Today, while out running errands on my hybrid, I saw an e-motorbike (this style) using the bike lane (dude also had a motorcycle helmet on).
Personally, I think these people should stay on the road like other motorbikes, as it’s clear that these are supposed to be an electric analog to ICE powered bikes.
I called this person out as well, due to my position being they actually are more of a hazard to other cyclists and pedestrians when the lanes switch to MUP’s without warning. Especially where they would be heavier than even e-bikes and would cause anyone they hit more damage than they would receive.
If you can’t pedal it and it’s faster than a bike bring pedaled, it doesn’t belong in a bike lane.
There is some argument for e-scooters (the kind that you could theoretically move by kicking the ground) being used in a bike lane.
I agree that a full-size motorbike, electric or not, should not be in a bike lane.
The primary reason for bike lanes is arguably being safely overtaken by cars, due to the speed difference. Motorbikes can keep up with traffic, and will want to overtake cyclists.
Agreed on scooters, if they’re low speed.
I’ve seen someone riding a vespa on them… No, just no.
I’m talking about the ‘electric kick scooters’ - the speeds and power levels are comparable to or lower than e-bikes, but how you use them is different.
Mopeds/vespas shouldn’t be in a bike lane.
Scooters are illegal in bike lanes in my area. I think they should be allowed, provided they have a max speed of 20mph (32kmh) or so.
Bike pedalled by who? Honestly, as a daily user of bike lanes, the spandex clad Lance Armstrong’s are by far the fucking worst.
Really? In my area, they go fast, but they’re usually considerate. They usually call out when they’re passing, maintain the 3’/1m rule, etc. I find they’re generally far more knowledgeable about etiquette and the rules of the road than your average ebikes rider who doesn’t pedal and cruises at top speed while also passing close.
Really?
… Yes?
By the average user.
e bikes can sometimes be faster than a bike being pedaled tho
Personally I think it’s mostly about speed and weight. If it’s only a little heavier and faster than an ordinary bike then that seems OK, though you should be extra cautious and conscientious when riding in this sort of gray area.
If it’s a lot faster and heavier like a motorbike or similar then absolutely not.
Pedal bikes can sometimes be faster than ebikes too.
The speed I can comfortably sustain on my Specialized Tarmac road bike>the speed I can comfortably sustain on my Trek Rail eMTB.
Ebikes? Sure as long as they’re not being assholes.
Full on electric motorcycles? Hell no, they belong on the roads.
In nyc, the bike lanes are a fucking mess. Motorcycles, scooters (like, the full sized, not much smaller than the one OP is talking about), suped up e-bikes…it really pisses me off. Because, yeah, I use my tiny little foldable e-bike that goes no more than 12mph, to the point that manual bikes pass me all the time, and these fuckers are going 25 on a crowded nyc two way bike lane. And we have protected bike lanes in some portions of the city, so it’s much safer than the usual fare, but these assholes put us in maybe even more danger than the cars on a non-protected bike lane. There’s legitimate traffic in our bike lanes during rush hour, yet these assholes run the ped-x lights, use the other lane to pass us all, etc.
If it requires a plate, it should use the road. Otherwise, it’s fair game according to my local bike lane laws. In my state ebikes must have a plate if it doesn’t have pedals or if the throttle can go above 20 mph. That makes sense to me.
I have both an emotorcycle (csc city slicker) and a traditional ebike. I ride the former on the road and the latter in bike lanes. I wear a full face motorcycle helmet and armored jacket with both because I’m at an age where I won’t easily recover from an injury.
This is true - laws already make the distinction. If the law allows it but it shouldn’t - e.g. allowing pretend bikes that are just heavy mopeds with pretend pedals, then perhaps the law should disallow them. Or perhaps we should get used to them. 😅
Oh HELL no.
As a bicyclist and a motorcyclist (and a pedestrian, and a driver) these belong on the road - both legally and safety.
They need a license plate and registration. They are road vehicles.
acoustic bikes are also road vehicles
Sure, but they don’t need a license plate and registration.
As a slight tangent, I recently got an electric moped. It has a maximum speed of 48kph, and the speed limit on my route to work and back every day is 50kph.
I bet that if we made a Venn diagram of all the people that say “I’d respect cyclists of they were forced to be registered with number plates and insurance” and the people that insist on overtaking me in single-lane suburban streets because I’m going 2kph below the limit, it would just be a perfect circle.
I can make my pedal powered road bike go 50kph too. It’s all relative to the human being you are dealing with, and not so much the vehicle.
Just looks like a motor bike, as you say. They should not be allowed on cycle paths and thankfully they aren’t where i live.
Personally, I don’t care how it moves, just how fast it is. 0-15 kilometers an hour (pedestrians, wheelchairs, skateboards, skates, kids scooters): sidewalk. 15-45 kph (bikes, ebikes, motorized scooters, motorized skateboard-type things): bike lane. 45kph+, use a road lane.
