Yeah, speed limits seem like a reasonable way to catch people who are not in compliance. If a bike is going faster than 30mph, and that’s in a bike lane or on a trail instead of on a road, or they don’t have a license plate, that could be cause to pull someone over. It is tricky because the 28mph limit for class 3 ebikes (in the US) is an assisted limit, and a strong cyclist might be able to go faster than that pedaling unassisted.
20km/h is the assisted limit in Europe (I think), but that limit is too low for a bike lane speed limit. Plenty of unassisted cyclists go over 30km/h.
People complying with the law already have speed limiters built into the bikes. But yes, it’s a method to spot misbehavers.
The creator of the Youtube channel Berm Peak suggested that unregulated ebikes should not be allowed to have throttles, which would eliminate class 2 ebikes. That would make it much easier to spot problem riders, because they typically use a throttle instead of pedaling. That’s also how Europe regulates ebikes (I think). You’d want some way for people with accessibility needs to get an exemption. I’ve heard throttles are nice for getting started from a stop, especially with a heavy load, or going uphill. But I’ve noticed that California law already makes a distinction between a throttle and a “start assist”, and maybe a start assist could cover that use case.
Yeah, speed limits seem like a reasonable way to catch people who are not in compliance. If a bike is going faster than 30mph, and that’s in a bike lane or on a trail instead of on a road, or they don’t have a license plate, that could be cause to pull someone over. It is tricky because the 28mph limit for class 3 ebikes (in the US) is an assisted limit, and a strong cyclist might be able to go faster than that pedaling unassisted.
20km/h is the assisted limit in Europe (I think), but that limit is too low for a bike lane speed limit. Plenty of unassisted cyclists go over 30km/h.
People complying with the law already have speed limiters built into the bikes. But yes, it’s a method to spot misbehavers.
The creator of the Youtube channel Berm Peak suggested that unregulated ebikes should not be allowed to have throttles, which would eliminate class 2 ebikes. That would make it much easier to spot problem riders, because they typically use a throttle instead of pedaling. That’s also how Europe regulates ebikes (I think). You’d want some way for people with accessibility needs to get an exemption. I’ve heard throttles are nice for getting started from a stop, especially with a heavy load, or going uphill. But I’ve noticed that California law already makes a distinction between a throttle and a “start assist”, and maybe a start assist could cover that use case.