As noted in the minutes for the May 26 meeting of the Trails and Blueways Council, John Hamilton, President of Virginia Bicycling Federation, presented slides on the classification of e-bikes, their difference from E-Motos (electric motorcycles), use on trails, and regulatory status. The enforcement of regulations on e-bikes is hindered by several factors:
– Sales of e-bikes that don’t fit the standard classification categories, or misidentification caused by a feature like fake pedals.
– Lack of labels identifying class type or motor power (or weight)
– Capability to operate with e-assist mode turned off.
