KaBOOM! an Eruption of eMTB Interest

[JimBo]

Methinks it's finally happening, eMTB interest seems to be exploding here in New England. Ads I'm posting for my used bikes are getting instant responses, and newbies I talk to are ready to ROLL.

ALAS signs like this may soon be met with taxpayer and ADA complaints that get far louder than the Trail Nazis' brewhaha that got them installed. (Posted at Cowles Park, East Granby CT - ADA=Americans with Disabilities Act.)

 

[JimBo]

Yeah, negative reactions! Exactly what I was after...

I wonder if I'll get demoted from E*POWAH Master if I get a ton of them.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I'm angry and dislike that I can't see the second image ... did you paste it as a link ? Might be limited by location.

You know you get promoted, not demoted for negative reactions right ? Look at Gary !

 

[Dax]

Yeah, negative reactions! Exactly what I was after...
.

Noone read your post, just looked at the picture

 

[ImSundee]

I'd just ride it, as long as you are riding a legal bike, they wont do anything, this sign will be to stop the illegal bikes imho.

 

[RickBullotta]

<sarcasm>It's my land too. F*ck 'em.</sarcasm>

 

[JimBo]

It's my land too. F*ck 'em.

That attitude will go far with land managers as far as accepting and allowing electric mountain bikes...NOT

 

[RickBullotta]

That attitude will go far with land managers as far as accepting and allowing electric mountain bikes...NOT

I should have used the sarcasm font. I'll edit to add sarcasm tags.

 

[RickBullotta]

This issue is not unique to eMTBs of course. We work VERY hard around here to maintain access to our trail system, and that often includes shutting down rogue trails, self-policing when a few bad apples ride in closed areas, and so on. Riding on closed land when there is zero ambiguity about its legality is one of the worst possible things any MTBer or eMTBer can do - it provides massive fuel for land managers and anti-MTB activists to take an absolutist POV and shut off all access.

 

[Intermtb]

I can see emtb has been getting more and more acceptance in general, and also here in Southern California area. Except Orange county, but the enforcement only on 2 trail area that I know. others were not so enforced. Some ebikers get warning only, and rangers were aware that regulations may soon changed due to popularity of ebikes in general.
There was a rider got a ticket in Nobel Canyon trail in San Diego county, he appealed at the court and his ticket was dismissed, it's a good sign.

 

[Mtbkski]

In the states many trails are open to Ebikes. But the riders here are still being snobs and looking down on them. Our National Forest are being the slowest to open up the trails to Ebikies. In the pic below we were riding "legal" trails when my buddy noted that we couldn't ride that trail since it dumbed out onto National Forest Trail. I gave them my opinion of that.

 

[TheBikePilot]

I'd just ride it, as long as you are riding a legal bike, they wont do anything, this sign will be to stop the illegal bikes imho.

They are far more penal in the USA, than the rest of the world, with regard to riding trails illegally...

 

[JimBo]

They are far more penal in the USA, than the rest of the world, with regard to riding trails illegally...

Heh, he said "penal." Heh heh heh...

(Think Beavis and Butthead)

 

[RichardWad]

The sign looks like homemade, or at least, unofficial.

I would ride on.

 

[sparrow]

In my locale (Rapid City, SD) we have 30+ miles of single track in two parks right in town (one private, one City-owned) and our city opened the bike path to bikes. Plus our State Parks system allows eBikes on a local rail trail and all State-owned non-motorized single track. Our local BLM also just opened an area with 40+ miles of non-motorized to ebikes. In all cases here we are talking about Class 1 only.

There are 1.2 million acres of USFS land with hundreds of mile of trails that are still off limits to eBikes. However the law enforcement end of USFS has made it (off the record) clear that a Class 1 user on non-motorized trails will not be a primary concern. If they catch you in the act, sure you will get a warning/ticket depending on interaction and attitude of the LEO at the time.

But USFS Law enforcement is NOT going to drive out to bust someone, or set up a sting operation to catch a user. No additional "No bikes" signage is posted as it is a lot of money to bother with.

Generally when poaching USFS single track here, I park in an alternative area to access the trails, maybe ride an extra mile or two of dirt road or paved road to get into the trails. Avoids parking lot interactions with the rare "hater" and ride and let ride.

I own a bike shop and have had stellar success by allowing concerned folks, land managers, and law enforcement to use eBikes. Mainly so they can see what they are NOT. It smooths things over very well. I see the "NO EBIKES" situation precisely where snow boards at ski hills was 30 years ago.

 

[JimBo]

In my locale (Rapid City, SD) we have 30+ miles of single track in two parks right in town (one private, one City-owned) and our city opened the bike path to bikes. Plus our State Parks system allows eBikes on a local rail trail and all State-owned non-motorized single track. Our local BLM also just opened an area with 40+ miles of non-motorized to ebikes. In all cases here we are talking about Class 1 only.

There are 1.2 million acres of USFS land with hundreds of mile of trails that are still off limits to eBikes. However the law enforcement end of USFS has made it (off the record) clear that a Class 1 user on non-motorized trails will not be a primary concern. If they catch you in the act, sure you will get a warning/ticket depending on interaction and attitude of the LEO at the time.

But USFS Law enforcement is NOT going to drive out to bust someone, or set up a sting operation to catch a user. No additional "No bikes" signage is posted as it is a lot of money to bother with.

Generally when poaching USFS single track here, I park in an alternative area to access the trails, maybe ride an extra mile or two of dirt road or paved road to get into the trails. Avoids parking lot interactions with the rare "hater" and ride and let ride.

I own a bike shop and have had stellar success by allowing concerned folks, land managers, and law enforcement to use eBikes. Mainly so they can see what they are NOT. It smooths things over very well. I see the "NO EBIKES" situation precisely where snow boards at ski hills was 30 years ago.

This is the third time I've posted this video on these forums, but to me, it never gets old...

 

[sparrow]

Agreed. I know there are real legal issues ahead, and I know that the funding and development of non-motorized trail systems before eBikes "blew up" will be problematic. And I full well understand that eBikes have a motor, and are motorized. As far as Class 1 bikes are concerned, I'd imagine general acceptance of Class 1 on non-motorized trails will sweep just as snowboards are now on nearly all ski hills.

 

[Mr-EPIC-3]

Trail edicate is everything, be polite and most trail users don't care.
If someone question me, I just say DO-222 Director's Order 222, Establishment of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Policy for Electric Bicycle Use on National Wildlife Refuge System Lands