E motos
Below is a summary of some of the items I’ve seen, or had shared with me (thank you readers) about e-motos and how various municipalities are dealing with them. I’ve learned a lot in the last month, including the important fact that “as-shipped”, some of the e-motos are being sold as Class 2 e-bikes (see below), but they can readily be modified and made illegal. I hope that Golden will soon discuss regulations for mixed use trails, but haven’t seen it on the agenda yet.
Clear webpage showing the various definitions of e-motos versus e-bikes. If we were to follow the Jeffco regulations as defined on the page linked above, class 2 Ebikes would be allowed on paved trails (and sidewalks??), but not on soft surface trails.
After an interaction with kids doing tricks on Jackson Street, amidst cars and commuting traffic, I was linked to a webpage for MacFox bikes. They clearly market to the tween/teen market very specifically to say, “this is a class-2 bike that can do tricks.” But one kid spoke highly of his extra battery (more power?) and one can find ways to hack the governor easily. So enforcement of rules (class 2, not allowed on soft surface is clear), but do they exceed class 2 in reality?
My interaction with the kids was interesting because they clearly knew that doing tricks in traffic was not something they wanted their parents to know about. I also tried to make it clear that a 20 mph speed was much more dangerous than a 15 mph speed. As a former physics teacher I was able to come up with some numbers that highlight the safety concerns. What I shared with them was that stopping from 20 mph takes almost twice the distance as it does to stop at 15 mph. A normal bicycle helmet is “rated” for a 15 mph crash, and is not rated for 20 mph crashes.
Feet per second - why does this matter? Think about riding on a mixed use trail, how far away should you ring your bell/buzzer to indicate you’re approaching a stopped pedestrian, or even a slow walking pedestrian? Maybe a lot farther than you think.
15 mph - 16.5 ft
20 mph - 21.5 ft
28 mph - 29.5 ft
Stopping distance on dry pavement - Again, on a mixed use trail, if a person makes an unexpected move, or is startled, do you have time to react? What about a bike approaching from the opposite direction, are you ready to stop? These distances assume ideal conditions.
15 mph - 6 ft
20 mph - 10 ft
28 mph - 19 ft
G- forces on your brain if you crash - I modeled the g-forces that a brain would receive if at the rated speed, you hit your head and it stopped in 6”, or half a foot of travel. That is generous and assumes some sliding of a helmet on the ground. These numbers are on the low end of what could happen.
15 mph - 8 Gs
20 mph - 14 Gs
28 mph - 28 Gs
Are e-motos or e-bikes equalizers, to allow more people to ride? Or do they provide too much power relative to regular riders? If e-motos only brought novice or less-fit riders up to the level, or slightly above average riders, safety would be much less of an issue, but here are some comparisons. If you add in the added weight of the bikes, and the power associated with them, collisions even between bikers on different modes, result in much greater injuries.
Average Rider Power - 100 Watts
Elite/Pro Rider Power - 300 Watts
E-moto Power - 700 Watts
Some scary articles about consequences of e-motos handled without safety as the priority
E-moto rider dies trying to elude police (who were not chasing)