Local ordinances vary, but you usually can use common sense.
If the e-bike is designed to behave like a regular, muscle-powered bike, there’s usually no problem. For example, if it’s an electric assist bike — ie one where you still pedal some or most of the time — and if the bike is ridden at normal speeds (typically around 19-25kph/12–16mph), the e-bike will blend in with regular bikes and pose no special danger to other cyclists or pedestrians.
That’s why many e-bikes are governed so their top speed on level ground is about the same as that of expert, physically-fit cyclists on level ground: around 45kph/28mph. Although that’s faster than normal riding by average cyclists, it keeps the e-bikes within the range of muscle-powered speeds.
Sustained bike speeds above 45kph/28mph are simply beyond human muscle ability, and thus logically (if not legally) move speedy ungoverned or high-governed e-bikes into the class of “motorized vehicle.”
If an electric bike is fully motorized or set to go much faster than normal muscle-powered biking speeds, it may pose a danger to standard cyclists and pedestrians, and thus shouldn’t be used on bikeways — regardless of local ordinances.
Permalink: https://langa.com/?p=1478
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