Encinitas City Council declares emergency for e-bikes, bicycles

[Robspace1]

I commute on my 3000w ebike on this trail and I see no problem here with e-bikes. The biggest problem I had when I stopped in the middle of the trail to handle a flag to a bicyclust who dropped it on the trail and the acoustic bike ciclists behind me yelled on me to clear the way but they did not even try to apply brake and passed me dangerously close probably thinking that I somehow have to sence them being me and figure out which way to move out of their way. When I see people occupy the middle of the lane I use my brake to slow down and safely and slowly go around them and I do not even use voice or ring because of I know that it can scare people and they can jump on my way being scared.

Acustic bikes are actually more dangerous and more aggressive here because of they hate to slow down or to stop because of they have to waist energy on it while E-bikers are OK to slow down because of it will be effodlessly for them to accelerate after slowing down.

If you're in Washington and riding a 3000 watt ebike on a trail, you're breaking the law. I know, I have 1000 watts on mine, and I ride them as well at times. 750 watts is the legal limit here. Be very careful out there. Any injury to another can be an expensive lawsuit. The law say's this: To be legally considered e-bikes in Washington, bikes need to have a seat, operable pedals, two to three wheels, and an electric motor that can have a power output of up to 750 watts.Feb 22, 2023

 

[TPEHAK]

It will be expensive lawsuit regardless if it is less than 750W or more than 3000W. The law does not care of you caused injury to another on your acoustic bike or on 5000W e-bike. The only thing you have to practice is save riding regardless if you ride less than 750W or more than 750W. In case of you caused injury to another the consequences are going to be the same.

The only thing this law maintains is it restricts the power under penalty. This law does not say you are free to injury others if your e-bike is under 750W.

I saw a few bicycles crashes with pedestrians. All of them were caused by acoustic bikes (speeding in crowded area, not slowing down on intersections, not paying enough attention, using rings and scaring pedestrians who jumped under the bike refused to slow down etc.). Does this mean they will have less expensive lawsuit in case the victim will want to charge them for the injury? Nope, it will be the same regardless of the fact they were on acoustic bikes.

Now, regarding the 750W and 3000W, the difference in top speed of those two wattages is pretty small (maybe 3-5 mph). On 750W you can go maybe 30mph on flat in no wind condition and 35 mph on 3000W in no wing condition. If you pedal very hard you can go maybe 35 mph on 750W and 37 mph on 3000W continuously. The reason for such small difference in speeds for such big difference in wattages is the energy waste raises exponentially while speed raises due to the air resistance. On my another e-bike which is 250W I can go 27-28 mph on flat which is just 2-3 mph less than 750W while the difference in wattage is 3 times.

The only significant difference between 750W and 3000W is acceleration (which rarely causes troubles in the bikes world) and ease of going uphill (which is again rarely causes troubles in the bikes world).

With that being said 750W and 3000W is about equally dangerous, so you have to practice safe riding regardless.

 

[Robspace1]

The speed between the bikes may be similar but that 3 or 4 mph makes a big difference in an injury claim. The state has said anything over 750 watts is no longer a ebike but a motor vehicle. Their not permitted on any of the trails used by pedestrians or other bikers. Like I said, mine is 1000w, does 28, and yes, I get passed by roadies on the street, as well as 50 mph scooters and one wheels, but if I get in a accident on a trail, or on the street, I am automatically guilty of breaking the law by having an unregistered, uninsured, motor vehicle on the road. It's not a bike. It's a scooter. I understand this and accept the risk of losing a lawsuit because of that. I was not aware of that law when I bought my bike 3 years ago. I keep that in mind evert time I ride and especially on trails around other people. I'm extra cautious. I suspect a universal law is coming covering all electric 1 and 2 wheeled vehicles. We may end up not being allowed on the trails at all as the popularity and accident rates rise. Why anyone needs to go 50 mph on a stand-up scooter or one wheel is insane anyway, but they do. Be careful out there.

 

[TPEHAK]

They need to be able to go 50mph on one wheel to be able to keep up with traffic in 45 mph speed zones.

 

[Robspace1]

They need to be able to go 50mph on one wheel to be able to keep up with traffic in 45 mph speed zones.

