Electric bicycle riders are slightly shocked by the new speed limit posed for e-bikes in one state although the speed limit adjustment law has been put in place to ensure that the streets in the state become safer. Instead of feeling safer, e-bike riders are feeling baffled by how this new speed limit will work and most riders have a string of questions that have not yet been answered athough the new speeding law has already come to be.
A state left to figure out how to apply the new rule
According to a new rule set in one state, the maximum speed limit of 15 mph has been set for all electric bicycle riders. The 15 mph rule has been set in stone irrespective of which model the e-bike is or what the general purpose of the bike seems to be. The state’s overall goal is to reduce injuries, eliminate cases of collisions, and put a stop to the untamed behavior of many e-biker riders who take to ride on streets in the state.
While the intention behind the rule ought to be applauded, the actual understanding as to how e-bikers should apply this rule is rather vague. Since there is a set speed cap of 20 mph for Class 2 throttle-assist bikes and a speed cap of 28 mph for Class 3 pedal-assist models, this rule seems hard to implement in some cases. Such speed limits have already been electronically managed by the bike’s firmware and thus cannot be manually adjusted by the driver.
Although electric bikes have always been manufactured by taking federal and state laws into consideration, they have thus far never been manufactured by keeping state-specific speed mandates in mind.
E-bike drivers puzzled and trying to stay within state speed limits
Alongside the baffled riders remain unsure as to how to adjust speed limits of e-bikes manually, there are further concerns as to whether existing speed cameras will be reprogrammed to detect bikes driving over the speed limit. Currently, e-bikes are not under the radar of these speed cameras in the state.
Further backlash comes from e-bike advocacy groups that mention that most unlicensed e-bikes tend to be virtually impossible to track unless caught in the act of speeding. With no VIN or license plate, it becomes virtually impossible to track these bikes.
The other problem with fully embracing the new law is that heavily modified bikes bought from many online vendors do not have software-based speed limiters making this speed adjustment impossible.
E-bike riders not all too happy with the new law
While justification for the new speed limit for e-bike riders has been provided, the law seems to not take into consideration other threats on the road, such as cars and trucks. The state, however, has placed a massive ban on certain vehicles recently as well which shows the state is tightening road rules on a whole.
Thus far, Citi Bike have adjusted their e-bikes to align with the 15 mph limit. At this point, the 15 mph speed limit can only be met by a fraction of the total riders. Other electric bikers lack the guidelines on what to do when their e-bikes has already been manufactured to go beyond the 15 mph.
Which state is reinforcing this rule for e-bike riders?
Yes, 15 mph has become the new norm for one group of drivers in New York City. Thus far, only the CLIP e-bike conversion kit is able to align most effectively with this new norm. Nevertheless, as per the official statement from the New York City Office of the Major, the law is officially in place from this August.
While e-bikers are still trying to figure out what the law means for them and how they can align with this road rule, the future of e-bikes in the state seems unclear. With the law in effect from this month, it seems hard to believe that compliance to this law is still somewhat under construction.
