E-Bike Blog | Electric Bicycle News San Francisco

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ADVOCACY: Nov 12th meeting of MidPen Open Space Regional District on Ebike Access

Nov. 11 2019

This week, the Midpeninsula Open Space Regional District (Midpen) will meet to discuss ebike use on their lands.  

The Midpeninsula Open Space Regional district land stretches from Half Moon Bay to Los Altos and southward.  Their 24 preserves include hundreds of miles of trails - most of which is currently accessible by bicycle.  More info on Midpen preserves.

Midpen is considering three options, to be discussed at the meeting:

1. Limit class 1 and 2 electric bicycles to designated paved trails and roadways.

2. Allow class 1 electric bicycles on all paved and unpaved trails and roadways that allow bicycles and limit class 2 electric bicycles to designated paved trails and roadways.

3. Allow class 1 and 2 electric bicycles on all paved and unpaved trails and roadways that allow bicycles

If you would like to continue your advocacy for ebikes - here is your next opportunity.

WHAT: Special Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Open Space Regional District

WHEN: Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 7:00pm

WHERE: 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, CA 94022

Resources: Several issues will be discussed at this meeting, here is the brief on

ebikes specifically for this meeting.

Please share this event with your friends and colleagues if you cannot attend.

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A Recipe for Thanks

Every year, the shop is closed and Brett and I take three days off for Thanksgiving: Wednesday to cook and prep, Thursday to celebrate, and Friday to recuperate. Over the years, and as our project has grown, the meaning of Thanksgiving has changed and expanded; instead of a kickoff to the holiday season, it serves as a moment to take a deep breath, slow down, and create beauty with the people we care for, motivated by the experiences of the year, and reverence for the time we have.

Wednesday

Bike shop life is seasonal; all summer long we run as fast as we can to inspire and support customers in their electric bicycle and transportation needs. It requires intention to let go of this momentum and on Wednesday we remind ourselves to slow down. The day starts with a cup of coffee, a soft boiled egg, and toast with butter. Quiet. We reflect on the gift of busyness, on the people we have the good fortune to work with, on the experiences we create together, and on the challenges we have grown from.

We get to work early on tomorrow’s meal. Time is one of Thanksgiving’s central ingredients; stuffing is better if the ingredients have occasion to sit, flavors melding, before it is baked. For me, the meditation of chopping, sautéing, and prepping sets the pace for the day. My tasks provide just enough activity to keep life’s distractions at bay, making space for focus creativity and presence of mind. As I work, I think of the people who will join us for this celebratory meal. What will they best enjoy? What stories can we share? What kindness can I show that might bring out their best, and mine?

Thursday

Good conversation is like  good cooking. This is never more evident than on Thanksgiving. While preparing a meal, my senses are in constant dialogue with the ingredients. I taste, I smell, I look, I feel - each time urging my senses to respond with a suggestion; more acid? more salt? more fat? more moisture or time? What is needed? I am struck by the lenience of my ingredients and the way that they respond to me (just watch the salt!).

As guests arrive, I find that conversation is no different. It is made more rich and joyful by attention, sensitivity, and thoughtful response. A drink or a comment can be like adding acid to ingredients - it can set off deliciousness but over-application is risky. I am motivated by the melding of the past, present, and future. Here we are: family, friends, and neighbors, cooking up new memories to nourish our souls as we ride into the future. Sleep comes easy.

Friday

Friday, I wake slightly lethargic from all the good food and conversation. But the day always calls me outside into the calm of a quiet city or the tranquility of nature. In our lives, it’s awfully unusual to have the time and space to simply enjoy a day without a plan. So, on Friday we savor it.

My mind  returns  to the future - to the project at hand: how to make the time we spend here more meaningful and the way that we use our resources more intentional. I am Thankful for the time to slow before starting up again, tomorrow.

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Join us to celebrate the Richmond San Rafael Bridge pathway opening! We'll open our doors at 8:15am on Saturday 11/16 at our Larkspur store for @equatorcoffees and snacks, then we'll ride with @marinbike to the opening ceremony and back to our store (about 15 miles round trip). Full event info & RSVP linked in our profile! (at THE NEW WHEEL) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4k16dwFeOc/?igshid=v1ertnxsxqab

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Demo Bike Sale 2019

Our annual demo bike sale has begun!

What is a demo bike? Demo bikes are our in-store test ride bikes. Demo bikes come with a manufacturer's warranty, our True Warranty™, plus six-months of complimentary service, just like any bike from our shop. Reserve your demo bike with a $500 deposit. Demo bikes will become ready for pickup between now and the New Year. Check individual bike descriptions for estimated ready dates. Some bikes come equipped with useful accessories or upgrades - details in the descriptions as well. Want to finance a demo purchase? No problem at all. Reserve your bike with a $500 deposit today, and pay the balance with our 12-month deferred interest financing.

