is bringing attention to the growing popularity and eventually will have to comply with the demand. I live in Dupont Forest in NC and has you know we have our challenges with the stubborn local community because they don't want to accept the mtb progression of the sport/hobby/lifestyle. It is just a matter of time and patience that eventually they will all fade away just like the horse and carriage over for cars.

-1 reply

AcidGambit419 Texas // 2024
Jul 30, 2024

Where I live in Wichita Falls Texas we have a large cycling community but it is mostly road cyclists. I ride a Talaria XXX. The police have told me multiple times that I am allowed to ride anywhere a bicycle can because even without pedals it's still an E-Bike. The local road cyclists don't agree. I have been harassed so many times for riding an ebike the police have told me to start reporting it. The thing is, all these people trying to ban e bikes or make e bike only trails never have any idea what they are doing. In my year of riding on these local trails I have yet to see a single legitimate reason to ban e bikes use. It's all just a knee jerk reaction from people scared of change.

-2 reply

DonLemont Illinois // 2020
Aug 4, 2024

Talaria and Surron are electric motorcycles (bikes) - NOT electric bicycles (bikes)
Both are technically “bikes” , heck Harley is a “bike”, right?
I believe MTB associations are trying to differentiate terminology of bikes vs bicycles, but falling on deaf ears so far.

ironhead700 Ontario // 2009
Aug 1, 2024

in addition to fear of change it is also an "ego thing".......particularly among the younger healthy, fit riders. They have an "earn it" attitude and it's hard for them to acknowledge that 'others' who don't share that same description can also enjoy the trails now.

Hap Proctor Florida // 2014
Aug 4, 2024

In central Florida, amongst the avid mountain bikers, I know more under 40 e-bike riders than those of 60+ years of age. The are quite popular , even without enough elevation to make them necessary.

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