Electric dirt bikes/e-bikes ("bicycles") on hiking trails

[Citadelgrad87]

This seems like a good place to vent my frustrations on non-belled bikes. E-bikes are bringing a slew of new people on to the trails and it appears no one is teaching them to put bells on their bikes to warn hikers. If you want me to get out of your way while you bomb the downhill I'm fine with it but it works a lot better if I can hear you coming before I'm on a blind side curve.

I'll be huffing and puffing, that's the indicator that I am coming.

Wait, wrong thread.

[sealocan]

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet but I've seen YouTube videos that imply , that in at least some other States, electric bicycles and electric tricycles and other electric powered vehicles can be used on certain pathways that used to be considered for hikers only and no motorized vehicles IF the rider is certified as physically challenged / handicapped and needs the electric motor to get out and enjoy the paths that their tax dollars also pay for.

Although I get where you're coming from, if I'm out walking on a trail I don't want to have to keep getting out of the way for a long line of continuous motorized vehicles of any kind.

[JagerDog]

No, that's the point that I learned of only recently -- AB 1096 allows e-bikes on mountain biking trails! And the real-world result is I am coming upon pedal-less dirt bikes on hiking trails all the time now.



I agree with you 100%, way more than you might guess, on the government shutting down the jeep trails where people used to boondock for decades. What I am talking about is the completely opposite situation: electric motorized vehicles being newly allowed on hiking trails.

Does seem as I was "behind-the-times". Quick read on AB1096 redefined electric bike and their access. But they can't be pedal-less to conform. Also doesn't appear to be Carte Blanche access to bike trails or trails that allow conventional bikes. Seems to be case-by-case with safety being the criteria.

.Gov is the bestest at creating unintended consequences and some will push the boundaries, in a selfish manner, of what was intended and ruin a good thing. You may be able to get certain trails to ditch the e-bikes or all bikes.

[Whiterabbit]

Yep. If you need any good tips for how to behave to get e-bikes kicked off of hiking trails, or even banning all bikes and making multi-use trails hiking and equestrian only, you can use the anti-gun playbook. You probably know it well as we all do.

[ngnrnlo]

In the national forest system, there is “no mechanized” and “no motorized.”

“No mechanized” prohibits bicycles and anything else that has wheels (eg skateboards).

“No motorized” allows any mechanized apparatus that has no motor. Traditionally, motorized was presumed to mean offroad motorcycles (ie internal combustion engines). I don’t know if the definition of motorized has been updated to include or exclude electric motors.

[BigStiCK]

The equestrians totally earn it. It is so much easier to walk than it is to deal with a horse. For example, backpacking is way easier than horse packing. Using horses involves LOTS of extra work. The horse, or mule, only comes into it's own if you have to pack in hundreds of pounds of supplies for a project or protracted stay.

Last time I hiked the Hollywood Sign trail the upper half was COVERED in horse s***. We were hopscotching through a minefield for a solid 2 miles. Didn?t see a single MFer cleaning it up.

[Steve G]

This weekend in Long Beach!

https://www.electrifyexpo.com/