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this is not legal advice we will be discussing ebike rules and regulations and maybe share a few thoughts on why some of them might be a little silly plus stick around to the end to see some truly egregious examples of folks just ignoring them completely before we get into the details of this law and that law first we need to Define what is an ebike and this definition is pretty consistent across North America what it’s normally defined as a bicycle with function in pedals and an electric motor to assist you that’s the definition we will be working with today right off the top what you need to know is ebike rules and regulations vary from place to place here at bik tricks we work primarily within North America we have worked with some folks in Europe before and don’t even get me started on European ebike class in fact like we’re not going to start on them we’re just going to leave Europe to Europe they’re fairly strict and we’ll just let them do them now in Canada and the US they tend to fall under a few categories of federal state or provincial Municipal like your city even bylaws and then you get into some special laws for special places like state parks provincial parks and national parks so we can dig into all of that later but just know that there is a hierarchy of laws and like a state law cannot supersede a federal law so while there is a lot of variation there’s also a lot to know so let’s get going a question we’re commonly asked is do I need a license to ride this bike in general in most places the answer is no probably not as long as your ebike looks like an ebike and not you know more motorcycle than bicycle you’re probably fine but if your so-called ebike looks more like a dirt bike or motorcycle or has what I call vestigial panels you know they’re there but they don’t really function you might want to just double check on that licensing question for your location we’re also asked often can kids ride ebikes can I buy this for my child and I mean that’s kind of a personal question that’s up to you however we do not recommend ebikes for kids as they’re very powerful and kids often don’t have the strength or the skills needed to handle them most places also have laws in place about age limitations of who can and cannot ride an ebike and also as the mother of a teen boy I know how they ride things like I’d rather him get good at his regular bike first next we’re going to dig into the class system in the US and I’m not talking about the Hales versus the have knots I’m talking about ebike classes now these were developed in California but a lot of other states have adopted them not necessarily all of them but they are the most common system now there’s three classes of ebikes class one pedal assist only so no throttle and the motor is only allowed to assist you up to 20 mph and then it cuts out class two is pedal assist and a throttle with a motor that can assist you up to 20 mph now class three and this is where it gets in my opinion a little funny a class three is pedal assist only no throttle that’s the strange bit to me but okay and it can assist you up to 28 mph and must have a speedometer so that’s the class system throughout the US and so check where you’re riding cuz it may say class one only or this park is class 2 and class one only or no class 3’s allowed and that’s what they’re referring to another law that we’re starting to see crop up and it just came into play in the second half of 2023 in New York City is laws targeting batteries specifically now in New York City you’re only allowed to buy or sell or own ebikes with UL certified batteries what’s happened is they’ve had a lot of not so great batteries from questionable manufacturers start apartment fires which is not a great scene so they’ve put in this law to help prevent that and bring in only certified batteries and this is something we foresee happening in a lot of other major Cent so keep an eye out for that in Canada the laws are a little different we don’t generally use the class system that the Americans do a lot of folks will reference them because it’s what we see on websites and it’s just part of like ebike terminology at this point in Canada the laws will vary from Province to Province to territory to territory I’m going to be referencing the Saskatchewan ebike rules and regulations because that is what I’m most familiar with because bike tricks is headquartered right here in Saskatchewan so in Saskatchewan and ebike is defined as a bicycle or tricycle that has pedals and an electric motor that are meant to work together to propel you forward simple enough it also has no more than a 500 W Motor and can only go up to 32 km an hour they also have some regulations in there about the fact that you’re supposed to wear a helmet and there’s some rules about ages and where you can ride them but you can go check that out on SGI website now like I said this can vary from Province to Province to territory to territory but I have found that’s to be fairly consistent across most of Canada in my experience I’m going to dive into some Muddy Waters here now I just said that in Canada most places say your ebike can only be 500 watts like the motor can only be 500 watts and in the states it’s 750 watts so how are companies getting away with selling bikes that are 1,000 Watts 2300 Watts 3,000 wat like these big juicy Motors how is that allowed well these rules are not in place to regulate why manufacturers can develop build and sell they’re in place to regulate what consumers can use now does that mean you can’t or shouldn’t buy say a th000 watt ebike absolutely not I have a th000 watt ebike and I absolutely love it so on most you can limit that speed 32 km an hour 20 mph which means the motor is going to stop helping you at that speed which means the motor output isn’t going to need to use that full th000 watt you will reach that speed faster and