Fine for riding e-bikes on trails in DC?

[jabberwocky]

@peterw_diy 97519 wrote:

Why? Many e-bike motors are very quiet — we’re not talking about allowing mopeds on singletrack. If we allow all those wimps with suspension forks, why not e-assist, too? Seriously.

Because motors are capable of delivering far more torque to the trail than a person alone can, and that can very easily tear up trail surface. Sustainability is at the top of the land manager list for desirability, and trails that get damaged or develop erosion issues frequently get shut down.

Suspension does not affect the power put down on the trail. In some respects its better IMO, because people on suspended bikes tend not to create ride arounds to minor trail stuff (trail widening = bad).

I get that its a hugely complicated issue for commuting and MUPs and such, and I can see both sides of the issue there. But for MTB trails, which largely represent huge investments of money, time and advocacy resources, I see no reason to change long-standing rules about motorized vehicles on the trail. They aren’t designed for it, won’t hold up to it and allowing it would undermine a lot of advocacy work. The MTB community has spent decades convincing land managers not to group us in with dirtbikers, ATVs and other motorized vehicles when it comes to land access.

[dplasters]

@AFHokie 97525 wrote:

Or a significant downhill stretch.

I agree and you already see how many times people talk about dangerous downhill areas with sharp or blind corners after them now on these forums.

[jnva]

I wonder how many people who are against ebikes, even off road, have actually ridden one. It’s not like a motorcycle at all. It’s a bike, and having a high torque motor is not at all as simple as it sounds. High torque means high electric current to power up hills which needs extremely high discharge battery packs and controller. Not cheap or easy to build yourself. Not to mention that once you power up that hill, battery and motor are probably overheating, and how you gonna recharge in the woods? I have a lot more fun riding trails on non motorized bikes than on my ebike. Really, it’s nothing to worry about. Let’s concentrate on how bad cars are for the environment than ebikes tooling around the woods, please…

[Oldtowner]

@Harry Meatmotor 97505 wrote:

This is one insight that i think can be expanded. The industry is pushing this waaaay hard. As you may have noticed at all 3 major cycling tradeshows, e-bikes were everywhere. The reason? The aging boomer market share. Trek, Giant, and Specialized have already sold most of the boomers (and their kids!) MTBs or hybrids in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. At least 1/3 of them* bought Specialized Roubaixs between 2003 and today, and the last hold outs are going to be sold e-bikes soon. The industry needs the trails to be ready for the coming electrification of the cycling activity. Once they’re legal, the next hurdle will be charging stations at the bottom of the DH course (and at the intersection of doom!), and trailer-hitch mounted bike racks with charging ports.

* completely unscientific WAG

This is the real concern. I can imagine serious traffic issues on the trails, if the e-bike market takes off. Imagine the W&OD starting to look like the streets of Hanoi.

[baiskeli]

@Harry Meatmotor 97527 wrote:

Maybe I should’ve added to that one?

No, it’s okay, your sarcastic comment just made me think of a serious one. I have to take opportunities to be serious when I see them.

[baiskeli]

@Oldtowner 97555 wrote:

Imagine the W&OD starting to look like the streets of Hanoi.

Again – this is not about fully-powered scooters, it’s about bicycles that are foot-powered most of the time.

e-bike:

Scooter like those in the streets of Hanoi:

Article comparing e-bikes and scooters:

http://www.politusic.com/everything-else/electric-scooter-ebike-motorcycle/

[runbike]

@Oldtowner 97555 wrote:

This is the real concern. I can imagine serious traffic issues on the trails, if the e-bike market takes off. Imagine the W&OD starting to look like the streets of Hanoi.

But the bike traffic issues are coming with or without growth in the e-bike market. There’s 100K more people living in the DC metro area than a decade ago, and they project a similar influx over the next 10 years. That, combined with the data showing more folks taking up bicycle commuting, means you’re going to see more and more bikes of all types on the roads and trails in the years to come. E-bikes may constitute a greater share of bike commuters in the future, but they’ll still be no match for the expected growth in the good old human powered kind.

[americancyclo]

@Oldtowner 97555 wrote:

Imagine the W&OD starting to look like the streets of Hanoi.

Like this?

I’d be ok if Lee highway looked like that.

I don’t see this as becoming a serious trail commuter issue anytime soon, aside from the periodic charity rides.

Are there any numbers for bicycle capacity of the local trails?

[mstone]

@americancyclo 97635 wrote:

Are there any numbers for bicycle capacity of the local trails?

It’s not all that high, because they’re mixed use. But at the point at which you have a souped up bike that maintain 25MPH without effort, why on earth would you be on the trail anyway? There is plenty of road capacity. If this proposed ebiketopia actually happens, the streets will be perfectly safe because of the hoard of ebikers slowing down the cars.

[Kolohe]

@mstone 97642 wrote:

It’s not all that high, because they’re mixed use. But at the point at which you have a souped up bike that maintain 25MPH without effort, why on earth would you be on the trail anyway? There is plenty of road capacity. If this proposed ebiketopia actually happens, the streets will be perfectly safe because of the hoard of ebikers slowing down the cars.

There is no bridge downriver of the Memorial Bridge that is safe for a vehicle that only goes a max of 25 mph and is also prohibited from the side paths. And Memorial is kinda iffy for a vehicle with those attributes as well.

[Raymo853]

@mstone 97642 wrote:

If this proposed ebiketopia actually happens, the streets will be perfectly safe because of the hoard of ebikers slowing down the cars.

Nothing I’ve ever read on this boards made me smile more. What a wonderful idea, no cars exceeding 25 mph within urban areas.

[dplasters]

@Raymo853 97647 wrote:

Nothing I’ve ever read on this boards made me smile more. What a wonderful idea, no cars exceeding 25 mph within urban areas.

Starting Nov 7th in NYC.

[baiskeli]

@mstone 97642 wrote:

It’s not all that high, because they’re mixed use. But at the point at which you have a souped up bike that maintain 25MPH without effort, why on earth would you be on the trail anyway? There is plenty of road capacity. If this proposed ebiketopia actually happens, the streets will be perfectly safe because of the hoard of ebikers slowing down the cars.

Critical e-Mass!

[mstone]

@dplasters 97653 wrote:

Starting Nov 7th in NYC.

No, the change in NYC is that they will have a speed limit as low as 25MPH.

[dplasters]

@mstone 97658 wrote:

No, the change in NYC is that they will have a speed limit as low as 25MPH.

It will be the new default speed. I have no idea what % of roads will be allowed to be above the default speed. I’d like to imagine it is below 50%.

I’m taking the NYTimes at face when they say “most”.

It has taken 50 years, but New York City is reducing the maximum speed on most of its streets to the limit that existed when Checker cabs were in vogue.

[Author]

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