eBike Laws 101|Things you should know 

I've been riding my class 3 Aventon in city trails here in Denver area with zero issues. I'm also hyper careful anywhere near pedestrians disengaging all PAS and manually pedal past them as I take no chances with 65 lbs of ebike in my control. BTW, I rarely use the throttle as I still like some exercise!😉

I am really loving these educational/info videos on the ebike industry. You guys are a wealth of knowledge. Thank for taking the time to make these videos and share the info.

I've been on a lot of trails and never saw anyone checking bikes to see if they are legal or not. I would assume as long as you're being responsible no one is going to stop you. Might be different in a city.

Here in LA County most trails are class 1 and 2 legal for ebikes. However, it is regular occurrence where infringers are obviously riding class 3 illegally. They know it is illegal yet they simply don't care. Probably drivers who break the law on the road which is a common problem in LA. Regular to see "ebike" recklessly riding 40 miles an hour blowing off stop signs. They don't pedal. Riding on sidewalks. As a road bike cyclist I am starting to lose my patience. Non motorized bikes are class 1 and 2. Class 3 and above IS a motor vehicle.

Thank you, another great video from Chris and Propel! Really appreciate you helping to bring legitimacy to the e-bike world given its significant fragmentation at the moment and more-is-more mindset. I am optimistic we will have good and fair laws in a few years that work for almost everyone.

what basic equipment should a bike/e-bike have as standard, for example; front and rear lights and reflectors, bell, brake(s).....etc?

Good information and nice presentation, as always.

I Own a RadRover Step Thru 1 E Bike and only ride on off road mountain bike trails . I often get called a cheater ? I am pushing 70 years old though people tell me I look to be in my 40s . I only ride at an average speed of 10 mph to enjoy a leisurely nature trail ride in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee USA

Would you cover the legality of EScooters? It seems some places it's not legal on either the road or sidewalk which is quite the Grey area and limbo I suppose since not everywhere has bike lanes and even then some places even prohibit that.

I think given the current federal laws and the 3 class system catching on nationwide terming a class 1 e-bike like a bicycle seems natural. I'd like to see all 3 classes viewed as bicycles but do understand the desire for more discussions on bikes that can propel themselves by the flick of a wrist or press of a thumb. I'm admittedly biased for throttles because I like having a throttle (but only for when I make sudden stops and don't have a chance to downshift into a gear I can overcome inertia in easily).

Hi Chris, curious on the make and model of your helmet ...

Hey Chris 👋. Thanks for the video. Such an important topic for the mass adoption of e bikes. Btw, do you know if incentives and subsidies applies for e bikes. I think that will really drive sales of ebikes.

Many newer ebikes are class 3, so that means, you can only ride on the dangerous streets.....hmmmm

I don't understand why there's all these classes and steps, throttle v nonthrottle... Just post speed limits and be done with it. And IC bikes, same thing, but go ahead and limit the displacement (35cc/50cc) and use the same speed limit. No need to make everything so convoluted.

Hey is my Ariel rider grizzly stock legal in NYC??

In Tennessee, Knoxville/Knox County too, all bikes, pedal only and electric/pedal are considered unlicensed motor vehicles. What rules apply to Pedal only bikes apply to electric/pedal bikes too, and vice-versa. These two are one and the same. The greater Knoxville area is one of the most bike/ebike friendly city/area in the nation. Perhaps the most friendly Note to the flat-lander bikers who come here to ride the trails and roads: bring a set of serious climbing legs with, perhaps a spare set, too.😉 The greater Knoxville area has massively long and insanely steep inclines, both going and coming. Feel the burn.

Cleary eBikes are technically a motorized vehicle, given that it has a motor that propels it. HOWEVER, legally I believe they should not be considered motor vehicles because they do NOT have to be registered, or licensed with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), at least in California. Neither do you need a license to operate one. EBikes cannot exceed 750 watts in California. I am not sure but I believe over 750 watts they would have to be treated like a moped or other "motorized vehicle".

Good information on e bike safety.

Thanks for another great video. Helping the YT fam.

Do u need a License for a an adult electric tricycle bike in Alaska?

I think the fastest way to get mountain bikers to get onboard of allowing ebikes is to let them ride your ebike if you have one for a test drive and then they'll get hooked.

