The Future of eBikes: How Fast is Too Fast?

[BEC111]

I live further out where the trail is less heavily used, but for 12 years I lived in Reston and commuted to Vienna and frequently rode into Arlington/DC to ride with friends so my mileage all over the w&od is probably 20k miles. What is a safe speed is wildly variable, it really depends on the section of trail and traffic level. Nice days with lots of people out, 15mph is probably pushing unsafe. On long rural stretches that are straight and have almost nobody on them, you can cruise at 25mph+ and be fine. I ride my esk8 west from Leesburg occasionally and can push that well into the 30s just fine. I slow down whenever I encounter someone so I'm not zipping by them at high speed and I'm ready if they do something unanticipated. Same when I ride my class 3.

The issue is that some people just don't care what traffic is doing and what trail conditions are, they will go max speed. Roadies and high speed ebikers alike seem to be over represented when it comes to that attitude.

Yeah. I’m in Ashburn, and most of my shorter rides are either to Herndon or Raflo Park in Leesburg or, on occasion, Bike Lane in Reston, which are each about 20 miles round trip. I admit that passing a pedestrian or, more often, a cyclist riding at 8-10 mph can feel as though I’m going really fast. Even if I’m only going 10-12 mph.

And no matter the speed at which we’re going, we’ll piss someone off: “Damn cyclists!!”

 

[kevinmccune]

Yeah. I’m in Ashburn, and most of my shorter rides are either to Herndon or Raflo Park in Leesburg or, on occasion, Bike Lane in Reston, which are each about 20 miles round trip. I admit that passing a pedestrian or, more often, a cyclist riding at 8-10 mph can feel as though I’m going really fast. Even if I’m only going 10-12 mph.

And no matter the speed at which we’re going, we’ll piss someone off: “Damn cyclists!!”

the only issue I ever had with cyclists is when they are holding traffic up otherwise they can go as fast as they want or do anything else they want ebikes are not near as hard on a trail as "dirt bikes" except the dirt bikes with pedals.

 

[PedalUma]

the only issue I ever had with cyclists is when they are holding traffic up otherwise they can go as fast as they want or do anything else they want ebikes are not near as hard on a trail as "dirt bikes" except the dirt bikes with pedals.

My town is the meeting place and starting place for group rides to western Marin and the Sonoma coast. What really pisses people off is when roadies, Dentists on $15,000 carbon bikes, ride five abreast and no one can pass.

 

[kevinmccune]

agree,kinda like the 3 abreast aisle walkers in Wal Mart( Amazon gets a lot of my business these days .so does eBay and Ali express.

 

[rtp]

I'm not sure different classes of bikes are necessary. A Toyoto Corolla and a Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale are very different in their abilities to go fast, among other things. As far as I know they operate under all the same regulations. And why shouldn't they be? Who needs to do 199 mph? Put up speed limit signs and enforce them. Or rely on common sense. (LOL.) No matter what regulations you choose, it's going to boil down to enforcement. Plus, do we care what people are able to do, or what they actually do? We all have the ability to jay walk and commit murder. Do we arrest everybody, or just the ones who commit the crimes?

TT

Yeah, I don't particularly have big concerns over e-bikes with pedals able to reach 28-30mph. Like someone else said, common sense applies and at least some adults have it. Even for kids, well - play stupid games, win stupid prizes. If cops wanted to do something like 'pull over any e-bike for inspection seen doing > 25MPH NOT downhill' I'd be fine with it. There are tolerances to both radar as well as bike enforced speed limits, so it's close enough. I don't see issues with them being on trails either, as IMO they're quite close enough to normal bikes/mountain bikes and the like that at least most people riding them are unlikely to cause any more issues or trail damage, etc.

The only valid concern IMO is the growing next generations of Surrons and the like - yeah, they're pretty much motorcycles/mopeds, and they keep getting faster while the riders somehow keep getting younger. Nope, they don't belong on trails. I'm not convinced they belong on the streets without license and registration. No doubt they're fun - I grew up riding dirt bikes, and yeah, including being chased a few times on the road as they too weren't road-legal. I've lived in some states where they have off-road trails (motorcycles) or decent 'off road vehicle' laws, and some that are just a bad joke, making it nearly impossible to legally own and use a dirt bike (motorcycle). The Surrons and e-motorcycles are certainly at or approaching (and for some, exceeding) things like a CRF-50 or 80cc kids dirt bike. If they don't get outright banned, which I don't think they should be, put them in the same category as dirt bikes - off-road only, and they can go ride at off-road motorcycle areas. If their max speed is <= 40MPH, maybe give them a road registration option as 'the new generation. of moped.'

