A Gateway to eMobility Franchising
Yep- once again, we see the benefits of riding a bike- an eBike or just a regular old traditional bike. Have a read of this very informative and encouraging article in the NY Times. Kind of like the Fountain of Youth. Sorta. Enjoy!!!
Thanks to Gretchen Reynolds for an excellent article pointing out the benefits of the ride. Please click on the picture and enjoy the article.
According to many studies, e-bike users ride almost as hard as people on conventional bikes. They also ride for longer periods and use e-bikes instead of driving.
— Read on www.outsideonline.com/2404475/riding-e-bike-not-cheating
A well written article and what we have been telling everyone who asks: you are going to be healthier if you ride a regular old bike and just the same for an eBike. Now the question becomes: which one will you ride the most?
Our traditional bike shop owners are seeing unprecedented interest in bicycles in New York and we are very happy for all.
-Sasha
Click on the picture to read Sasha von Oldershausen’s excellent article in today’s New York Times
“New York has steadily been making improvements to biking infrastructure, both in response to the pandemic (it is working to open up 100 miles of its streets to cyclists, with 67 miles cleared so far), as well as staying committed to its long-term plans.”
And in Maine of all places- perhaps one of the best biking places in the world. Please have a quick look at this fabulous article published yesterday in the Opinion section of the NYT:
If you have the time, be sure to read a few of the comments on the Times Blog- they will confirm what we know is happening: the eBike Revolution. It’s here to stay.
Jennifer describes what we are all learning: not only do eBikes get folks back out on the roads and trails, they serve as a vehicle for health and well-being. And eBikes can help a lot of us hang on to life for a little longer and a little better.
Here are some examples:
lisahoro from Hailey, Idaho:
Way too much judgement in these comments in my opinion. I have been mountain biking with the same group of women for 25 years. We are all now around 60: 10 years ago I was diagnosed with a heart condition that made it next to impossible for me to keep up aerobically. I thought I was done with the group and my husband gave me an ebike for my birthday 2 years ago. Wow: I can ride with my friends again! I am not surging up any hills running people over: I am riding in a group of women (6 to 8) all in our 60’s. A sport I have loved for so many years is now accessible to me again. Unfortunately, these bikes are misunderstood, and not allowed on many trails where I live. I remember well when mountain bikes first were designed with shocks and my friends at the Forest Service were convinced all trails in the mountains would be ruined by these shocks on mtn bikes. Guess what: they weren’t. E-bikes are another evolution in the design of bicycles and lets not keep our heads in the sand as our population ages- people out recreating is better than not. Get off your high horse about what you can do at your age. I wish I could, but I am doing my best.
Rich from Temecula:
I’m 56, an experienced cyclist, who bought a trek verve ebike last year for my 20 mile r/t hilly commute. I simply could not reliably do it every day by regular bike. However with my Bosch mid drive motor I can definitely do it every day, even if I’m feeling tuckered out by life or work. And it is definitely exercise, maybe easier, but plenty heart pumping. Ebikes are amazing. Mine replaced a car.
Julie from Cleveland Heights, Ohio:
In my mid 50’s I’ve only been cycling for three years. Several of the cyclists with whom I ride have been riding for decades. As many of them have aged into their 70’s and even into their 80’s they reluctantly purchased ebikes only to revel ecstatically in their athletic prowess of keeping up with us “youngins.” One gentleman gave up his regular bike at the age of 85 and now at the age of 88 paces us to an average of 18 mph over 2000 feet of climbing over 50 mile rides. Though a man of few words he smiles widely when we acknowledge him at the end of an arduous ride. Technology can be beautiful.
And be sure to read some of the negative or fearful comments- mostly related to safety and speed, but some challenge the health benefits of eBikes compared to traditional “human powered” bikes.
Of course, eBikes are “human powered” too- just ride one to find out- you’ll see!
When you are ready- we are here for you.
Last year, we were watching the New Jersey electric bicycle legislation grow and develop and are very happy to see that things have been coming along nicely.
If you got to read my past posts on this law, you saw that the bill was in committee last term and stayed there as the session ended. Fortunately, the bill was reintroduced as A 1810 in the current term and has made some amazing progress.
On January 31, 2019, A1810 was amended once again and adopted unanimously by the committee thank to the great work of many legislators, including one of our favorites, Asmb. Gordon Johnson. This means that as of the date of this posting, the bill can be presented to the full assembly for a vote and I would expect it to pass with flying colors.
It’s not perfect- the bill does not include an important group of eBikes that can go between 20 and 28 mph assisted:
“The amendments also provide that any electric bicycle with a motor that is capable of propelling the bicycle in excess of 20 miles per hour with a maximum motor-powered speed of no more than 28 miles per hour on a flat surface is to be treated under State law as a motorized bicycle, commonly referred to as a moped.”
