I left this comment on the video comments area:
"Regarding Joe wanting to downgrade class 1 US bikes to the EU standards, I think that is going backwards and is not something anyone who rides an ebike would want. (1) the trails themselves dictate the speed as most technical singletrack trails are not conducive for going faster than 15 mph. Exceptions are fast downhill trails, in which case, most E bikes would go slower than pedal bikes due to their greater weight and the likely older demographic of E bikers. The people going the fastest would be the strava ragers and the downhill riders, but few trails have speed limit anyway, so people go as fast as they want and can go. (2) I think the EU limiting speeds is why there are so many people modifying their E bikes to go faster as 15 MPH is very slow, especially when you want to ride one bike as both a trail bike and a commuter. Most European E biker detest the limit and modify their bikes, so much for compliance. If you want people to follow the law, than make laws that make sense, otherwise people will go around the law and be non compliant. (3) Ebikes will go faster than pedal bikes uphills, depending on the riders, but we are talking a 1 to 4 MPH difference in most cases and likely most always below 15 MPH in any typical trail situation. I suspect pedal bikers are not wanting E bikes to share the trails because they do not want less fit riders passing them, it is just the competitive nature of bikers, just ego. (4) If Joe was successful and got all US bikes to be speed limited to EU standards, then everyone would just modify their bikes and cheat anyway as 15 MPH is just to slow when you want to ride to the trail system and be able to commute with your E bike. Better to let the US 3 class system continue on as it is and work on laws, education and enforcement to keep the DIY E bikes that do not qualify into the 3 class system off the trails as they are the bikes that might damage trails, disturb wildlife, and create user conflict. I think we have seen enough studies at this point to conclude that Class 1 Bikes do not create problems with trails, wildlife or user conflict and will mix well with pedal bikes on most bike trails given sufficient visibility and trail width to enable safe passing. There will be more riders total on the trails once E bikes are allowed, riders of varying ages, skill levels and likely more people just out for recreational exercise. I suspect that might be an issue as trails become more crowded with a larger diversity of user groups than in the past when it was just pedal bikers. I am betting this is the number one reason most pedal bikers are not wanting E bikes, they want the trails to themselves, nobody likes crowded trails whether it is a hiking, skiing, biking or whatever trail. The flip side of this is more users equal more trail advocates to be vocal and support/fund trail building and ultimately more trails. As Joe concludes, the E bikers are going to be incorporated into the bike trails, it is just a just a matter of when. It makes no sense to lump E bikes onto trails with dirtbikes, off road vehicles and ATV/UTV's as those vehicles can travel crazy high speeds and destroy the trails making it both very dangerous and difficult for an E biker. There has to be a middle ground, I think it is letting class 1 E bikes onto existing singletrack bike trails. It makes sense to allow E bikes onto trails that have sufficient visibility and some space for passing and on the trails that can accommodate a greater number of riders than the trail currently is experiencing. Bottom line is E bikes allow everyone access to trails on our Public Lands and will open up the trails to more people who want to recreate onto Public Land, we just need to work out the details so this can happen in a way that maximizes safety and minimizes impact to the trails, wildlife or user group conflict."
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