Is it important to you that your ebike doesn’t look like an ebike?

[crash test]

That brings up one of my irrational fears...

Not an irrational fear. I've seen a bike store online "Wanted + Reward" video of test rider woman who stole the bike. I'd NEVER let anyone just have my $2000 bike. It would be overly generous to thieves and quite costly to do that as a regular thing. "Here, hold my $2000/$5000 while I watch you leave."

 

[crash test]

So now that I'm doubting that the ebikes sold in Canada are legal for the road in Canada... stealth seems like it might be a lot smarter.
Maybe I am not going to be getting an ebike. Can someone please confirm that the ebikes being sold for the road have compliance stickers permanently attached ?

 

[DaveMatthews]

So now that I'm doubting that the ebikes sold in Canada are legal for the road in Canada... stealth seems like it might be a lot smarter.
Maybe I am not going to be getting an ebike. Can someone please confirm that the ebikes being sold for the road have compliance stickers permanently attached ?

Perhaps I don't understand the question. I live in Vancouver and use my ebike multiple times a week on and off the road.
All bikes sold here are capped at 32km/h of pedal assist by law, so they are legal on the road. What people do to bypass that cap after sale is on the owner themselves.
If you buy a ebike in Canada from a reputable dealer, you'll be fine. There are ebikes for sale on CL etc that don't comply with the law BTW.

 

[Ken M]

So now that I'm doubting that the ebikes sold in Canada are legal for the road in Canada... stealth seems like it might be a lot smarter.
Maybe I am not going to be getting an ebike. Can someone please confirm that the ebikes being sold for the road have compliance stickers permanently attached ?

It seems Canada is wanting ebikes to be impractically slow and low power that they are useless except for riding around the neighborhood. Sad that the world needs effective human scale transportation that doesn't require everyone to pay insane insurance premiums, get licenses, and also pay high registration fees but I think Canada views any ebike going over 32kph as a motorcycle.

 

[sl_duck]

So many ebikes are ugly contraptions that I welcome better integration.

 

[crash test]

Perhaps I don't understand the question. I live in Vancouver and use my ebike multiple times a week on and off the road.
All bikes sold here are capped at 32km/h of pedal assist by law, so they are legal on the road. What people do to bypass that cap after sale is on the owner themselves.
If you buy a ebike in Canada from a reputable dealer, you'll be fine. There are ebikes for sale on CL etc that don't comply with the law BTW.

Hi Dave Mathews. I understand that the road bikes are limited. However, that is not all that is required in Ontario, for example. Here provincial regs state that you need a permanently affixed certificate of compliance from the manufacturer in order to ride on the roads.
This is government policy:

"E-bikes in Ontario must have:

• 
  
• steering handlebars
• 
  
• working pedals
• 
  
• an electric motor not exceeding 500 Watts
• 
  
• a maximum speed of 32 km/h
• 
  
• a maximum weight of 120 kg
• 
  
• a permanent label from the manufacturer in both English and French stating that your e-bike conforms to the federal definition of a power-assisted bicycle"

BC is a bit different: "As a condition of initial sale, all commercially manufactured MACs must have a label stating that the vehicle is a “power-assisted bicycle."

 

[Cowlitz]

I'd like it to not look like an ebike. But maybe we could reverse that and sell stuff to make acoustic bikes look like ebikes.

 

[sl_duck]

I cringe whenever I see one of these "e-bikes" on the bike path, with their vestigial pedals sticking out. I want to scream "just get a bicycle!" A regular bike is lighter, with more available and cheaper parts, and you don't look like a dork riding a toy version of a motorcycle. Then I talk myself down, telling myself that more people using bicycle infrastructure means more people caring about bicycle infrastructure, even if those people have no clue about bike etiquette, culture, or safety.
Bikes of this style have gained a reputation as being what people use if their license has been revoked, and generally attract more attention from police as they look like an un-plated motorcycle.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Hi Dave Mathews. I understand that the road bikes are limited. However, that is not all that is required in Ontario, for example. Here provincial regs state that you need a permanently affixed certificate of compliance from the manufacturer in order to ride on the roads.
This is government policy:

"E-bikes in Ontario must have:

• 
  
• steering handlebars
• 
  
• working pedals
• 
  
• an electric motor not exceeding 500 Watts
• 
  
• a maximum speed of 32 km/h
• 
  
• a maximum weight of 120 kg
• 
  
• a permanent label from the manufacturer in both English and French stating that your e-bike conforms to the federal definition of a power-assisted bicycle"

BC is a bit different: "As a condition of initial sale, all commercially manufactured MACs must have a label stating that the vehicle is a “power-assisted bicycle."

No joy!
Hmmm... I'd dump that squarely at the feet of the retailer. If they want to sell a bike there, surely they'd need to meet compliance.

