by Erick Wikum

In grad school, I helped a fellow student move between apartments. He was from Brazil and was new to driving in the U.S. I rode along in the rental truck and his driving made me extremely nervous. I vowed from that day forward always to be cautious around rental trucks. Many people who rent trucks are not familiar with the challenges of handling a much larger vehicle.

Over the past few years, but especially in 2024, users of the Little Miami Scenic Trail have witnessed a phenomenon akin to driving on a roadway full of rental truck drivers. While e-bikes have been around for several years, falling prices and ready availability has meant that the number of e-bike riders on the trail has exploded this year. Many of these riders are new to bicycling and new to the trail. Some are riding types of e-bikes not permitted on the trail (see Did You Know? below). Many are proceeding at high rates of speed, even around other trail users. For these reasons, I have vowed to be cautious around e-bike users on the trail and I urge you to take a similar vow.

The American College of Surgeons issued a July/August 2024 bulletin suggesting that e-bikes are an emerging public health hazard (see this link). The bulletin lists disadvantages of e-bikes including “The higher e-bike speeds reduce reaction time for riders to avoid potential collisions. Attractive styling, naming, and bicycle-like appearance may not convey these risks to younger riders or parents.” The bulletin referenced “A 2018 Dutch Level I trauma study of the 10-year history of bicycle accidents at their institution noted that e-bikes accounted for 2.9% of their accidents but represented 27.6% of the fatal bicycle accidents nationwide in 2017.” Among the bulletin’s calls to action are increasing education and awareness and addressing confusion surrounding types of e-bikes and associated regulation.

• Class 1 e-bikes provide pedal assistance, meaning that the electric motor operates only when the rider is pedaling. Class 1 e-bikes have a top speed of 20mph (which happens to be the speed limit on the Little Miami Scenic Trail).
• Class 2 e-bikes are like Class 1 e-bikes in terms of offering pedal assistance and topping out at 20mph, but also provide a throttle that operates even when the rider is not pedaling.
• Class 3 e-bikes have a top speed of 28mph, must have a speedometer, and may or may not have a throttle. Some Class 3 e-bikes have throttles that only function up to 20mph, with pedal assistance to support higher speeds.
• In Ohio, Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are permitted on bike paths and shared use trails including the Little Miami Scenic Trail.
• In Ohio, Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed on bike paths and shared use trails.

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/guide-to-ebike-classes/

September 2024