In 2017, we offered a substitute for this legislation to Assemblyman Tim Eustace that we believed solved all the safety and regulatory concerns. Here is our draft legislation. A4663 ESC Draft Amendments
Our bill did not adopt the People for Bikes Model legislation for a number of reasons. Assemblyman Eustace was most concerned, and rightly so, with supporting the large number of cyclists in the Garden State who were active members of People for Bikes. A very good choice on his part and we agree. There are many benefits to the PFB Model eBike laws, perhaps the biggest one being: they provide a legal framework and structure for the adoption of eBike laws similar to the Federal eBike laws and laws in many states in the Nation. They make them legal to own and operate, subject to local laws and regulations.
And that’s what is happening here in New Jersey.
The next steps now for A1810 are for the Senate to adopt the Assembly version present it for a full vote and if it passes there, the bill goes to Governor Murphy’s desk to be signed into law. This could certainly happen this legislative term.
The good news is that the bill makes just about every kind of eBike out there legal to operate in New Jersey, subject to local laws and restrictions. So, if you are hesitating to purchase that eBike you have been longing for, you are in good shape if you are concerned that a law will come along that will make your new eBike somehow illegal.
What’s that you say… you would feel better with a guarantee? That’s a lot of money to spend on an eBike- what if I can’t ride it because it is against the law? Well, eBike shops could not guarantee the outcome of legislation, just like they cannot guarantee that their customers will all safely and legally operate their eBikes in the State. In fact, no eBike shop anywhere could offer a guarantee that local laws and conditions will not impact on the operation of electric bicycles.
There simply is no provision in the New Jersey Laws that makes eBikes legal or illegal. Right now, they are defined as motor vehicles in the state statutes. This is why we are happy to see A1810 moving along nicely. For a law to be legal and effective it must be enforceable, among many other things.
I occasionally get stories about folks who have contacted their local police department to ask the question and are told that eBikes are illegal in New Jersey. Well, if you accept the current law as valid, you would have to register, license and insure your eBike as a motor vehicle in New Jersey, right? But… you could not do that even if you tried, nor could the Division of Motor Vehicles.
Interestingly, I also get a few stories from folks who have contacted the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles directly to ask if they are legal and how they can get them registered and inspected. I am informed that a DMV representative tells them that the eBikes are illegal and they cannot be registered or inspected as motor vehicles. Unenforceable. No provision in the laws or regulations to register or inspect eBikes as motor vehicles.
Our valued partners, People for Bikes have done some incredibly important work on eBike legislation in the U.S. Their Model eBike Laws have been adopted in many states and they are hard at work in states like New Jersey to advance eBike safety and development.
Here’s what they say about the current legality of eBikes in New Jersey:
This is one good reason we are quite happy to see A1810 moving closer to becoming law. It means the eBike you are thinking of buying will not only enjoy specific language in our laws defining it but it will never be subject to the same regulatory requirements that operating cars, trucks and busses are. No registration, no insurance, no operating license. Just like in the majority of states in the country. They are not now and will not be in the near future.
They certainly were, at least in Manhattan Borough, but all that has changed.
Last year, we were very pleased to learn that the premiere bicycle trade organization, People for Bikes, has made significant strides in New Jersey through lobbying efforts and support, to secure the passage of this important legislation.
If the current state of the laws here in the Garden State is the only thing between you and your new eBike, and you want to do something about it, I urge you to contact People for Bikes through their legislative action website here. We were informed by Alex at last year’s Interbike Conference they have retained a lobbying firm here in New Jersey and your contacts and questions will be very helpful to them.
And you will get the unique pleasure of being involved with an important and planet-saving cause: the proliferation of zero-emission transportation alternatives. Not to mention riding that new eBike with an even bigger smile on your face.
If you are looking for a reason NOT to buy an eBike this year, this could certainly be one of them. But you would be one of the few still wishing while everyone else is out riding.
I will be happy to respond to comments and questions here in this blog- please feel free to contribute and perhaps we can ease some of your fears.
But…. look at all the controversy and problems. The solution is a trade off of potential housing congestion and affordability for less cars on the California Highways. No matter what the outcome, we still have a much better solution. Much quicker too.
Give a full tax credit for the full purchase price of an electric mobility vehicle (no… not another electric car) to any California resident who takes a car off the road and uses an electric bike, trike, Segway, skate board or any other personal mobility vehicle to commute to and from work. Get rid of the car, buy the eBike and get it for free. Well, at least get it as a deduction on your taxes.
Open some lanes on the freeway and limit them to personal eMobility vehicles only and there it is. No need for anyone to move their home- no need for more congestion. Healthier people too. Maybe a lot of happier people too.
What’s that- Happiness you say? Yep- check out Mark Dekker’s experience in a country that has been there and done that.
What do you think?