you’ll also have more available power for things like climbing Hills I mean I can go out and buy a cool sports car and it could do 100 mph 160 km an hour or more that doesn’t mean I should you still need to follow the rules of the road on that note a lot of companies also offer the option to purchase your bike in an off-road setting meaning it’s not speed cap and you’re going to get access to that full 1,5 2300 whatever wattage is available now these are meant to be used off-road on private land but it is to be noted that it is up to the consumer the person purchasing the bike to One know what they have know what the regulations are and to respect the rules of the road so like I said at the top of this video there’s a lot of layers to ebike rules and laws from your federal to State and provincial Municipal this whole thing there’s also often special rules for special places like state or provincial parks national parks and even independently owned and operated Trail systems or hunting grounds if you’re planning an adventure to any of these places make sure you look them up ahead of time to be aware of what is and isn’t allowed some hunting Trails won’t allow ATVs but they will allow ebikes if they’re a Class 2 some trails only allow class one make sure you know ahead of time so you don’t get to the gate and are unable to ride it’s better to be safe than sorry speaking of special rules and special places one that we are most of us aware of or I mean if you drive a car I sure hope you’re aware of them is the rules of the road if you are commuting or riding bikes in traffic you need to follow those too if there’s a bik lan use it stay off the sidewalk St for stop signs that shouldn’t have to be said out loud but stop for stop signs and stop light you’re going to want to obey the rules of traffic for your own safety as well as the safety of those around you same with Trails make sure you’re respecting any rules on the trails if there’s passing rules and things like that make sure you are aware of them particularly on like mixed use Trails we see those a lot in cities where you’ve got hikers and folks out walking their dogs or riding their bikes or you know what have you be respectful slow down use your bell give them a heads up make sure you are following those rules can you get away with breaking these rules probably should you this is not legal advice I can’t tell you to do that that is a personal choice that is on you friend however if you’re out there riding your unlocked thousand watt bike on regular Trails most law enforcement in our experience probably won’t even notice you as long as you are riding respectfully now if you’re out there stunting and speeding and being a nuisance and just a jerk then those consequences are on your own head make good choices what it comes down to is be kind be respectful follow the rules don’t be that guy you know that guy the one that gives eikers and he cyclists in general a bad name just don’t be that guy or any of these guys [Music] we’ve covered a lot of bits and pieces at a high level and if we were to dig into all the nitty-gritty details of every single one of these for all the jurisdiction this would be a 10 video series and each of those videos would be multiple hours long we don’t have time for that it is up to you to be aware of your bike what you have be aware of the rules and regulations in your area or where you’re planning to ride and to look those up for the most part they’re all available online just give it a quick Google in the comments let me know is there an ebike law or regulation that you think is particularly silly or maybe one you’re a little unclear on go ahead and leave it down there and while you’re here go ahead and like And subscribe so you can stay up to date on all things ebike
26 Comments
While looking into bike law/rules in my area, I found out I'm not allowed to ride my bike on the sidewalk. You're also not allowed to roller skate, sled or wheelbarrow on the sidewalk. 😂
lmao kids don't know what gender they are but can be trusted on a street to not get hit lmfao. thats a good one.
Miners, race, dirt bikes. And you're saying you shouldn't let a minor riding an ebike. Get the f*** out of here. Have you ever heard of Dewalt cordless drill, Catching Fire. I have a 1500 And it's not really overpowered for the hills in my area. Regulating the motors like that is ridiculous. They didn't regulate that car motor 6:28
7:54 Yes Cars and trucks., aren't being told what motor they can have in your car and what how fast their car can go, and it's a class 1,2 or 3. They're not being told any of that for cars. So why are we being regulated, why don't they just give us a speed limit on the trail and a way you're supposed to act on the trail? And if you hurt somebody you get in trouble, Good video. Thank you for the information, too.
Ok you can tell this person does not ride a lot. I mean look at them and you want to give me a lecture on what to do and not to do. How about mind you own business .
Ride it like a bike. Take the road when you HAVE TO. Stick to bike path and trails and lanes. Thats it.
Emphasis to ride it like a bike and not like a motorcycle.
My ebike is fairly fast going nearly 40mph. But you dont NEED to go that fast. Especially on public trails.
As long as you have torque on demand then theres no need to go fast on public trails.
And when youre on the road in the bike lanes. Youre not obligated to keep up with traffic. You can go as slow as you want.
And if you want to go fast. Go on the road.
hello btrix, the ebike speed max – did not know it would reach after 30mph. thank you for your safe rules from canada – am a manual rider from citibike town and in htx rockets town (also 4 years now from the release) – they are riding a high speed then – it looks funny with the cars and the bikes are passing them. will get there to feel that they are not fast. elle for tour de france and armstrong bike is(?)