Question is, why try to keep up with the 4 wheelers? The stand-up scooters and 1 wheels are not allowed to use the car lanes anyway. In this state we have some great bike laws, giving bikers the right to use car lanes when there is no bike lane, and we are not required to stop for stop signs, which is nice, but I would never try to keep up the pace of a car out there. If using a car lane, I stay to the right. Let them 4 wheelers fly on by, no problem. I ride for pleasure not to race. I cruise along at a comfy 15 mph and get there when I get there. If I need to go faster or be some place on time I use my car. I bought a bike with a bigger motor to take me up the steep streets we have in Wa. not to go fast. It works.

 

[TPEHAK]

It is more dangerous to ride bike in the bike lane than ride it in the car lane. If your bike is powerful enough to keep up with cars just ride it in the car lane. If your bike is not powerful enough to keep up with cars then ride it on the sidewalk. If the bike lane is separated from the car lane with guard then maybe ride it in the bike lane.

 

[Robspace1]

It is more dangerous to ride bike in the bike lane than ride it in the car lane. If your bike is powerful enough to keep up with cars just ride it in the car lane. If your bike is not powerful enough to keep up with cars then ride it on the sidewalk. If the bike lane is separated from the car lane with guard then maybe ride it in the bike lane.

You need to read the bike laws of the state. It is never legal to ride down the center of the road in the car lane. For turning purposes at intersections it's allowed. You hold up traffic and pose a risk to people around you. If you want to ride in the middle of the flow of traffic, you need a licensed, insured vehicle like a scooter. Bike lanes are much safer than the middle of the road. Riding on sidewalks is illegal here with ebikes. Any time you play in traffic, you lose, not the car. It's not about having enough power to keep up with cars. Ebikes are not motorcycles or scooters. The law says 750 watts, no more. Does not matter how fast they go. 750 watts, that's it. The state built the bike lanes for bikes, not scooters, pedestrians, or cars. You can go ride down I-5 on that bike too if you want. It's also illegal and dangerous as hell. Stay in the bike lane, pay attention, ( I use a rearview camera and a side mirror) and you may live to see a nice old age, or take risks and prepare for a tragic outcome. I ride for fun, not purpose. To each they're own.

 

[Roamers]

If I need to go faster or be some place on time I use my car.

I use feet, bike, ebike or motor vehicle depending on velocity needed.

 

[TPEHAK]

Bikes have choice to ride on the road so it is legal. And a lot of bikes use this right here in Seattle. Bikes have 3 choices: the road, the bike lane and the sidewalk, you can pick the one you like. I prefer the road and I occupy the whole lane.

 

[TPEHAK]

I use feet, bike, ebike or motor vehicle depending on velocity needed.

My commute includes huge range of velocityes, from 0mph to 35mph and bike alone covers all that range just fine.

 

[Robspace1]

I use feet, bike, ebike or motor vehicle depending on velocity needed.

Me too

 

[Roamers]

My commute includes huge range of velocityes, from 0mph to 35mph and bike alone covers all that range just fine.

I should have added "lack of sweat" needed in addition to velocity needed. I am on 2 wheels only for recreation, or when I don't care if I'm sweaty; like the hardware store.

 

[Robspace1]

My commute includes huge range of velocityes, from 0mph to 35mph and bike alone covers all that range just fine.

Good. But, for you're own security, you should see what the state law say's. We are limited with ebikes. We do have the same rights and resonsibilities as cars in Wa. which is great, but we don't have the same road access as cars. Because by state law, you are riding an illegal vehicle. You start out by breaking the law every time you ride. I do too. It sucks, I know. They should raise that watt limit to at least 1000. Especially in a state with so many hills and steep streets. If we have a wreck with someone the lawyers will instantly pounce on the fact we ride illegal bikes. The alternative is to remove the pedals, add turn signals, insurance, and register it as a scooter.

 

[AvalancheRun]

Surrons have become popular around here recently. While I'm so glad they are riding those instead of obnoxiously loud gas motorcycles, they're out of place on the trails.

I'm not sure if it's how they're riding, or the wider tires but they kick up insane amounts of dust on trails. It's like riding through a dust storm.

To most people Rad Runner = ebike, Surron = ebike. It doesn't help that the media equates the two all the time.

 

[TPEHAK]

Riding illegal bike does not make you automatically guilty in wreck. Just like driving a car with not working turn signal light bulb is illegal, but in case of the wreck the broken turn signal does not make you automatically guilty in the accident. The only thing the law can do is to charge you for riding the vehicle illegally with brocken turn signal (or riding the bike with more wattage). But again, it does not make you guilty in the accident. Those are two separate things, do not mix them. And again, if you did not yield the pedestrian on your acoustic bike and hit that person nobody is going to care if it was acoustic bike, you will be responsible for the accident. If you did not yield the pedestrian on more than 750W ebike and did hit that person you will be charged the same plus charge for riding the overpowered bike. But those two charges are going to be two separate things.

