Forest Service Issues ‘E-Bike’ Guidance

[Deleted member 18333]

Only on hunttalk…where ranchers and ebikers are vicious enemies

And a dude with a horse is the privileged elite.

 

[rogerthat]

Good point. Motorized ATVs and UTVs are required to have mirror, horn, and license plate to be "street legal".

Yes. In Montana they would need to buy their $20 ohv trail pass. Just another motorized vehicle driving motorized roads but you get the added benefit of driving the <50 inch trails and motorcycle trails. Heck of a deal

 

[Straight Arrow]

Yes. In Montana they would need to buy their $20 ohv trail pass. Just another motorized vehicle driving motorized roads but you get the added benefit of driving the <50 inch trails and motorcycle trails. Heck of a deal

Yes, and my RZR has a permit good until 2023. However, I'm just a senile old duffer who parks at the trailhead and hikes in to enjoy the sights, sounds, glassing for elk, and peaceful appreciation of the outback. Haven't ridden one ... but likely even the electric motor would pi$$ me off in trying to escape noise and fast pace.
Like I always say, the minimal hike distance has been reached when the screaming Harleys are not longer wailing in my ears!

 

[MTTW]

A couple of years ago we were elitist for walking. These pansy asses will use any excuse to play with motorized vehicles.

 

[rogerthat]

I would like to have one. I know of several scenarios where one could be put to good legal use. I like having every mode of transportation available to me but when I mentioned it to my wife her reply was “when did you become fat and lazy? Isn’t the purpose of riding a bike to pedal it and get some exercise? You already have a bike.” Needless to say I guess I won’t be getting an ebike

 

[elkduds]

This post by @willm1313, and the whole thread, belongs in this ebike discussion:

Article on Elk Disturbance in Steamboat

"Routt County can choose our future. We can do comprehensive landscape-level recreation planning to protect our roadless and wild areas for future generations, and set a model for the entire Rocky Mountain west. Or we can witness the continuing loss of wildlife and wild places in Routt County."...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[Hammsolo]

All these slippery slope arguments are silly. Bigger electric vehicles will do damage inconsistent with ebikes just because they are bigger.

While ebikes CAN be pretty powerful, class 1 ebikes just provide a boost of power and look almost exactly like analog mountain bikes.

I've ridden my mountain bike up things average people couldn't get their ebikes up.

I kinda hate ebikes on single track. I really do. I feel like it will change the whole ethic of mountain biking.

The big but here is that there is a lot of money behind them. Lots of big bike manufacturers make them, lots of wealthy people own them and there are some reasonable arguments to allow them. They allow disabled, older, and average people access to places they wouldn't otherwise have. They are quiet, a lot of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, especially at a casual glance.

They use the argument that motorized is banned because its loud, it pollutes, and it tears the land up. Ebikes do none of those things. It makes the argument become philosophical.

I'm right there with you wanting to ban them everywhere non motorized, but I'm afraid with the money and people behind them that they will fight and win something worse.

Allowing class 1 in some non motorized places may give enough space to keep them happy. Remember, bikes are not allowed in wilderness areas at all, so we aren't talking the most pristine areas. Everyone wants their little piece of the access pie.

Also, allowing them in a few places means they can be monitored to see if they cause issues. If they do, that will be ammo to keep their access limited.

I hope you realize I was being sarcastic, or maybe I wasn’t…

My inference is that this is about expanding the bicycle market as a whole. It’s about money. I adore bikes. I am not anti-ebike.

This is about time and place. In the ring during an organized match, punching, choking and more is legal. Outside of the ring, it is assault, or self-defense. Even with the laws we have, it gets messy. How do we measure self-defense? Why do we ponder this? It is necessary. People must be safe, and be able to defend themselves.

Maybe, this is more about access? Is access a right? Or, is this just about e-bikes?

Access in this circumstance is a monstrous issue that will be a thick fog clouding a hunt.

This about E-bikes that are a separate issue, with distant connections. We must manage them, like all advancing technology. We must climb high to get above the clouds. Focus on what we can manage.