A hot car, Speedometer that goes to 160 MPH. You addressed the fact that it doesn't mean you go 160 MPH. (Great example) I have been reading the (Class rules) and I will have to continue to read them TILL, I can actually understand them. I just ordered a (Questionable) motor size (Class bike) NOT for the speed but the offroad abilities to (Power thru) hard areas. Recently I have been seeing a lot of ebikes (new) seeing them around here. Reading the (State rules) it seems like NO class is outlawed, only where Federal/State trails are limited to class. Good information, Thanks
There should be UNIVERSAL SPEED LIMIT of 15 mph(24.14kmh) on all bike paths not on private lands. No bike capability limitations! Even cops would know. Riding in the car lane is arrogant and puts you against drivers wnho may be trying to get to work, school, emergency….Group rides should be coordinated with local law enforcement likeany large gathering
Some of this is government overreach, but a healthy dose of enforceable rules and regulations is warranted. In particular are speed limits and other rules intended to protect the bystander. Tort laws are already sufficient to deal with the aftermath of actual injury. And certainly 'disturbing the peace' applies if in the good judgement of authorities or bystanders the ebike activity is creating an environment of chaos, fear or terror by proximity. Regulating consumer safety aspects of the ebike itself among manufactures has merit with respect to battery fire containment, etc.
But all of that to say that regulating the potential speed, power or even rider safety is overreach. It suggests that government knows more about our intentions and cares more about our own personal safety than we do. The hypocrisy of such laws is immediately evident in the car analogies to include legal lane cutting by motorcyclists. For that matter, allowing cyclists on many roads with speed limits in excess of say 35 mph is generally perilous and just another form of hypocrisy if personal safety is the prime objective. Those delusions of supremacy by our governing officials are nothing less than an abuse of authority that must be abolished.
Great job on this matter. As an e-bike rider, always good to learn.
Very well stated.
My biggest peeve about E-bikes and bikes in general is in areas with painted bike lanes where the road hazards accumulate and you are a sitting duck if you are more than 20 mph slower than traffic. Inattentive drivers simply won't see you until just before the big thump. Even near misses can rattle both the rider and driver. Many drivers will mumble 'Where did that come from,' or something more earthy during the avoidance maneuver. However, a near miss may put you beyond the shoulder of the road, into rough terrain, fence lines or urban improvements. The point is that bikes are regulated to be assisted suicide machines. There seems to be an attitude that as a bike rider, you are unimportant or just expendable and thus the politicians want to use you as a statistic to justify some more public spending on safety projects that accomplish little or nothing but enrich favored vendors.
Leave it to government to ruin everything! 😎👍
Came to give appreciation to thumb nail clip lol.
Yo cant ticket what you can't catch!
ttps://http://www.regulations.gov/document/CPSC-2024-0008-0001 will change all of classes and where we can ride
Interesting. One I was looking at says they can't ship to NYC. I don't know the reason but the battery is Samsung / LG so you'd think it would be good.
My bike is 750w, 20throttlr/28pas only in order to get 28mph in pas u have tk unlock it there by unlocking the throttle too. Its l8ke you said, RESPONSIBLE/RESPONSIBILITY
The less you know the better it's a bicycle peddle and they can't do shit
I am an epileptic I just discovered e bike not allowed to drive . So My ebike is freedom and I am afraid of that guy play the take the little freedom I have
Go after speeder’s and dangerous riders. In other words: BAD BEHAVIOR.
Things like wattage, throttle or PAS should be inconsequential.
Federal /state/ provincial government should focus on making these e-vehicles safe for the user’s. UL the batteries and yes , install speedometers.
The first minute of the the video. Behind you there are handlebars with a green and red pedals under it.
How much and do you ship??
I had a friend that lived in Saskatoon.
That was 50 years ago.
In the u.k. the speed is 15 mph
So Canada is about 20 mph.
In the u.s.a. its 20 and 28 mph .
I want those bars so leave a reply to let Me know price and shipping.
Mack
So police aren’t stopping robberies, muggings or anything considered nuisance violations, but they have the energy to target e-bikes? Interesting how society has evolved.
I have a Hebb Electroglide 500, 350 watt, throttle only. What class is that? 1.5?
I have what looks like a regular class 1 all-mt bike, but it is 4,000w and can go over 35mph. I've ridden it everywhere: on class one trails, no ebike trails, sidewalks, roads, pedestrian only areas, you name it. I do pay attention to not show off what it's capable of when people can see me, dont ride in a way to scare anyone, and am very conscientious of trail preservation, but I've never had anyone say anything other than a couple people curious about what it was. If you don't ride like a crazy ahole around people or tear up trails, you will likely not have any issues as long as it looks like a regular peddle bike. I think it's more about how you ride, not what it's actually capable of. It also helps if you have one or two grey hairs. A 17year old is probably not going to get away with the same thing as someone who is 45+, or certainly 60+. Us older people need the extra help from the motor, or many of us just will not ride at all. The day I can't use this e-bike, is the last day I ever get on a bicycle.