Quantities are limited.

View The Full List of Demo Bikes.

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Ebike Advocacy Alert - Deadline 9/30/19

The New Wheel is excited that the Marin County Bike Coalition (MCBC) is directing more of their efforts towards advocating for ebike access in Marin.  

Below is an email from MCBC encouraging each of us to write to Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS) asking that ebikes be treated like regular bikes on their lands, in specific on fireroads accessible by non-electric bikes.  

We strongly encourage you to read the email and write to the contacts below.

Deadline to submit comments: Monday September 30th, don't delay!

- Your friends at The New Wheel

I am reaching out to a small group of folks like you who I know really care about the evolution of e-bike policies in our parks. Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) is directing its attention to e-bike advocacy and education, as Marin's land managers consider new rules and policies and we need your help.

As you’ve likely heard, the Department of the Interior has issued a

secretarial order

directing the Superintendent of each park unit to address e-bike use on facilities that currently allow traditional bicycles.

If you want GGNRA and Point Reyes to allow e-bikes on park fire roads and/or trails, they need to hear from people like you. Please take a few minutes to craft a message in support of e-bikes!  

***Comments will be accepted until September 30, so don’t delay***

Write to Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA):

Laura Joss, General Superintendent

[email protected]

Write to Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS):

Cicely Muldoon

[email protected]

Below are the email addresses for the superintendents of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS). Send an email to each voicing your desire to ride Class 1 electric-assist mountain bikes – e-bikes with pedal assist up to 20 mph – on both paved and natural surface facilities such as fire roads, pathways and multi-use trails.

Talking Points

Provide more Americans with opportunities to recreate

Commonsense solutions to traffic congestion, parking, maintenance backlogs and emissions reduction

E-bike riders are those who wish to continue riding a bicycle but are limited by age, disability or physical capacity, including people who bike and people who are just getting started

More people will be able to experience the pleasure and freedom of bicycling and facilitate recreation on our public lands for new and more diverse demographics

Facilitate access to remote areas with less visitation, which has many benefits, including taking use stress off primary trails, while keeping remote trails more open and accessible to the public

Studies conclude that this new form of recreation is just as low impact as a traditional mountain bike

More people on bikes equals more trail maintenance volunteers and support for the protection of public lands

Families can have more meaningful recreational experience together, as e-bikes enable less physically-abled people on bikes to maintain a similar pace as more seasoned cyclists on traditional bicycles.

Personalize the message by referring to your own experience of visiting our parks, and by touching on the health, mental and environmental benefits of bicycling.

Send a message to each of Marin's NPS Superintendents at the email addresses below. Feel free to forward your message to me after you send it, but DO NOT COPY MCBC or The New Wheel - such that your email seems individual and personal.

Additional Resources

Outside Magazine offers an in depth article on the topic -

https://www.outsideonline.com/2402117/public-lands-ebikes

Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship position on e-bikes in the Lost Sierra -

https://sierratrails.org/understanding-e-bikes-and-what-they-mean-to-lost-sierra-trails/

Singletracks talks with four trail advocacy organizations -

https://www.singletracks.com/blog/trail-advocacy/we-asked-four-major-trail-organizations-for-their-thoughts-on-emtb-trail-access/

People for Bikes recent webinar titled E-bikes on federal public lands: opportunities to get more Americans riding bikes -

https://youtu.be/XX29xVX5Wpw

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View this post on Instagram

After years of pushing the upper limit of ebike potential, @stromerbike revives and reinvigorates their entry-level ST1 with an eye towards comfort, performance and of course, impeccable style. (at EUROBIKE Friedrichshafen) https://www.instagram.com/p/B24aAkIF7rN/?igshid=1xshkmfpafl7l

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View this post on Instagram

The 2020 Load from @riesemuller will delight parents and commuters with a new locking trunk, reclining kid seat, foot well & cargo drive from @boschebikesystems. Wow wow #wow! https://www.instagram.com/p/B2zSAvUl8oz/?igshid=2cakkec4r527

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Legit one of the coolest things we uncovered at Eurobike. So new, it doesn’t have a name-but think Vespa scooter filtered through Benno’s unique ebike design mind. #etility #ebikestyle @bennobikes #vespa https://www.instagram.com/p/B2hTwj_FULN/?igshid=ip3df83t33n8

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View this post on Instagram

This just in! The Benno Boost will soon be able to carry 2 kids on a new rear rack - which will work with all generations of the @bennobikes Boost. Excellent upgrade Benno! (at EUROBIKE Friedrichshafen) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eo_J_lYW1/?igshid=15tds8vilpfjo

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View this post on Instagram

Our #Eurobike reports are starting to land. This first interview highlights the new @ternbicycles HSD - a bike for anyone needing to #haulstuffdaily (at EUROBIKE Friedrichshafen) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2XRoH4lwzu/?igshid=sf76gzy65245

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The National Park Service just formally acknowledged that ebikes will henceforth be treated just like traditional bicycles. https://www.instagram.com/p/B1zT2hhl5pG/?igshid=1dg8fuha4ycxs

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Confidence, capability and freedom. Included free with every @ternbicycles GSD. Come in and try one!

