Police - questioning the power rating of your E-bike? or Ticketing you?

[Tom@WashDC]

most interactions have been in National Parks and regional rail-trails - all positive, I think mostly because the ones I've interacted with know that their agency will be getting E_Bikes in their fleet pending evaluation and bidding process and post covid supply chain improvements.

A friend of mine in the Whitehouse Secret Service detail said the uniformed division of the Secret Service just purchased 50+ Electric Bikes after the demonstrations this summer. Said they want to be able to respond by bike faster, and not be too exhausted once they arrive at the destination. This is definitely a rising trend in police departments.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Just on a lighter note (different part of the world, different issues). Last Summer, I went for a 67 mile ride along River Vistula, to track the past of our European "Amish" settlers, or the Hollanders. In the city of Płock, a policeman told me to pull over and intended to preach me for not riding the bike path with my S-Pedelec Vado (it is illegal to ride bike paths with a "moped"; he thought I was riding a 25 km/h e-bike). When I lectured him on the S-Pedelec laws, he demanded seeing the driving license, registration and insurance documents (I had everything with me). He was stunned to see all-day lights and the braking indicator on my e-bike. At his last attempt, he demanded I showed him the turn signals -- I had none. Again, I had to explain him he better read the law. (Blinkers on a moped are optional here).

I was irritated and suggested we met in court. At that moment, he gave up

 

[Dallant]

A friend of mine in the Whitehouse Secret Service detail said the uniformed division of the Secret Service just purchased 50+ Electric Bikes after the demonstrations this summer. Said they want to be able to respond by bike faster, and not be too exhausted once they arrive at the destination. This is definitely a rising trend in police departments.

Did he say what brand/model they bought?

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Lol man you're lawyering this to death, just take the L(oss). Capability refers to what the motor could do with the firmware applied. The law also doesn't specify the weight of the rider, the humidity, the ground surface, coefficient of resistance, the wind speed or any number of factors that might influence speed...

I'm not telling you to obey the law, just what the law is.

That's funny, And you are right, and thanks for being good natured. Though the federal guidance does specify the weight of the driver! LOL.
I started the posts because I am curious. I am thinking that as these things evolve and become more mainstream with the public, and police departments, we'll se more interactions. Just curious as to what is happening around the country with other riders. I'll be tooling around DC in my 1600W Fat Bike this spring, limited to 20 MPH of course.

We'll see what happens

 

[Tom@WashDC]

Did he say what brand/model they bought?

Nope

 

[Asher]

If you want to assure inquisitive minds that you are complying with the law, you could apply a sticker to your ebike that classifies it as a Class 1 or Class 2 device. (And the most important rule, don't bike like a jerk! Then you won't have problems.)

Home built and no class stickers¿

Reading up on a lot of the laws that are now required in 2017 and newer buy Factory it has to state whether it's a Class 1 2 or 3. However I cannot find anything on the law stating that you have to have any information on the bicycle if you build the ebike yourself. Now as I have said many times...

electricbikereview.com

 

[Luto]

Once when I riding my bike on the bike lane in Yellowstone national park, I was fined $150.
E-bikes are legal to ride on roads in many of the national parks but I was riding at 25mph and the ranger must have followed me for about 5 miles and then he pulled me over and asked how I was going so fast.
The whole bike lane was empty and I was trying to reach the hotel at the other end before the sunset but he did not care and nor did he understand anything about E-bikes. He thought I was on some sort of motorcycle.

Most of my other experiences have been very positive. But, sometimes you do come across people who have no clue and in unfortunate circumstances like mine, riders may have to pay some fine.

View attachment 79300

Good thing you did not have any weed on you. Out here in WA, in the NP, they are checking people for even paraphernalia and fining them.

 

[McCorby]

Last fall I met a fellow ebiker on the Oak Leaf trail in Milwaukee. He asked me what class my bike was because he was stopped earlier by an officer on a police bike. The officer asked him what class his bike was and verified it had a class 1 sticker. He was riding a Como. I have passed several officers on the trail and have never been stopped. My bike is a class 1, so I'm not worried if I do get stopped!

 

[ki11a]

FTP

ACAB

Undercover pulled me over on the sidewalk, I usually take the bike lane but this day it was rainy and nasty...I wanted to be more safe. I was going with the main road on the sidewalk, passed a sideroad with a red light. Undercover goes on the sidewalk pulling me over, tries to ticket me for running a pedestrian red signal (the red lighted side road I passed), while telling me to stay safe...so what I should have been in the bike lane with terrible riding conditions? f*ck off.

 

[6zfshdb]

Experiences are going to vary depending on where and when you ride. In my case, I ride exclusively on trails and have been questioned several times by park rangers in MD and PA. Most were simply curious about the bike and voiced no concern about my riding there even though I was technically riding illegally. One told me "Don't ride like an idiot and you won't have any trouble".

