[ribsteak]

Wow, just WOW. I don't see USFS in the article but who wants to do the pacific crest trail or the AT back east on electrics?? I'm In, can I borrow an E-bike??

under a new Trump administration order - hotly opposed by many outdoors groups - allowing the so-called e-bikes on every federal trail where a regular bike can go.

Interior's order allows motorized bikes that can go up to 28 mph to be classified as regular bikes.

The change would allow them to whirr up and down biking trails in the country's roughly 400 national parks and other federally managed backcountry.

https://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-coming-national-park-trails-142615810.html

 

[life behind bars]

Does not apply to the Dept. Of Agriculture ie. National Forests and expect lawsuits to be filed challenging it. To reiterate, this order does not apply to National Forests, only Dept. Of The Interior lands and in National Parks in which there are few bicycle trails and paths.

 

[palerider]

Article states bikes with throttles? Watch out for the 70 year olds cranking at 28 mph.

 

[ribsteak]

signed by the secretary of the INTERIOR, so only applies to agencies under the purview of the dept of the INTERIOR (BLM and NPS). This does not apply to USFS land (Dept of AGRICULTURE).

I will say I was just at the grand canyon last weekend and Yosemite earlier in the summer and we loved riding the bicycle only trails, shuttle busses and bikes/walkers only. Now (possibly) ding dongs zipping around on ebikes, and this comes from someone who rides dirt bikes too!

 

[Phillbo]

You knew it was inevitable......


"Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed the order without fanfare Thursday, classifying e-bikes as non-motorized bikes and giving agencies 14 days to adjust their rules."

Does not make sense... Don't e-bikes have e-motors????

 

[rockerc]

You knew it was inevitable......

"Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed the order without fanfare Thursday, classifying e-bikes as non-motorized bikes and giving agencies 14 days to adjust their rules."

Does not make sense... Don't e-bikes have e-motors????

Yup they do... I despair sometimes...

 

[JoePAz]

Article states bikes with throttles? Watch out for the 70 year olds cranking at 28 mph.

Where?

I see the following

Interior's order allows motorized bikes that can go up to 28 mph to be classified as regular bikes.

Riders must use the motor only to boost their pedaling to ride on the bike trails, and not zip along on motor power alone, the Interior statement said.

I did see this, but that is someone complaining about what they think is being allowed.

"It's pretty jarring" to those who take to public lands to escape city noise and stress for nature, Brengel said. "You're adding significant speed and a throttle to those trails."

Unfortuantly the article was written by someone who knows very little about the subject so key detailed are omitted. Like National Forest vs National park? E-bike class? Also most national parks don't have single track that is bike legal any way. Most places were bikes are legal it just paved paths you can take you kids on like MUPs where you already would not want to "Mtn bike" or even road bike.

It would have been nice cover some details like that to understand what this order actually means, but they don't.

 

[JoePAz]

Here is a link to the actual order

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/f..._through_the_use_of_electric_bikes_-508_0.pdf

Looks like it covers class 1, 2,3 e-bikes as the same. Applies to National Parks and BLM land.

Uncertainty about the regulatory status of e-bikes has led the Federal land management agencies to
impose restrictive access policies treating e-bikes as motor vehicles, often inconsistent with State
and local regulations for adjacent areas. The possibility that in some cases e-bikes can be propelled
solely through power provided by the electric motor, a function often used in short duration by older
2
or disabled riders as an assist, has contributed to confusion about e-bike classification. Further,
Federal regulation has not been consistent across the Department and has served to decrease access
to Federally owned lands bye-bike riders.

Order, "e-bikes" shall mean "low-speed electric bicycle" as
defined by 15 U.S.C. § 2085 and falling within one of the following classifications: Class 1, 2,3

and it has definitions of these

Here is what the individual agencies are required to to.

...develop a proposed rule to revise 50 CFR § 25.12 and any associated regulations to be consistent with this Order, add a
definition fore-bikes consistent with 15 U.S.C. § 2085, and expressly exempt all e-bikes as defined
in Sec. 4a from falling under the definition of off-road vehicle;

So this means e-bikes (class 1, 2,3) are not "Off Road Vehicles" and would be like "normal bikes".

But reading it does not make e-bike legal today. It only directs the affected agencies to create rules to make them legal and then to submit those rules for comment for 30 days. They could still be challenged and/or shot down.

 

[chazpat]

Wow, just WOW. I don't see USFS in the article but who wants to do the pacific crest trail or the AT back east on electrics?? I'm In, can I borrow an E-bike??

under a new Trump administration order - hotly opposed by many outdoors groups - allowing the so-called e-bikes on every federal trail where a regular bike can go.

Interior's order allows motorized bikes that can go up to 28 mph to be classified as regular bikes.

The change would allow them to whirr up and down biking trails in the country's roughly 400 national parks and other federally managed backcountry.

https://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-coming-national-park-trails-142615810.html

I don't believe the AT allows bikes of any kind.

 

[blaklabl]

I can't wait to get an e-bike. I'm serious.

 

[DustyChap]

So this opens up the ability to use bikes legally on the BCT? I thought most of that trail was on BLM land with some areas of state trust.

Off topic, I've already encountered bikes out on the BCT.

DC

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk

 

[ribsteak]

If bikes are allowed now ebikes are allowed on BLM and NPS land... so far

 

[JoePAz]

So this opens up the ability to use bikes legally on the BCT? I thought most of that trail was on BLM land with some areas of state trust.

Off topic, I've already encountered bikes out on the BCT.

DC

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk

I would answer like this. Yes, but not right now. BLM rules have not been changed, but the order was given for BLM to change the rules so soon. 30-60days I would guess just to be sure. Could be longer if there is a legal challenge of course. Heck maybe never.

 

[raisingarizona]

It's probably a good move to get less automobile use in our National Parks. It would mostly be bike paths and such, there isn't much single track open to mountain bikes in most parks anyways, not that it matters to me.

recent observations have me thinking the the E-bikers are some of the most polite trail users I run into these days. They are the ones that slow down and say hi to others on the trail from what I've seen, unlike a lot of other mountain bikers that act like it's their trail and are in a race buzzing the hikers.

 

[Horseshoe]

Wow, just WOW. I don't see USFS in the article but who wants to do the pacific crest trail or the AT back east on electrics?? I'm In, can I borrow an E-bike??
https://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-coming-national-park-trails-142615810.html

I can confirm that bikes are not allowed on the PCT, and I do not believe they are allowed on the AT, so that's a bit of a non issue. It may however lead to some conflict on paved bike paths, but I can't say that impacts me at all. Shrug.

 

[Klurejr]

https://forums.mtbr.com/trail-building-advocacy/federal-rules-regarding-e-mtb-1105699.html

Full discussion with more in depth analysis here.

 

[hikerdave]

It's probably a good move to get less automobile use in our National Parks. It would mostly be bike paths and such, there isn't much single track open to mountain bikes in most parks anyways, not that it matters to me.

recent observations have me thinking the the E-bikers are some of the most polite trail users I run into these days. They are the ones that slow down and say hi to others on the trail from what I've seen, unlike a lot of other mountain bikers that act like it's their trail and are in a race buzzing the hikers.

It's because we're all afraid of getting banned from the trails just like in the old days when we were riding our mountain bikes.

 

[Phillbo]

I'm still riding my mountain bike....