Done.

 

[PedalUma]

A guy came in yesterday wanting a new fork for a Happy Run. Those are illegal motorcycles with pedals as a cover. Last June his kid was watching his friend do a wheelie instead of looking where he was going and slammed into the back of a truck, badly breaking his right leg. The kid has not fully recovered. I referred the dad to another shop. Those motorcycles are the worst quality junk. I do not want my fingerprints on that.

 

[stompandgo]

We currently work on these bikes, but I'm slowly convincing the boss that it's not a good idea to do it. The liability exposure is simply too high. Some stupid kid maims himself for life after we work on it. Mom's not going after a Chinese company, she's going after the shop.

 

[kevinmccune]

A guy came in yesterday wanting a new fork for a Happy Run. Those are illegal motorcycles with pedals as a cover. Last June his kid was watching his friend do a wheelie instead of looking where he was going and slammed into the back of a truck, badly breaking his right leg. The kid has not fully recovered. I referred the dad to another shop. Those motorcycles are the worst quality junk. I do not want my fingerprints on that.

dang,common sense! send that junk to the motorcycle repair shop.

 

[kevinmccune]

We currently work on these bikes, but I'm slowly convincing the boss that it's not a good idea to do it. The liability exposure is simply too high. Some stupid kid maims himself for life after we work on it. Mom's not going after a Chinese company, she's going after the shop.

all true.

 

[PedalUma]

dang,common sense! send that junk to the motorcycle repair shop.

Motorcycle shops will not touch them. They don't know about bicycle derailleurs. And clearly everything about them is junk compared to a real motorcycle. One had plasi-chrome cylinders at the tops of coils that did not do anything except 'look cool' to a 14-year-old in an online only photo. There is the electric bike shop downtown where I worked for one year. They do work on legit eMotos like Talaria. That is where I sent that dad. There is a place called the Marin County Motorcycle Association that owns land just outside of town were off road motorcycles can legitimately ride. Off road on private land, that is fine. See the plasti-chrome cylinders?

 

[kevinmccune]

Motorcycle shops will not touch them. They don't know about bicycle derailleurs. And clearly everything about them is junk compared to a real motorcycle. One had plasi-chrome cylinders at the tops of coils that did not do anything except 'look cool' to a 14-year-old in an online only photo. There is the electric bike shop downtown where I worked for one year. They do work on legit eMotos like Talaria. That is where I sent that dad. There is a place called the Marin County Motorcycle Association that owns land just outside of town were off road motorcycles can legitimately ride. Off road on private land, that is fine. See the plasti-chrome cylinders?
View attachment 203460

4 letters!

 

[PedalUma]

4 letters!

Everything about those HappyRuns is junk and a danger. When working on one I got food poisoning and really had the HappyRuns for the day.

 

[John Bowman]

E-Bikes are getting faster, more powerful, and pushing the limits of what’s street-legal. With models hitting 40+ mph and custom builds going even beyond that, it raises the question ,how fast is too fast for an eBike?

Should high-speed eBikes be regulated like motorcycles? Or should riders have the freedom to push the limits? Some say anything over 28 mph belongs in a different category, while others argue that technology is evolving, and laws need to keep up.

What do you think? Should eBikes have a speed cap, or should we embrace the thrill of high-performance rides? Also, drop your fastest eBike setups lets see who’s really pushing the boundaries

I go 65 mph downhill on my non motorized bike.
I also have 40 years of bike riding experience.
The problem is high speed with no experience or training.

 

[John Bowman]

E-Bikes are getting faster, more powerful, and pushing the limits of what’s street-legal. With models hitting 40+ mph and custom builds going even beyond that, it raises the question ,how fast is too fast for an eBike?

Should high-speed eBikes be regulated like motorcycles? Or should riders have the freedom to push the limits? Some say anything over 28 mph belongs in a different category, while others argue that technology is evolving, and laws need to keep up.

What do you think? Should eBikes have a speed cap, or should we embrace the thrill of high-performance rides? Also, drop your fastest eBike setups lets see who’s really pushing the boundaries

My fastest setup is not an e bike.
Yes it sucks on long hills, but rips on the flats and downhill.