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!!”