As an environmentalist, yet also mountain bike trail designer/builder, I have long been torn over e-bikes.
Recently, my 72 year old (partially disabled) father bought an e-bike. Cycling is his life, its the only real sport he can do given his injuries, and for the first time in 15 years I am able to go mountain biking with him. He is not crushing single track, he is not pushing limits of speed, and he isn't thrashing berms. Yet he still uses many trails that are identified as mountain bike trails, and has the potential to have both positive and negative trail encounters with other user groups. Without an e-bike motor he is basically incapable of climbing most hills (road or trail) given his disabilities and injuries.
Now, do we ban my father from mountain bike trails? It's just not that simple.
This is about the only sport he can, and wants to do (other than some road riding). Discriminating against someone like him is able-ist, without a doubt. Do we make e-bikes a different classification (as many winter riding areas have done with fat bikes versus snowshoes/x-country skis)? I think this is our best bet. Is it simple? No, but it means we avoid a lot of pitfalls of trail access, legality, engine definitions, ableism, etc.
If anyone has a better idea, I'm all ears. As a government employee in the natural resource management field, trail advocate, trail builder and son to a disabled e-bike user, I can and will be taking feedback I get to various levels of Canadian government for consideration.
July 25, 2017, 2:03 p.m. - Burgess Langshaw Power
As an environmentalist, yet also mountain bike trail designer/builder, I have long been torn over e-bikes. Recently, my 72 year old (partially disabled) father bought an e-bike. Cycling is his life, its the only real sport he can do given his injuries, and for the first time in 15 years I am able to go mountain biking with him. He is not crushing single track, he is not pushing limits of speed, and he isn't thrashing berms. Yet he still uses many trails that are identified as mountain bike trails, and has the potential to have both positive and negative trail encounters with other user groups. Without an e-bike motor he is basically incapable of climbing most hills (road or trail) given his disabilities and injuries. Now, do we ban my father from mountain bike trails? It's just not that simple. This is about the only sport he can, and wants to do (other than some road riding). Discriminating against someone like him is able-ist, without a doubt. Do we make e-bikes a different classification (as many winter riding areas have done with fat bikes versus snowshoes/x-country skis)? I think this is our best bet. Is it simple? No, but it means we avoid a lot of pitfalls of trail access, legality, engine definitions, ableism, etc. If anyone has a better idea, I'm all ears. As a government employee in the natural resource management field, trail advocate, trail builder and son to a disabled e-bike user, I can and will be taking feedback I get to various levels of Canadian government for consideration.