Another great video! Thank you for doing this. Interest in electric mopeds has been growing as well and adds another layer of confusion into all of this. Maybe we could talk about it and tell you what we’ve learned during the development of our Bandit moped?

Excellent Vid as always... thanks!

Thank you for the info.

What are the laws to ride an e bike

Calling a bike a vehicle in WA state will force it to be taxes as an eletric car. There is a new by the mike tax now for eletric cars.

5:46 What's really good with those Arrow ebikes? They are like the Toyota Camry of NYC, mostly used for deliveries. I spoke to people who own them and they said they love them. I would like to see a proper review of those arrow ebikes here on youtube.

I was ready to buy a e-bike from China and asked if they have CPSC Standards Compliance Certificate (as any bike should have according to Gov reg.). They told me we ship hundreds of e-bikes to the US and never provided any CPSC / 16 CFR Part 1512 documents. Would be glad to hear a second opinion and buy it.

What I'm wondering is how bikes like the sur-ron and segway and other 1000 watt or more bikes are categorized. Some of these things could definitely be motorcycles as speeds get up to 60-70 mph or more, but yet they aren't registered vehicles. I think they are sold as off road only ebikes more like dirt bike motorcycles, but there is plenty of youtube content with them on the street. They can even come with pedals keeping them mostly bike lane legal.

Good video 👍 good info. I just ask the PEV people to think about safety always, be polite and be courteous. The road is for everyone

Pls tell us about long island i have Chinese sport e bike lol

Thank you.

Lighning fast shipping. Excellent product very pleased

Great discussion! A big issue right now is that people are buying or building thousands of ebikes over 750w which means they cannot be classified as an electric bicycle in USA, and the bikes often also do not have the safety equipment/VIN needed to classify as a moped/scooter/motorcycle, so they are legally just like ICE dirtbikes (for off road use only). I think the pedals are a real distraction in these discussions. People see pedals and assume it is a bicycle, but legally the vehicle may not be usable on roads or bikepaths.

Informative video, but why the frequent 'kind of' references when you could be making clear cut references.

I know you were probably already in the editing phase, but I sort of feel like the topic of this video is because I picked a fight on your last video's comment section. Sorry about that. :-)

Really good - Really helpful in the community and world.

So many ebike companies breaking the rules pretty soon they will change the rules

I would not get on a e bike or any bike without hi viz and a helmet it is the same to me as riding in a car without a seatbelt

Dude everybody is moving out of New York soon that place will be under water 💦 maybe 🤔 you should do something base on small water craft laws

32km/hr speed limit i agree with when on cycle paths open road i dont care

Try pulling up to a fast food drive thru and get denied for not using a “motor vehicle” and then reply, “but this is a motor vehicle.” And then point to the motor.

The E-bikes in NYC go 45 MPH and faster without pedaling the 28 MPH is a lie.... Not only that there are E-skateboards doing 45MPH E-wheels doing 45MPH and E-shooters doing 45MPH. Look at the emergency room cases

The USA is strange with the laws around electric bikes. They had to keep it simple. Take the EU rules. There are 2 groups and no throttle. Group 2, helmet and number plate or something that shows that it is more than 250w. You can limit the acces for group 2 and let group 1 tide where you are allowed to cycle. Way easier to follow and to check.

States and the Feds need to get their act together and just simplify whether something is an eBicycle or a Motorized Vehicle based on 3 simple criteria: Wattage, Speed Cut Off, and Mass. Because those are the 3 key variables involved in the physics of an impact. Not difficult. 1000w, 25mph, and about 100 lbs is way easier to memorize and make clear sense in Joe Cyclist's mind rather than the pointless hair splitting between 1 through 3, and 4 for Motorized vehicles. Then the rules become simply Bike vs Not A Bike, and treat it as Just A Bike, not a DMV Money Maker.

Nice bike very satisfied

0:37 fire DT!!

I think Ebike classes should be eliminated for determining what is allowed on trails. Trails should post maximum allowed speed like we do on public roads. In my area the posted highway speed is 70 mph. If I exceed that a trooper will happily write me a ticket.

There simply is no reason why states and local municipalities can't treat the CPSC definition just like any other bike for traffic / usage. This brainwashing that they needed clarification via the 3-class system was paid for by EU lobby money. That is just a fact and it's why resentment is building. I hope the lawmakers are paying attention.