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A San Francisco Stolen Bike Story With A Happy Ending

Anonymously reprinted with permission by the author, a New Wheel customer.

I’ve fallen in love with our bike. Since getting a Tern GSD from The New Wheel in December, we’ve ridden almost every dry day. I made our first grocery trip last week, braving the hills with two full panniers, my four year old and me. I never thought I would be a bike commuter. But the Tern GSD makes it so easy—I can do the hills; my two kids ride in back, hugging and giggling and tussling; and we have the joy of moving around in a whole new way.

We were shocked when we drove into our apartment building’s driveway on a very rainy day in a very rainy winter week and saw a stranger riding our bike away. While my husband checked our apartment building’s security, I called The New Wheel for advice. Our kids ran around the apartment like crazy people as we tried to project safety and calm. In addition to offering empathy, Rohan said a bunch of things: register at SF Safe, register at Bike Index, get a certain kind of lock. We immediately registered the bike in both places, and I drove to the police station to file a report.

At 6 am the next morning, I got a text from a cop. “Is this your bike?” he asked, with a picture of the bike. Lo and behold… Officer Dave Sands was walking the streets and saw someone known to dabble in stolen merchandise with a very expensive looking bike. And, the first thing he had done that morning was to check Twitter, where Bike Index tweets daily about stolen bikes. He knew he was looking for a blue Tern GSD

.He got it to the police station, I met him an hour later, and I was riding about a half hour after that. The New Wheel checked things out—it’s in great shape, minus a Yepp seat, but everything else is intact and the bike itself is working well.

Some of what happened was just dumb luck—that Officer Sands was in the place at the time where the guy (not the thief) was hanging out. But some of it was the system working. Bike Index exists and tweets daily. Because we trust TNW, we took their advice and registered on Bike Index and flagged the bike as stolen. Officer Sands checked Bike Index.

Officer Sands has recovered ~25 bikes in his career so far. He said they encounter stolen bikes regularly and can’t get them back to their owners because they don’t always register on Bike Index. He only had our contact information because we’d registered.So, thanks again, TNW, for connecting the dots and generally making SF a place to see the world from a bike seat. See you on the streets!

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Talking Points for Tonight’s Meeting

MMWD Public Meeting

6pm, Tuesday Dec. 11th

Corte Madera Community Center 498 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925.

What is This Ebike Meeting About?

Marin Municipal Watershed District (MMWD) is holding a meeting to collect feedback from the community about ebike use on MMWD fire roads.  

Please come to the meeting on Tuesday December 11th to show your support so that ebike riders can continue to use these fire roads.

How Can You Ensure Equal Access For All?

Attend the MMWD meeting on Tuesday December 11th.

Fill out the comment cards at the MMWD meeting.

Send your comments in to MMWD via email - see end of this email for instructions.

Rally one or more friends, family or colleagues to speak up and show that a wide range of ebikers need access to MMWD fire roads.

Ebikes in Marin Are Used By All Kinds of People

Mobility-challenged individuals

Mobility-challenged riders deserve equal access to trails

Ebikes allow riders with issues like knee, back or heart problems to continue to exercise safely

Ebikes help people recover from injury as part of a low-impact exercise and rehab plans

Senior Bikers

Ebikes enable people to get out and ride, even if they aren’t in shape for Marin’s hills

Ebikes allow Marin’s MANY Seniors to continue to bike with friends and maintain their fitness

More people need to get out and exercise to improve our collective community health

Off-road biking can be safer for the riders and the community than biking on the street

Families and kids out for exercise

Support families who get out of their cars and use e-bikes to ride together

Support families who choose to bicycle together off of streets and away from cars

Family members of differing physical capabilities can enjoy a bike ride together

Commuters

Let’s support people who get out of their cars and get to work without clogging roads

MMDW fire roads provide links between our towns so that riders can commute, shop or visit friends

MMWD fire roads provide a safer alternative to mixing bikers and cars on busy streets

Ebikes help to level the ride through hilly Marin and make commuting by bike practical

State Law Treats Class 1 Ebikes as Regular Bikes

According to California law, an electric bicycle is a bicycle equipped with pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts. Ebikes are regulated like bicycles. The same rules of the road apply to both ebikes and regular bicycles.

Class 1 electric bicycles, or "low speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle[s]" have motors that provide assistance only at speeds below 20mph.