If we allow motorized vehicles into these areas, how will our underpaid and overworked enforcement officers manage? How will judges rule, when a rider swears he had his bike “set to a legal setting?”

Why are we going to can worms, and then open them?

 

[Irrelevant]

Full suspension Ebikes $5,300-$7,500 https://www.bullsbikesusa.com/ebikes/emtb-fully.html
Full suspension pedal bikes: $4,500-$6,700 https://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-US/bikes/29er-mountain-bikes

Just throwing this out there for reference. Neither are the highest in there category.

 

[gouch]

I will admit that I came to this thread late and have not read all 9 pages, but I think I would like to have an e-bike. It is getting harder and harder for me to get around in the woods and I have been brought kicking and screaming to the point where I am willing to admit my limitations. An e-bike sounds like just the ticket. I do feel that they should not be allowed anywhere motorized vehicles are not allowed. They are in fact motorized vehicles. I know that some companies are making electric dirt bikes now. Are they regulated differently than e-bikes? Seems like basically the same thing, just a different appearance.

 

[MTGomer]

And a dude with a horse is the privileged elite.

This photo exudes wealth

 

[rogerthat]

Ok. So here is how the wealth thing goes with horses. You feel wealthy - you buy a horse. The horse starts eating lots of hay. It grows. It eats more hay. Pretty soon the damn thing is eating you out of house and home. You don't feel wealthy anymore. You feel poor. Feel free to multiply this times # of horses for greater effects to wealth and poorness.

 

[Irrelevant]

Rich
Well off
middle class
lower middle class
poor
horse poor.

 

[DFS]

Ok. So here is how the wealth thing goes with horses. You feel wealthy - you buy a horse. The horse starts eating lots of hay. It grows. It eats more hay. Pretty soon the damn thing is eating you out of house and home. You don't feel wealthy anymore. You feel poor. Feel free to multiply this times # of horses for greater effects to wealth and poorness.

You sell the horse, you buy a tricked out e bike. Your poor ass rides that thing straight to the top of that mountain on a non motorized trail.

 

[rogerthat]

Rich
Well off
middle class
lower middle class
poor
horse poor.

One of my side gigs is selling small square baled horse hay. You wouldn’t believe how many times I got asked for a payment plan for small quantity orders for hay. I always felt bad. People are literally living pay check to pay check to feed their horses overpriced hay. They obviously love those damn things….maybe even as much as a few on here love their ebikes

 

[Oak]

This photo exudes wealth

View attachment 218226

Nike, I see. Must have been nice.

 

[PrairieHunter]

Rich
Well off
middle class
lower middle class
poor
horse poor.

 

[Dirthog67]

I will admit that I came to this thread late and have not read all 9 pages, but I think I would like to have an e-bike. It is getting harder and harder for me to get around in the woods and I have been brought kicking and screaming to the point where I am willing to admit my limitations. An e-bike sounds like just the ticket. I do feel that they should not be allowed anywhere motorized vehicles are not allowed. They are in fact motorized vehicles. I know that some companies are making electric dirt bikes now. Are they regulated differently than e-bikes? Seems like basically the same thing, just a different appearance.

An electric dirt bike is much more powerful than an ebike and it will ride mostly like a dirt bike. They also don't have pedals.

There are 3 classes of E-Bikes recognized.

Class 1 only provides power when you are pedalling and only up to 20mph. These are allowed the most places and are basically bikes with a turbo.

Class 2 has a throttle, but also will only power up to 20 mph.

Class 3 you have to pedal and they provide power up to 28 mph.

There are also some bikes that are programmable.

I would look at what is allowed where you want to ride and then go try out bikes.

 

[jmcd]

E-bike “Guidance”….
If there is a more worthless, spineless-puss agency than the forest service, I’d be shocked. How f’n hard does this have to be?

 

[44hunter45]

In the National Forest around me, ebikes are allowed on roads and trails open to motorized travel only. mtmuley

And everyone obeys the rules.....

 

[ncina]

I used my ebike this season. They obviously have a huge advantage over walking and how far you can get in to places. I would much rather have a horse, but have nowhere to keep one, so in my opinion, this is a good option for the money/convenience.