Retired in Southern Utah

[rdarrington66]

Hi from Southern Utah! I am disabled and recently purchased a Class I fat tire e-bike, looking forward to being able to ride the abundance of trails with my newfound ability as without the electric assist I would not be able to ride a MTB at all. I was surprised when I tried to join a MeetUp MTB group and was told that e-MTB's are not allowed on BLM or USFS trails designated for non-motorized vehicles. I was further surprised by the groups leader who seemed to dead-set against e-MTB's on MTB trails. Perhaps I misunderstood the curt "not allowed" for "not wanted". Reading some of the posts on EBR leads me to believe that there are many out there (without disabilities) who would do anything in their power to ban e-MTB from "their trails". So what did I do? I wrote Utah Senators Mitt Romney and Michael S.Lee, encouraging them to raise the issue of access to MTB trails by disabled persons on BLM and USFS trails designated for non-motorized vehicles. Will that make a difference? Probably not. Nevertheless, I am going to fight for my right as a disabled American to have access to trails that would otherwise be inaccessible to me without the electric assist of a Class I EMTB. I saw a lot of discussion about pros and cons of a "class" system and I don't want to cloudy my point by getting into that debate. What's my point you ask? The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures access to those individuals with disabilities. Why should EMTB be exempt? I can ride a scooter at the local supermarket (I don't as my disability does not prevent me from walking) but I cant ride my EMTB on a MTB trail? Trust me, with my disability and physical condition, I will be slowing down the group, not passing them. I am sorry for the rant but this topic seems to have been under discussion for some years now and it seems little progress is being made to ensure access to those with disabilities. Basically that really gets my goat. Anyway, I am happy to have found a forum where I can express my thoughts and I look forward to hearing from those like minded individuals.

 

[Marci jo]

Hi from Southern Utah! I am disabled and recently purchased a Class I fat tire e-bike, looking forward to being able to ride the abundance of trails with my newfound ability as without the electric assist I would not be able to ride a MTB at all. I was surprised when I tried to join a MeetUp MTB group and was told that e-MTB's are not allowed on BLM or USFS trails designated for non-motorized vehicles. I was further surprised by the groups leader who seemed to dead-set against e-MTB's on MTB trails. Perhaps I misunderstood the curt "not allowed" for "not wanted". Reading some of the posts on EBR leads me to believe that there are many out there (without disabilities) who would do anything in their power to ban e-MTB from "their trails". So what did I do? I wrote Utah Senators Mitt Romney and Michael S.Lee, encouraging them to raise the issue of access to MTB trails by disabled persons on BLM and USFS trails designated for non-motorized vehicles. Will that make a difference? Probably not. Nevertheless, I am going to fight for my right as a disabled American to have access to trails that would otherwise be inaccessible to me without the electric assist of a Class I EMTB. I saw a lot of discussion about pros and cons of a "class" system and I don't want to cloudy my point by getting into that debate. What's my point you ask? The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures access to those individuals with disabilities. Why should EMTB be exempt? I can ride a scooter at the local supermarket (I don't as my disability does not prevent me from walking) but I cant ride my EMTB on a MTB trail? Trust me, with my disability and physical condition, I will be slowing down the group, not passing them. I am sorry for the rant but this topic seems to have been under discussion for some years now and it seems little progress is being made to ensure access to those with disabilities. Basically that really gets my goat. Anyway, I am happy to have found a forum where I can express my thoughts and I look forward to hearing from those like minded individuals.

Hang in there! Keep fighting.
I hope you still can get many miles on your new bike.

 

[6zfshdb]

Glad to have you aboard!

There are many of us here who advocate for e-bikes as an aid to the elderly and disabled. There is a lot of information available in the "Electric Bike Laws, Regulations" sub forum which you might find interesting. https://electricbikereview.com/forums/forum/laws/

I just returned from a trip to Southern Utah last week and I certainly envy you living in that beautiful country. I just posted a thread on E-bikes in Moab that you might like. https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/ebikes-in-moab-utah.28125/

Anyway, welcome to the forum!