What are the different classes of e-bikes? Here's what to know about e-bike safety

We just really wanted to educate the users of the parkway about the different levels of e-bikes, what's allowed, what's not allowed, and to kind of demonstrate the differences between the three and to show the users what is allowed and a lot of the differences between the e-bikes and electric motorcycles. Electric motorcycles are still kind of advertised as e-bikes, as electric dirt bikes, and so a lot of people are buying those thinking that they're riding an e-bike, So along the American River Parkway, which is from Discovery Park all the way up to Hazel, All class ones and twos are allowed, but they have to abide by the 15 mile an hour speed limit. Class threes and electric motorcycles are not allowed. right, Okay, so this is a class one electric bicycle. It is pedal assisted. It has a top speed of 21 miles an hour. Thank guys. Every class of e-bike in the state is required to have a sticker indicating the class, the top speed, and the motor wattage. you Every e-bike in the state is for required to go no more than 750 watts of power, having and class ones have a top speed of 21 miles an hour. Um, and so a lot of times their stickers are going to be on the tube here, or like right here, me. this one says class one, this is 250 Watts and it has a top speed of 20. So all of these bikes should have stickers. Uh, this is just one example of a class one, the difference between a class one, such as this and a class three is going to be the speed. They're going to look, they can look exactly the same, but one's going to go much faster than the other. Class 2s can look very similar to this, but they're going to have some sort of throttle whether it's going to be a twist like a motorcycle or a lever, kind of like a shifter. So this one's going to be a Class 3. It has a throttle like a Class 2, but the biggest difference between this one and a regular Class 2 is this one can go up to 28 miles an hour, which automatically puts it as a Class 3. This is not allowed on the American River Parkway. However, you usually tell an e-bike because it's got a way to turn it on, a power, and it's got some kind of a measurement of Let me know what your power is. Some kind of computer on it. E-bikes are not going away. They're going to be here. And it's a matter of getting educated about what the bikes can do. And they do great things. The Class 2 bike was designed as a rental bike for somebody who, say, didn't have riding experience and could go up, get on a bike, and suddenly ride it. Then the Class 3 is really an urban commuting bike. And the Class 1 is your recreational bike. When parents are buying Bikes for their kids this winter. Make sure what you're buying. It's very popular right now. Kids want the Class 2 bike. Why? Because they want a throttle on it. They want to be able to have that boost of power. But if you don't want your child doing stunts, that's not the bike to have. Because a throttle bike can be dangerous. Also, any of these bikes can be easily modified to go much faster than what the manufacturer has designed it as, and that's really a problem. And so parents should be careful that they're not getting a modified bike to dispel. You know, rumors about it. People think e-bikes are a problem. They're not a problem. It's the behavior on them that's the problem. There are two types of behavioral issues. Middle school boys that are trying to stunt ride or trying to showcase that they are macho and doing things that are kind of inappropriate. Or there are people who just simply don't obey the laws, generally. They speed, they want a bike to go fast, so they modify their bike to go fast. Those are adults. And they tend to be scofflaws. They are not abiding by the rules. The park rangers, the county park rangers, are really stepping up the enforcement of e-bikes and electric motorcycles. As you can see behind me, this is our off-highway vehicle. This is our UTV. It is totally equipped with lights, sirens, everything that we need to take enforcement action. So we regularly use this to enforce mostly electric motorcycles, but e-bikes