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  1. K

    New Federal E-Bike Legislation March 2026

    Wow...thanks. Many years ago I predicted all this regulatory mess would happen. It's not all because of the 3-class legislation but it added to the confusion. The more serious problem is essentially e-motors (some of which have "functional pedals") being marketed and sold as ebikes even if...
  2. K

    New Federal E-Bike Legislation March 2026

    Every Bosch drive ebike is/was 100% compliant with HR727 so NOTHING was restricting their penetration of the US ebike market....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. They knew HR727 provided a more capable mobility solution than they were currently producing or wanted produced by other companies such that their...
  3. K

    New Federal E-Bike Legislation March 2026

    Really. Bosch was/is the largest auto parts producer in the world with over $100 billion is total sales, with over half coming from the auto parts. The ebike motor division was not even $1 billion at the time they provided $3 million to People for Bikes to promote the 3-class system. Given that...
  4. K

    Rivian spins out a new micromobility startup called Also with $105M from Eclipse

    The really dumb thing about the People for Bikes 3 class system is differentiating a difference between a Pedal assist to 20mph and a throttle to 20mph. My guess is they were trying to address that Europe didn't allow throttles at all but that is likely to change given handicap people may need a...
  5. K

    New Federal E-Bike Legislation March 2026

    Yes ... the original definition of a low speed electric bicycles in HR727 must be protected or we are in a deep pile of nasty regulatory capture to keep ebikes as only good for recreation/leisure/fitness solutions and not effective transportation solution as Dr. Currie intended. I get hammered...
  6. K

    New Federal E-Bike Legislation March 2026

    We all need to understand what Dr. Currie really did with his multi-year effort to get HR727 passed. He move the legal purview for ebikes from the NHTSA (if a bike had a motor there were viewed the same as a motorcycle) to the CPSC, thus ebikes went into the 15 USC 2085 safety standards as a...
  7. K

    New Federal E-Bike Legislation March 2026

    The CPSC / Federal regulations are supposed to establish what is legal for sale in all 50 states. Almost everyone gets confused on this fact. The states are supposed to regulate "use" of what the feds have established as a compliant "low speed electric bicycle" defined by HR727. I get a ton of...
  8. K

    People for Bikes: Progress on Ebike Laws in the US

    Really. A gasoline engine motorcycle graphic for speed pedelecs from 20-28mph. Nothing intended there. Drivers license required on ebikes but minimum age of 15 who are too young for a drivers license. Also a bike or ebike can be said to be "designed to be stood upon" so not a great way to define...
  9. K

    concerns with ebikes laws and ways to improve them

    I actually think that is very important point!!!
  10. K

    Riders and lawmakers must understand the actual regulations and intent....

    Regulating ebikes is challenging because you have brands promoting e-motos that have functional pedals as ebikes. This is highly risky because if someone riding something that is not a compliant ebike hits and harms a pedestrian they are on an illegal vehicle that can create huge liabilities. I...
  11. K

    Riders and lawmakers must understand the actual regulations and intent....

    There was a perception that European spec'd ebikes could not be sold in the US so there was some merit of the 3-class legislation to harmonize the US market with the much larger ebike market in Europe. The downside was that class 3 (same as speed pedelecs in Europe) could have registration...
  12. K

    Riders and lawmakers must understand the actual regulations and intent....

    Bosch and other industry leaders contributed millions of dollars to the advocacy group PeopleForBikes to draft and lobby for the standardized 3-class e-bike legislation across the U.S. [1, 2] Key Details of the Lobbying and 3-Class System: Industry Funding: Bosch, alongside the former Bicycle...
  13. K

    Riders and lawmakers must understand the actual regulations and intent....

    Can you tell me what is "unclear" about HR727? The Federal regulation as defined by HR727 was intended to regulated interstate commerce to define what is a compliant "low speed electric bicycles" that can be sold in all 50 states. The intent was for this to be "use" regulated by the states...
  14. K

    concerns with ebikes laws and ways to improve them

    Seitelman Law Offices highlights "pedestrian unpredictability". Because e-bikes operate silently, pedestrians frequently step off curbs, out of rideshares, or into designated bike lanes without looking, rendering them partially or fully at fault for failing to yield the right-of-way. I think...
  15. K

    concerns with ebikes laws and ways to improve them

    I think the data showing the number of pedestrians injured by ebikers is not easy to find. A recent six-year urban study found that out of all reported e-mobility and bike-related emergency room visits, approximately 7.5% were pedestrian injuries involving e-bikes, traditional bicycles, and...
  16. K

    Washington State's new ebike laws just passed.

    Spandexters have never been the riders to look towards for fashion or common sense.
  17. K

    Washington State's new ebike laws just passed.

    Essentially what Washington State has done is killed the Class 3 ebike and returned to what was defined in HR727 for a compliant "low speed electric bike" that can be sold in all 50 states. I wonder if the people that already own Class 3 ebikes will petition for grand fathering of those ebikes...
  18. K

    People for Bikes: Progress on Ebike Laws in the US

    No matter how many times I mention it, nobody ever reads HR727 which is the federal definition for what is a compliant "low speed electric bicycle" that can be sold in all 50 states. It does not define a cut-off at 20mph....it states that motor alone speed is limited to 20mph on level surface...
  19. K

    Riders and lawmakers must understand the actual regulations and intent....

    Well I rode an ebike in the Denver area over 6000 miles one year and never did I see a biker hazardously riding thru pedestrians. I hear all these horror stories that pedestrians are claiming but I wonder if they are walking in road side bike lanes where bikers are going a bit faster (there are...
  20. K

    People for Bikes: Progress on Ebike Laws in the US

    Somewhat accurate but the definition of compliance was intended to be HR727 and states were supposed to retain "use" regulations of compliant "low speed electric bicycles" as same as traditional bikes. There was one "class" that allowed full power to 20mph and limited assist beyond that speed -...
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