Most states typically accept the federal product definitions and just regulate use. That is not what many states have been doing with ebikes. The 3 class system promoted by People for Bikes with lobby money promoted legislation under the pretense that the classes were needed for "use" regulation. Totally false as the language in the federal definition for a compliant "low speed electric bicycle" is point blank - it's the same as "bike" and not a motor vehicle. This is not magic vague language...states should regulate use just as stated that they are bikes. States and People for Bikes promoted that they were fixing issues and nothing but take a very simple one definition for an ebike as a bike and inject a far worse system in the claimed name of "safety and clarity."

To anyone that asks me if "you need to wear a helmet?" I answer ONLY IF YOU HAVE A BRAIN WORTH PROTECTING!

Once the government requires a license to use one of these I will be done with ebikes not everyone can get a license

All bikes sold in USA are class 1, 2, or 3. California is a liberal state and restrict EBikes

Do you need a helmet on an ebile

Claiming the solid blue light for ebikes. We need all the protection we can get especially with "bike punishers" we're discussing having the front headlight have 2 warm white (looks red especially when contrasted with) cool blue whites on the bottom) which looks bluish contrasted with the top light. White balance whether blue or red are still white, and a pulsing light more often referred to as as the frequency of 24hz appears solid but will strobe when you move, 60hz is the same as most phone screens. That's 60 pulses a second, so alternating 30hz red and 30hz blue would appear to be white unless it's in motion and works very well when you need extra visibility when you ride among cars. I flash both at once when I honk my horn to blast magenta so people can tell immediately who and why I'm beeping which is pretty much always something that would otherwise cause an accident. The ability for white balance to veer from blue to white and how a warm white looks red while a cool white looks blue is probably the coolest loophole ever. I've had 250miles on my bike and there's no just cause for a police officer to stop me since a bike doesn't have a motor, or can blast 1 hp. Your phone has several "motors" in it, it has speakers, an accelerometer, a haptic feedback motor, and a lot of flashing colors. Here's the main thing that sadly if you were born in America you don't understand. When driving a motor vehicle you are committing a crime unless you are proven not guilty. That mixed with guns is precisely why cars are the number 1 killer of people and drivers and only get more dangerous over time with 3nd overs at their worse currently (people running over their own kids on their on drive ways). Motor vehicles are banned just like drones just got banned so operating one is inherently illegal which gives police just cause to stop you, from there you signed away all your civil rights. In the US the passenger licensed or not is just as guilty of any crime found and charge to the car and the person (also something unique to.the US, cars and humans both need penal registration codes and are both liable to charges, and the passenger even if he is a taxi fare or kidnapped can be prosecuted. The laws of driving in America are designed to flip the understand of our laws backward which started with a 10 year campaign aimed at school children in the 50s onward. Thats why when a driver sees a biker do something he isn't allowed to do he gets angry, bikers don't even need to carry licenses or IDs. Even if you ride with a helmet the most they'll do as ask if you have a drivers license and if you say no, they'll just send you on your way since you never signed the motor vehicle codes. I've been cop hunting, on my 250th miles just to see how much I can get away with by making sure I don't break any actual laws, but break all traffic laws I. E. Run red lights, use blue lights, strobe red and blue lights, approach and officer ask him if I should have a helmet all the while and all he says is "its whatever the rules are". The police don't know just cause for stopping a bike and so anything they do after stopping you they might as well be engaging in a fight with your horse.

I find that people that buy throttled bikes like rad rovers, use the throttle most of the time, because pedallin those bikes even with the motor is terrible, heavy bikes with terrible gear ratios.

Is there an advocacy group we can join to fight over-regulation? Is "PeopIe for Bikes" pro E-bike? I don't want a European style regime here.

So, a bike with a motor is not a motorized vehicle. Their goes the government bending the definition again. It’s simple, does a bike have a motor on it or not.

There's laws...and enforcement of laws. I am more concerned with when cities put effort into enforcement. Very hard to enforce so go big, get as much bike you can afford.

Jasion

Woow woow 😍💋 💝💖❤️

The USA has laws⁉️ You do surprise me‼️

LOL riding with masks on. Science!