If your device transcends these ranges, let your actual speed dictate which – move your e-bike up to a road lane if you’re going significantly faster than bikes around you. Follow whatever laws go with your lane. If you’re riding your bike in a bike lane and come up to a stop light and want to cross in the pedestrian crosswalk, hop off the bike real quick and walk it through, then mount back up and get back in the bike lane.
This is it really. Well said.
I’ve seen one of those up close as I talked to the owner.
They aren’t nearly as maneuverable as a regular bike, and are nearly motorcycle size.
As a cyclist, the only experience I’ve had of people actually using them on the trail has been bad. Not sure if it’s a particular kind of person who’s using them, or if I just have bad luck.
As a pedestrian, I hate them. At 25-30km/h, on a walking trail, they are incredibility intimidating. I would not want to be hit by one.
At the end of the day, they are one less car. I’m of the opinion that as long as they are ridden responsibility and aren’t crazy powerful and heavy, I’m cool with it.
That has no pedals, so it’s entirely electric, not electric assist. Bike lanes in my area allow electric assist bicycles, but not electric-only motorbikes. To be considered a bicycle in my area, it:
- cannot assist past 20mph (~32kmh) or 28mph (~45kmh) if there is a speedometer equipped
- must be propelled by human power (hands or feet)
- cannot be classified as a scooter or similar
Emotorbikes are just motorcycles with a battery instead of a gas tank, and thus are not allowed in the bike lane. So that person is probably operating their motorcycle illegally. It doesn’t matter what speed they’re going, it’s not allowed in the bike lane unless it’s propelled by human power.
If it happens again, I’d report it to the police. Keep doing that until they get some enforcement.
I think what does and does not belong on a bicycle path inside a city should depend on speed, size and weight. Some rules of thumb I just came up with; all measured in human sizes:
- At most as fast as a sporty person on a regular bike
- At the least as fast as your average grandma on a regular bike
- No longer than two humans piggy-backed are tall
- No wider than 2 humans
- At most as heavy as 2 humans
Scooter, longboard, skateboard, inline skates, boosted board, whatever? Sure, come on in. We’re about the same speed, size and weight, so we can intermingle just fine.
Big fat cargo “bicycle” with a huge-ass storage container on the back? You belong on the road.
If the motorcycle in question is lightweight, small and not very fast, I wouldn’t mind it in the bike lane though.
The style you’re suggesting is a bit too heavy (surprisingly just 223 kg but still too much) and obviously way too fast.
If it was lighter and had a 20-30 km/h speed limit though, I probably wouldn’t mind too much. It wouldn’t be much different from a cargo bike and those have proven to work just fine in bicycle paths.I say share the road
Road? Yeah, sure; but what about bike lanes or MUP’s?
I ride my ebike in the bike lane. I think the rules to be allowed to use a bike lane where I live are sensible they currently are:
- bike must have pedels and be fully functional without power
- max speed of 30km/h under power, a max wattage of 500w
- a weight limit and a brake distance limit
Looks like the bike yiu saw shouldn’t be allowed.
Any place’s rules and bike infrastructure vary. I say that if they use bike infrastructure or shared multiuse pathways while being respectful, i.e. travelling at less than 32km/h (20 mph) (and less than 20km/h or 12.5 mph around pedestrians) then I have no problem. What kind of helmet and what the bike looks like, or if it’s a motorized scooter or jet powered wheelchair or whatever that doesn’t matter to me personally.
More likely you’re encountering someone going at the posted road speed above 40km/h (25 mph) and using the bike lanes as a shortcut. Feel free to chew those people out.
Honestly I just mind my own friggin business. If someone’s in a lane somewhere, and they aren’t bothering anyone else and being polite or putting people at risk, then IMO who cares? I saw someone on one of those Surron bikes, on an isolated bike path that barely anyone rides, clipping along and my first thought wasn’t to clutch my pearls. It was, I wonder if I could get away with buying one of those lol.
In my city I see people riding those one wheeled scooters regularly, and those things can book too. But I can count the amount of incidents I’ve had with high speed vehicles like escooters and electric unicycles on the bike path with one hand, because it’s at zero. On the other hand, I can’t count the amount of incidents I’ve had with people walking causing issues or with other cyclists, because I probably can’t count that high.
If someones being a Muppet, they’ll get theirs. If they aren’t, then just leave them alone.
If it’s got a motor, electric or otherwise, it belongs on the road with other motor vehicles.
Edit: And not in the bicycle lane…
Imo at least a class 1 should be an exception, it’s required to be pedaled for any assist and is barred from providing assist past 20mph or operating via a throttle. There are also power limits that make them pretty weak.
The class system is designed for these arguments. I’m fine with class 2 in lanes and paths, but now we can discuss ebikes and where they belong without confusion. And regulators for parks, towns, etc can make it very clear in their signage.
Disagree. Ebikes should be allowed, provided the rider is using pedal assist and not just gunning it.
Motorcycles, both ICE and BEV, aren’t allowed ever.
If we exclude ebikes generally, we’ll discourage the average person from cycling for transportation. There should be a maximum speed and a “no passing” rule (if you want to pass, you need to use the regular road lane).
that’s it
