Class 1 Campaign: A Handlebar Perspective

For the past thee years, there has been an effort to legalize E-bikes of Class 1, 2 and 3 across all of New York State.  [Reminder: Class 1=20mph pedal assist, class 2 = 20mph with throttle, class 3 = 20mph with throttle, up to 28mph pedal assist.]  These efforts failed, in large part due to concerns by residents and officials in New York City --- where currently, class 2 e-bikes are widely used by delivery workers, but there is a lot of friction over the issue.

This year, New York Bicycle Coalition is pursuing a Class 1 only strategy, which would legalize only pedal-assist e-bikes statewide.  To some who might have hoped for legislation legalizing class 2 and 3 e-bikes a well, this might seem like somewhat of a let-down.  However, I have come to believe the loss of class 2 and 3 is no more than a minor inconvenience, if that.

Why Not Class 2

The simple reason is because there is public perception and political pressure against throttles.  This may be due to misinformation --- for example, the belief that e-bikes with throttles go faster than e-bikes without (they don't).  But be that as it may, class 1 e-bikes are perceived as being more "bicycle-like" by the public, and are better accepted.

From the rider's perspective, a throttle makes very little difference.  Most e-bikes have a motor of 350W or less, and it works best when used in conjunction with pedaling.  Whether that motor is activated by pedaling or a hand throttle makes little difference.  The best argument for throttles is that cheaper e-bikes with cadence sensors are easier to control with one; however, when I disabled the throttle on my cadence-sensor e-bike, I found that getting used to controlling it only with the pedals wasn't that hard.  As a bonus, problems of wrist strain in my right (throttle) hand subsided.

Higher-end pedal assist e-bikes use torque sensors to control the motor, and don't even bother with a throttle.  These bikes, especially the mid-drives, feel more "bicycle-like" and are quite intuitive to control with the pedals.  Although they used to be quite expensive, mid-drive bicycles with high-quality torque sensor systems and long battery life can now be found for under $2000 --- which is only a little more than the $1500 required for a Chinese e-bike with cadence sensor.  Torque sensor mid-drives are the future of e-bikes because they are lighter and feel more bicycle-like than previous e-bike systems.

Conclusion: throttles are not worth fighting for.

Why Not Class 3

One key argument for the legalization of e-bikes is that they are not very different from manual bicycles.  They weigh only a little bit more (with rider), and at 20mph they go only a little bit faster --- slower, in fact, than some of the strongest road bike riders.  These arguments fall apart when one considers class 3 e-bikes, which go up to 28mph and double the kinetic energy in a crash.  New York City has some world-class bicycle facilities; however, none of them are designed for 28mph operation, which is even faster than the city-wide 25mph speed limit for automobiles.  In the future, a 15mph speed limit might be more appropriate for bike lanes in parts of the urban core.

Clearly, class 3 e-bikes have no place in New York City.

Outside of New York City, there might be places where higher speeds are safe and appropriate.  However, New York State already defines a Class B moped up to 30mph.  Interested users can already purchase and register electric Class B mopeds, which have been certified with the state as being safe and appropriate up to 30mph.  It is hard to explain why the State should now allow a new class of limited-use motorcycle that goes up to 28mph but does not conform to Class B standards.