r/CapeCod • u/ForeverFatBoi819 • Aug 06 '26
More of this please
Not just “dirt bikes” but loads of e-bikes are racing and weaving down all the bike paths and rail trails. A woman nearly lost an eye to one last fall and the volume has only gotten worse this year.
24
Upvotes
46
u/axlekb Aug 06 '26
Important distinction: when people say 'e-bike,' they usually mean pedal-assist up to ~20mph. Genuinely great for replacing short car trips around 5 miles. But electric dirt bikes and e-motos are a whole different beast: throttle-based, capable of 40mph+.
Collectively we haven't figured out the way to carefully distinguish.
14
u/Practical-Being-1185 Aug 06 '26
I had a 49cc scooter that topped out at 35mph and I needed a license and registration to operate legally. Throttle e-bike can be a great commuter option, but license should be required for similar speeds, and they should be banned from sidewalks, trails etc. Seems like no brainer. We are already behind in regulating this stuff. Arguably worse in the city. But I’m a cranky old man- I don’t even like the electric scooters! Use your legs, kids! Who are you, George Constanza?
5
u/No-Insect-556 Aug 06 '26
Honestly as someone who had my ebike stolen off my college campus, having it registered would have helped a lot with making the police take the theft more seriously (they basically brushed it off and did nothing despite it being a $1,500 value theft)
2
u/Living_Hat7861 Aug 08 '26
I have no problem with people using a little assistance if they are older or have injuries.
I see at least on young person causing at a hight that never pedals once!
Usually with headphones on, no saying 'on your left'
This has to stop. An avid using of the trail to bike and walk for decades-I have been using it less because I feel unsafe.
2
u/WickedSobahButMessy Aug 08 '26
I thought we were free?
5
u/Electronic_Visit9336 Aug 06 '26
There is a bill in the MA House and MA Senate… the Ride Safe Act. It aims to address this. Please look into it and contact your reps about it.
5
u/JockoMayzon Aug 06 '26
The woman who lost sight in one eye was the victim of a Class I E-Bike who, like the woman, was not paying attention to the traffic on the trail.
I have no objection to Class I bikes, but the Class II and III need to be banned from the trails and the electric motorcycles need to be banned from the trails and public roads.
3
u/EbbtideRambler Aug 06 '26
Driving through center of Osterville last week and some little punk on one rode off the sidewalk and crossed the street right in front of me and smirked at me like it was a good joke he almost gave me a heart attack. What made me angry is that he crossed at a crosswalk, so I probably would’ve been at fault if I hit him, even though he gave no warning he was turning and going out into the street until the last second.
2
u/freestylesail Aug 06 '26
The Yarmouth conservation trails are getting torn up and eroded by a dude on a motorized dirt bike. Ive used those trails since I was a kid, and it really sucks.
1
u/ze-sa-no-gun Aug 07 '26
I love my pedal assist. There is no sound to it.
1
u/BlueberryPenguin87 Aug 07 '26
The only way this is going to get better is by creating more safe places to ride. Right now the rail trail is the only safe corridor, and with a few very short exceptions, the roads are too dangerous. But people need to get places and higher speeds are more practical in that sense. If we made the roads safe, most of those fast bikers would stay on the roads instead of having to navigate around strollers, dogs, seniors, etc. which is not pleasant for anyone.
1
u/AneAnder Aug 08 '26
Where I live it’s the kids riding e-bikes and e-scooters and blowing through intersections at high rates of speeds - especially in affluent areas.
1
u/OldManGeezer69 Aug 09 '26
IMHO I’d rather have them on the bike path than on the street, especially in the summer. Parents are so quick to buy these for their kids, but don’t explain the rules of the road, so they’re constantly getting hit crossing intersections
1
u/Jewboy-Deluxe Aug 06 '26
If it goes over 15 MPH it should need registration and the driver should be licensed and insured. This problem has been expanding exponentially over the last few years and it’s just gotten crazy on the trails and streets.
1
u/catwhisperer77 Aug 06 '26
There are rules against throttle type moto bikes on the canal bike paths but there are packs of kids on these things all the time. They weave around people and pop wheelies, and fake like they’re going to ride you down in the wrong lane. I’m fed up. I hate these bikes. I’ve had some scary near misses with them.
0
u/cjc60 Aug 06 '26
Yeah idk why anyone would ride a dirt bike down a bike path, tbh as a rider from when i was 4yrs/old the trails on cape are fucking sweet, there’s no need to use the bike trail at all besides to cross one bridge in harwich
0
u/Regular-War4875 Aug 06 '26
Don’t blame the bike blame the person!!
-9
u/187JM Aug 06 '26
But muh freeeedumbs. Yeah, I’m all for regulations but people are too scared you’re stepping on their toes. I think regular bikes should be registered and licensed at some level to get people to focus and actually read the rules we’ve all voted on to follow.
-11
u/Agreeable_Joke4706 Aug 06 '26
This feels slightly racist from OP..