IN THE KNOW

(L) The RadRunner is an E-Bike (Photo – Rad Power Bikes). (R) F3 Pro Max (Photo – Freego)

The person you saw speeding on an e-bike recently actually might not be riding a bicycle. What is it then, you may ask?

By Colin Bogart

In short, any e-bike that goes faster than 28 miles per hour is not legally considered a bicycle (this means on a flat road, not going downhill).

When e-bikes started to proliferate in the US, standards were set to make it clear what defines an e-bike as a true bicycle.

Why is this important? On the road, bicycle riders are subject to the same rules and responsibilities as drivers of vehicles (CVC21200), but there are some special considerations for bicyclists which make it important to clarify if an e-bike is actually a bicycle.

First, bicycles are allowed in bike lanes and on dedicated bike paths such as the path on the beach. Two-wheeled motorized vehicles (scooters, mopeds and motorcycles) which are not bicycles are not allowed in these places.

Second, motorized two-wheel vehicle operators are required to have a driver’s license and wear a helmet, mainly because such vehicles are more powerful and capable of higher speeds that are well above what a human bicyclist is capable of under their own power. Bicyclists are not required to have a driver’s license and, in California, only riders under 18 are required to wear a helmet. E-bikes are classified into three types, two of which are pedal-assist only, which means the rider has to pedal for the motor to help them. Pedal assist e-bikes have a maximum motor assisted speed of 20 MPH (class 1) or 28 MPH (class 3). Class 2 e-bikes have a throttle that allows the rider to go without pedaling, but the maximum speed is 20 MPH. It’s not always easy to tell the difference between class 1, 2 or 3 e-bikes just by looking at them, or to tell whether it’s legally considered a “bicycle” or not, but speed is usually what makes it clear.

If that “bicyclist” you saw riding on a flat road was clocking 35 MPH or faster, they weren’t riding a bicycle, even if it did have pedals.

Colin Bogart is the Active Transportation Director at Day One in Pasadena and a volunteer with the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition. A Pasadena resident, he’s the former Education Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (now called BikeLA) and is a certified League Cycling Instructor with the League of American Bicyclists.