California Call To Arms For A Fastbike Law.

@grinninggremlin Walkers/runners have the ROW over all wheeled vehicles anyhow, so they shouldn't be expected to hear U and get over. That's what bike bells are for. Courteous e bike riders would be just as safe as normal bike riders, unless they don't have good brakes or are speeding. Gas bikes like mine make noise, smell, and therefore ruin the trail experience.

The total "no power" bans make sense for law enforcement convenience, as the crime fighters don't need to cull the air head e bikers from the rest. But in God's own world the e bikers would not be a problem.
 
I agree with the Gremlin on the greenness or lack for e power. Don't get me wrong, I love what you are trying to do and I love electrics.

Also be careful with this:



No, the mass of a bike carrying a motor/batteries/etc will potentially do more damage than an ultralight pedal bike. F=m*a

Uh no, if you hit someone, whether you are pedaling at 35 mph or twisting a throttle on an electric, lets say the guy on the pedal bike is 225 and muscular and the ebike rider is at 180 and thin, the damage to the pedestrian or even the rider is similar, you or they get hurt. Damage is damage, broken this or broken that, scrapes if lucky so I disagree.

Bike path riding should be allowed by EBikes and there should be a posted speedlimit to bike paths. In addition "No Pedestrian" signs should be posted and that "Ticketable Offense" revenue applied to the woman with 3 toddlers, one holding the leash of two pitbulls strewn across the bike path while she pushes a baby stroller with two infants in it for a total of 5 kids child endangerment. Yup pedestrians on the bike path no, EBikes yes, posted maximum riding bike speed too. Fixes it all.
 
Well another issue too that in the main laws and California laws the ebike is generally "to be" treated as a regular bicycle except where a sign is posted "No Motorized Bicycles" otherwise does that still apply, and that contradicts the law where an ebike is considered on par with a pedal bicycle.

Furthermore, the law on bicycle paths dealing with motorized bicycles claims that you may ride a motorized bicycle on a bike path that is immediately adjoined to a highway. But it does not state whether that is in whole or in part. Again this is where the California law becomes quite murky. If you have a part of the bike path that at points adjoins the road, since it does not state that immediate part only, and a bike path connects with other bike paths, technically making one huge bicycle path, without stating in whole or in part, we are left with "an immediate part of the bike path touches the road for ten feet" and so the bike path as a whole at points does touch and adjoin a road thus we may ride it. The reason I point out this fact is that the California laws are murky at best and leave open a very large grey area of interpretation.

What I propose is actually quite simple. If they want to make EBike and promote that industry to real transportation as well as public safety in regards to these. The following.

To make an EBike real transportation.

a.) Remove the maximum motor wattage size.
b.) Allow EBikes on streets to travel to the maximum posted "street - not freeway/highway" speed limit.
c.) Implement a gold sticker program for the EBike.
d.) Post a maximum speed limit on bicycle lanes and paths
e.) Allow all forms of motorized and pedal bicycles on those paths with speed limits.
f.) Ticket pedestrian and promote the usage of bicycle paths for cycles only, pedal ebike or gas powered bicycles. Not Mopeds, No motorcycles and no Minibikes.
g.) Quad Bicycles aka. Surrey allow for motorized surreys without car classification.
h.) Use gold sticker funds to widen where possible existing single bicycle width lanes.

All of what I have posted here are very valid points and would simplify and fix many issues. Will the California legislature do it? Not any time soon, but perhaps down the road yes.

Right now, Electric Bicycles are relegated to a hobby status only. If they really want to practice what they preach, here is a road map, no matters who argues with the point or not and no matters what radars have to be flown under. What I posted in this post fixes the issues at hand once and for all so nobody has to look over their shoulders and so that California's laws are no longer murky at best.
 
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Uh no, if you hit someone, whether you are pedaling at 35 mph or twisting a throttle on an electric, lets say the guy on the pedal bike is 225 and muscular and the ebike rider is at 180 and thin, the damage to the pedestrian or even the rider is similar, you or they get hurt. Damage is damage, broken this or broken that, scrapes if lucky so I disagree.l.

Not sure where we disagree(?) Or are you arguing with F=m*a(?) You wrote that something heavier hits you at the same speed as something lighter, the heavier object potentially will do more damage (it WILL have more force to dissipate). Not understanding your point.
 
Perhaps this is true, but the result is the same, someone gets hurt. Thus what a bicycle path needs are two things. One get pedestrians off of bicycle paths, Two set a maximum posted speed limit for cyclists.

Let me illustrate another point here as well. Lets say I could hit 35 mph, were you aware that many of those guys on their pedal road cycles with poly carbon or aluminum frames and 20 plus speeds can reach faster speeds than that, in fact a poly carbon 33 speed bicycle can hit 50 plus. So whether a person pedals, twists a throttle or pushes a thumb throttle doesn't matter. My point is that speed is the only factor here. Combine speed with pedestrians and you have indeed a very grave situation for safety's sake. Thus a maximum speed limit is necessary for California bicycle paths. Bike lanes touching a road are a completely different issue, let them go the maximum road speed if they can and widen the bicycle lanes to a two width to allow faster cyclists to get past slower cyclists without cutting in front of cars and trucks etc. Whether someone on an ebike versus a regular bicycle weighs more or less combined is irrelevant. The result is a world of pain for those who get hit or are doing the hitting. That is my point.
 
Sometimes we would like to change things to fit our personal individuality, needs and wants. Unfortunately practicality and safety needs to be balanced. There are a variety of vehicles today, which will fit a persons specific needs. If a person wants to go 50 mph/80.6 km find one that's approved for that speed.
Here's one that goes 120 miles on a charge.
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-ds/
 
Thanks, but I like my ebike thank you. It works fine and I think there is room for fast ebikes too. Motorcycles can hit a hundred and more, ebikes that are fast r usually in the 45 range so there is a difference.
 
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