Unfortunately, I suspect this policy will change in the future as more and more e-bikes hit the roads & trails. The number of "idiot" riders is sure to increase proportionally.

 

[TForan]

It would never happen in the town where I live. And thank God for that. Only thing they have said to me is "Cool Bike!".

 

[Ken M]

It's really sad that the 3 class system was claimed to be about safety and clarification. Both lies as it was a rush to get harmonized specs with the EU so the big players could ship the same ebikes to the smaller US market that they were selling in Europe.

I want everyone to know that People for Bikes (a bike advocacy group) received a minimum of $300,000 in lobby funds to push what they call "model legislation" which is anything but. The original definition written by Dr. Currie for HR727 was fine as any low speed electric bicycle compliant with that definition should have just been treated as any other bike via bike traffic laws that go back decades. That was working and would have continued to work.

Putting stickers on ebike is never going to work and it's harming the entire industry while they claim it's helping the sales (the sales are great because ebikes are great not because of the 3-class "model legislation").

 

[harryS]

This came across on one of my facebook groups.

Pinellas beach mayors say they want to pump the brakes on electric bikes, scooters

Mayors from seven Pinellas County beach communities are fired up over what they’re calling a growing hazard: Electric bikes and scooters.

www.abcactionnews.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Both lies as it was a rush to get harmonized specs with the EU so the big players could ship the same ebikes to the smaller US market that they were selling in Europe.

This might be one of possible views but I might not fully agree with it.

Specialized U.S. change the speed restriction of 25 km/h "European" Vado 5.0 to 28 mph and make it Class 3, price US$4600. To ride at 45 km/h in Europe, you need Vado 6.0 (that is unavailable in the U.S.) and pay equivalent of US$6650. There are plethora of Class 3 e-bikes in the United States, while so-called S-Pedelecs are very rare in Europe, and belong to the most expensive class of e-bikes. (@jodi2 can confirm it).

 

[Terry777]

They want to restrict younger guys or girls(as an example) in what is a quick bike at best. They let the elderly loose in whatever car they want? I’m not being a agist or whatever you wanna call it, just using it as example.

The UK government is the perfect example.

250w limit for the fittest man in the UK sitting over there,
his granny who has a list of disabling conditions,
a Mercedes van!!

Come on!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

250w limit for the fittest man in the UK sitting over there

I wonder what you needed an e-bike for in the first place. Hope you can mash 250 W continuous pedal power yourself.

his granny who has a list of disabling conditions,
a Mercedes van!!

I wish we had such a nanny-state over here.

 

[Handlebars]

Capability refers to what the motor could do with the firmware applied.

...

I'm not telling you to obey the law, just what the law is.

Then how about showing that specification?

 

[Terry777]

I wonder what you needed an e-bike for in the first place. Hope you can mash 250 W continuous pedal power yourself.

I wish we had such a nanny-state over here.

Yup 250w is the limit. It’s crazy, like you say you could prob mash that yourself.

TBH, so long as you’re not riding like an idiot they don’t really bother you. I’ve only had inquisitive questions so far but if ones had a bad day or whatever they could ticket you.

The best example I’ve heard so far is the one where they can ticket you for doing 21mph going uphill on an ebike. Then you can smoke them doing 35 mph on a push bike on the way back down and there isn’t a thing they can do about it. Go figure....

Crazy uk laws!! Lol

 

[Dallant]

This came across on one of my facebook groups.

Pinellas beach mayors say they want to pump the brakes on electric bikes, scooters

Mayors from seven Pinellas County beach communities are fired up over what they’re calling a growing hazard: Electric bikes and scooters.

www.abcactionnews.com

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the higher speed/throttle ebikes on trails with pedestrians BUT...
Not once in that article did they say what about an ebike was causing any problem vs a regular bike. Is it the speed or the throttle or what? The mayor who had to “swerve” would’ve had to no matter what bike the kid was riding.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yup 250w is the limit. It’s crazy, like you say you could prob mash that yourself.

TBH, so long as you’re not riding like an idiot they don’t really bother you. I’ve only had inquisitive questions so far but if ones had a bad day or whatever they could ticket you.

The best example I’ve heard so far is the one where they can ticket you for doing 21mph going uphill on an ebike. Then you can smoke them doing 35 mph on a push bike on the way back down and there isn’t a thing they can do about it. Go figure....

Crazy uk laws!! Lol

You should buy yourself a motorcycle Terry. Say, Yamaha N-Max 125. 9 kW, 125 km/h top speed. Throttle. The price's lower than a good EU e-bike. Small details are a driving license and insurance plus a helmet but I think even that is in your reach.
I thought we were talking e-bikes. And cycling.