Assembly Bill 1096 provided for the Vehicle Code section above. It contains important language that deals with the use of electric bicycles on trails. As interpreted, that bill indicates that, unless prohibited, Class 1 and 2 ebikes are permitted on trails. This has led to many agencies taking steps to regulate ebikes on trails.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast do electric mountain bicycles (eMTBs) go, and are they dangerous?

They are not excessively fast, and, in the case of Class 1 and 1 eMTB’s, only reach a top speed of 20mph. This is not much above the legal speed of muscle-powered mountain bicycles, which is 15mph. Normal mountain bicycles go just as fast downhill. When traveling uphill, eMTBs are marginally faster than normal mountain bicycles. All riders need significant effort to get to top speed, including traditional and eMTB riders. Fast and slow riders have been getting along for decades.

Are eMTBs heavier than regular mountain bicycles?

They may weigh 20-25 pounds more. Different riders of mountain bicycles and eMTBs may easily differ in their weight by similar amounts.

Are eMTBs a greater hazard than regular mountain bicycles?

The greatest hazards arise from speed, coupled with extra weight. In downhill directions, the hazards of eMTBs and regular mountain bikes are very similar, particularly given the speed that the motor cuts off, and differing weights of riders of all bicycles.

Do eMTBs have a greater impact on trails than regular mountain bicycles?

No. The International Mountain Bicycling Association performed a study that found that the impacts from Class 1 eMTBs and traditional mountain bicycles are not significantly different. It concluded that with "conscientious management and attention to trail design," Class 1 eMTBs may have the potential to offer a beneficial use of public lands with acceptable impacts. Land managers who have experience with eMTBs on their trails generally confirm this. Wider tires and lower inflations significantly reduce erosion on trails.

Does use of eMTBs run the risk of leaving bicyclists stranded when there are failures in technology, such as when a battery fails?

This is no more the case with eMTBs than it is with normal mountain bicycles and even with equestrians and hikers. Chains, tires, pumps, rims, brakes, saddles, boots and other things might fail. Any trail user runs the risk of being unprepared by failing to have clothing that protects against the environment. They can be stranded without food and water. All trail users need to have personal responsibility and be prepared for mishaps.

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Protect Marin Fire Road Access for Ebikes!

Show your support for ebike access to fire roads!

The Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), which administers many Mt. Tamalpais trails, is considering making changes to its rules regarding ebike access, especially as it relates to less-traveled fireroads. The word on the street (or the trail!) is that the MMWD has heard a lot from a vocal minority that is the anti-ebike crowd, advocating for banning access by ebikes to MMWD fire roads.

Ebike supporters in Marin, make your voice heard now!

MMWD wants to hear from you as well--they serve the public and want to act in the true public interest. MMWD officials need to be able to say confidently that there is overwhelming support in Marin for ebikes on fire roads, so they can proceed accordingly.

Public meeting scheduled for Tuesday Dec. 11th

Share your perspective at a special Ebike Public Workshop on Tuesday, December 11, 6 - 8pm, at the Corte Madera Community Center, 498 Tamalpais Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925.

If you care about ebike access in Marin, we urge you to attend this important event.

Share Your Thoughts With MMWD Before The Meeting

Sample Letter & Talking Points (Please Personalize)

Dear MMWD Director/Staff,

As a Marin County resident / (trail user) who cares deeply about addressing climate change, traffic congestion, environmental protection and the health and wellness of our community, I ask that you lend your support to efforts to enable ebike access to fire roads throughout your jurisdiction. Facts don't lie: no harm from the use of class 1 electric bicycles on fire roads has been shown by independent research. To the contrary, study after study demonstrates that ebikes improve access for all, especially for aging adults, and reduce the need for automobile and parking infrastructure, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and traffic. Ebikes are a win-win-win proposition for Marin. Please move to enable–and not restrict–the use of this incredible green technology here in the land of new ideas and forward-thinking environmental protection.

Thank you for your support. Sincerely, [your name]

Board Members & Staff Contacts

Larry Bragman Division III Director & Board Vice President [email protected]

Jack Gibson Division I Director [email protected]

Cynthia Koehler Division I Director [email protected]

Armando Quintero Division II Director & 2017 Board President [email protected]

Larry Russell Division V Director [email protected]

Krishna Kumar General Manager [email protected]

Crystal Yezman Facilities & Watershed Division Manager [email protected]

Alternatively, cut and paste the emails below into your email:

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

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We’re thrilled to be a part of this line-up of independent Danish and Danish-inspired designers and collaborators curated by @whisk.sf and @sfunicorn - Info/register at: whisksf.com/denmark https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqp2OwzA1c9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=icpyb1zha8wr

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The New Wheel Thanksgiving Sale. 15 - 22% off new electric bikes from @gazellebikes, @focusbikes and @kalkhoffbikes. Sale ends Sunday, linked in our profile! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqcdk7tAN6x/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4ew3pzsgpycu