The only way you can use the fact of riding an ebike with less than 750W power in case of accident in you advantage is if you want to trick the justice and try to convince others that you were not speeding in front of the pedestrians because of your bike is less than 750W and becasue of your bike is less than 750W it is the pedestrian fault. But it is a bad practice, I believe everyone should admit their mistakes, so if you were speeding in front of pedestrians or did not yield the pedestrians and caused an accident you have to be charged and you have to accept those charges not trying to use the 750W power limit in your advantage.

 

[Robspace1]

Riding illegal bike does not make you automatically guilty in wreck. Just like driving a car with not working turn signal light bulb is illegal, but in case of the wreck the broken turn signal does not make you automatically guilty in the accident. The only thing the law can do is to charge you for riding the vehicle illegally with brocken turn signal (or riding the bike with more wattage). But again, it does not make you guilty in the accident. Those are two separate things, do not mix them. And again, if you did not yield the pedestrian on your acoustic bike and hit that person nobody is going to care if it was acoustic bike, you will be responsible for the accident. If you did not yield the pedestrian on more than 750W ebike and did hit that person you will be charged the same plus charge for riding the overpowered bike. But those two charges are going to be two separate things.

The only way you can use the fact of riding an ebike with less than 750W power in case of accident in you advantage is if you want to trick the justice and try to convince others that you were not speeding in front of the pedestrians because of your bike is less than 750W and becasue of your bike is less than 750W it is the pedestrian fault. But it is a bad practice, I believe everyone should admit their mistakes, so if you were speeding in front of pedestrians or did not yield the pedestrians and caused an accident you have to be charged and you have to accept those charges not trying to use the 750W power limit in your advantage.

If you have an accident and the other person is hurt, and it's you're fault, you can be sued, and the fact you were on an illegal bike, with more power than the law allows, can and will be used as major negative points against you in civil court to determine the damage amount you pay the injured party. So, the state fines you, possibly taking the bike or/or making you prove it's legal to ride. It's not. You lose on all fronts. This happens all the time when someone with no insurance hurts or kills someone while driving. If you come to court with "dirty hands" you start with a big strike against you. Anyone on a ebike in Wa. with more than 750 watts of power is breaking the law. I do, so I am super careful out there. I don't take chances or call attention to myself by riding down the middle of the road where some nice citizen might decide to call to report a reckless bike rider. Why chance it? If I want to be in the road or go faster on two wheels, I can buy a scooter. So, I'm done with the subject. Be safe out there. Happy trails.

 

[TPEHAK]

If there is a law declares to use the power more than 750W in case of accident to increase the determined damage amount then we need to change that law or bring that power at least up to 3000W because of this is BS. But I doubt such law exists.

They raise the amount of determined damage if you do not have a car insurance in case of accident because there is such law about insurance. Not because of it is illigal to drive a car without an insurance.

 

[Roamers]

If there is a law declares to use the power more than 750W in case of accident to increase the determined damage amount then we need to change that law or bring that power at least up to 3000W because of this is BS. But I doubt such law exists.

They raise the amount of determined damage if you do not have a car insurance in case of accident because there is such law about insurance. Not because of it is illigal to drive a car without an insurance.

Having spent a bit of time in litigation support (I'm not a lawyer, but spent a lot of time with them), anything that "is not as supposed be" will be used against you no matter how much you say "show me the written law".

If you look at an insurance policy, wording is probably there that gives them reason to not pay if something "is not as supposed to be."

 

[Robspace1]

Having spent a bit of time in litigation support (I'm not a lawyer, but spent a lot of time with them), anything that "is not as supposed be" will be used against you no matter how much you say "show me the written law".

If you look at an insurance policy, wording is probably there that gives them reason to not pay if something "is not as supposed to be."

Exactly

 

[None]

Some tips to ebike purchase for teens.

Buying your teenager an electric bike? Here’s how to choose the right one

Buying your teenager an electric bike? Here's how to choose the right one

Are you ready to buy your teenager an electric bike to get around on their own? Consider these helpful tips to avoid making a mistake.

electrek.co