Posted by: FLATCH
Posted by: Vikb
Posted by: mtbman99
This is the issue with ebikes how do you stop these guys vs specific categories.
You aren't going to stop them. It's got pedals and so it's good to go.
It’s only legal if it’s pedal assist, so no it’s not ready to go. Go read some of their comments most guys run them no chain or rear d. Pedals are to make it appear street legal. Those bikes are not legal in most places without proper insurance.
The provincial policy provides an EXPLICIT classification of bikes based on pedal-input and top speed.
The policy also indicates attention to inspections and enforcement as needed, AND for the policy to be revisited after a few years based on how things go .Yes, self-enforcement will still largely be the norm, but that will include peer-enforcement, club-enforcement, and district enforcement who will all take cues from provincial policy.
So yeah. Seems to me that ebike riders will be shooting themselves in the face if they ride over-powered bikes on the trails or cause other problems...especially over the next few years as provincial policy is assessed and reviewed.
It also seems that the best thing to do for those concerned, is pay attention and make note of where and when problems occur. Sure, you could whine and moan, but that won't mean much to the agencies and personnel that actually shape policy.
It will be really interesting to see how well ebikers are able to keep their gratification in check and ride responsibly during this period outlined in the policy. Of course, I'm still not seeing any real positive leadership or advocacy from ebike sellers or product reps about responsible integration. I asked some personally reasonable questions several times about directional riding and solving insurance issues for land access but have only heard more marketing about getting rad and you have to ride one and so forth.