 

[Ken M]

Hi Dave Mathews. I understand that the road bikes are limited. However, that is not all that is required in Ontario, for example. Here provincial regs state that you need a permanently affixed certificate of compliance from the manufacturer in order to ride on the roads.
This is government policy:

"E-bikes in Ontario must have:

• 
  
• steering handlebars
• 
  
• working pedals
• 
  
• an electric motor not exceeding 500 Watts
• 
  
• a maximum speed of 32 km/h
• 
  
• a maximum weight of 120 kg
• 
  
• a permanent label from the manufacturer in both English and French stating that your e-bike conforms to the federal definition of a power-assisted bicycle"

BC is a bit different: "As a condition of initial sale, all commercially manufactured MACs must have a label stating that the vehicle is a “power-assisted bicycle."

Isn't the Footloose sold in Canada? It has pedals that only spin a generator to recharge the battery as you ride with a throttle. I also believe pedal-less toddler bikes are sold in Canada. I would think legal standing on what is consider "working pedals" is a bit weak as it is in the US as well.

I would also like to see the exact wording for the motor power rating or drive system max wattage. Motor ratings are pretty nebulous but few people have the technical aptitude to understand the difference. Why do you think that most motor manufacturers are saying a nominal rating and a max / peak drive system power?

The fact that the world needs human scale transportation is justification for regulations that make sense and not ones that leave ebikes unable to meet their potential...32kph is a speed a traditional bike can do so I do not consider that a rational top assist speed for an ebike. I know there are plenty of mamby-pambies that will now tell me that 32kph is too fast but that honestly only applies to some situations like mix use path where there should be speed limits for all bikes/ebikes.

 

[crash test]

No joy!
Hmmm... I'd dump that squarely at the feet of the retailer. If they want to sell a bike there, surely they'd need to meet compliance.

Yeah. and the reviewers for the Canadian sellers. They are misleading the public big time if they are selling bikes in Ontario as street legal but have no certificate in French and English affixed.
I want this remedied immediately with "The Reviewer". Sellers can tell complainers to shove off, because they know they are not going to buy if they know.

Meanwhile, "stealth is the word", for here, I guess.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Yeah. and the reviewers for the Canadian sellers. They are misleading the public big time if they are selling bikes in Ontario as street legal but have no certificate in French and English affixed.
I want this remedied immediately with "The Reviewer". Sellers can tell complainers to shove off, because they know they are not going to buy if they know.

Meanwhile, "stealth is the word", for here, I guess.

Ontario is the only province requiring this, isn't it?
If so, I doubt any/all the manufacturers will comply. How ridiculous.

 

[crash test]

Ontario is the only province requiring this, isn't it?

No, I see Quebec also. Maybe others.

"
Electric bikes

'''

• They bear a specific compliance label"'

 

[6zfshdb]

I saw a clever conversion on the trail recently. A rider I met converted his Trek MTB with a 500 watt rear hub motor. He mounted two batteries on his down tube that were disguised to look like water bottles! The wiring was hidden so well I didn't realize it was an ebike until he showed me!

I thought this was carrying "stealth" a bit too far but he said ebikes are banned where he lives. I would have talked to him more and maybe got a picture but he was in a hurry.

 

[opimax]

I would like a stealth bike as above that is class 2 but chipped to get by as many foolish rules as I can. I ride fast when I can and appropriately slower as needed. I know pedestrians, horses any about anything has priority over my bike and ride as such. I make many, many educated decisions in my life included riding a bike safely and politely, why do people want to take rights away ?

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I would like a stealth bike as above that is class 2 but chipped to get by as many foolish rules as I can. I ride fast when I can and appropriately slower as needed. I know pedestrians, horses any about anything has priority over my bike and ride as such. I make many, many educated decisions in my life included riding a bike safely and politely, why do people want to take rights away ?

I hear what you are saying, but...

We in the United States have faced a substantial erosion of our 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment rights over the last forty years, both by a long stream of court decisions and by the practical application of the law. I don't think you can place being required to ride your bike at 15mph on a public bike path in the same category. The scary abuses inherent in civil forfeiture, eminent domain, and the suspension of habeus corpus are far bigger threats to the erosion of our rights than speed limits for bicycles.

 

[MarkF]

Ha Ha me too.
I tell anyone who will listen about my new ebike. And when I'm done talking I insist they take it for a spin.

 

[Marci jo]

Ha Ha me too.
I tell anyone who will listen about my new ebike. And when I'm done talking I insist they take it for a spin.

Same here. I blather on and on about torque, watt hours, batter charging etc. I'm not much fun at social gathering because non cyclists get kind of get a glazed look in their eyes, then change the subject.
However, I don't let them ride it. Not sure why, I just don't.