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E Bikes?

DILLIGAF

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Bottom line is if you have a pedal assist bike with a motor rated at 250 watts or less, then you are pretty much considered a bicycle in most, but not all places. For instance AZ signed into law that they are not a motor vehicle and have all the rights of a bicycle. BLM and most National parks do the same, but not all. You are good to go on roads I would guess anywhere, it’s just how much they are accepted off road which is opening up all over as long as it’s assist and 250 watt motor- the battery can be any size.

The key is you can ride farther and breeze the hills where you may not normally want to take a bike. I rode way back in Tonto in an area closed to off roading and got into some nice isolated back country via sand wash. No way you could ride that on a bike. My wife rides to tennis in the summer and doesn’t break a sweat. You can dial it back and peddle more or less. All configurable as you might expect.

Got ya.....sounds like a cool way to see a lot of the national parks.....as long as you don't get run over by a tour bus :)
 
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EBT531

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Bottom line is if you have a pedal assist bike with a motor rated at 250 watts or less, then you are pretty much considered a bicycle in most, but not all places. For instance AZ signed into law that they are not a motor vehicle and have all the rights of a bicycle. BLM and most National parks do the same, but not all. You are good to go on roads I would guess anywhere, it’s just how much they are accepted off road which is opening up all over as long as it’s assist and 250 watt motor- the battery can be any size.

The key is you can ride farther and breeze the hills where you may not normally want to take a bike. I rode way back in Tonto in an area closed to off roading and got into some nice isolated back country via sand wash. No way you could ride that on a bike. My wife rides to tennis in the summer and doesn’t break a sweat. You can dial it back and peddle more or less. All configurable as you might expect.

The only place in AZ I've heard give you hassles are Sedona and Browns ranch in Scottsdale. Browns actually has signs at the entrance "No electric bikes" and I've heard the trail ambassadors will hassle you. I've been there and never had an issue so who knows what the truth is.
 

DILLIGAF

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Why would they have problems with "pedal assist" electric bikes?
 

2Driver

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The only place in AZ I've heard give you hassles are Sedona and Browns ranch in Scottsdale. Browns actually has signs at the entrance "No electric bikes" and I've heard the trail ambassadors will hassle you. I've been there and never had an issue so who knows what the truth is.

You can ride at Browns, the signs dont mean shit as they reference the old Scottsdale law that only says “no motorized vehicles” and the new AZ state law clarifies e-bikes are no longer classiifed as motor vehicles. Scottsdale hasn't addressed Ebikes in the law and are hiding behind the old “motorized vehicle” law in an attempt to scare people off.

Just carry AZ ARS 28-819. I ride there as it’s just down the street, but I stay away from the main trail head just to avoid the REI whiners.


 
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HNL2LHC

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We purchased a kit on Amazon and converted my old mountain bike into an eBike for my son. Runs great. Pedal assist or throttle only. 12.5AH on the battery and 1000W on the motor, which is plenty fast. My son rides from Irvine to Newport and back without a problem. Was a fun project to work on together.


View attachment 973552 View attachment 973553
Looking at the kits.on Amazon. Assume you swap out wheels and wire it up. Says front or back. Can you do both to for faster? LOL. They also has 2000w units.
 

DarkJuJu

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the old Scottsdale law that only says “no motorized vehicles” and the new AZ state law clarifies e-bikes are no longer classiifed as motor vehicles. Scottsdale hasn't addressed Ebikes
You can ride at Browns, the signs dont mean shit as they reference the old Scottsdale law that only says “no motorized vehicles” and the new AZ state law clarifies e-bikes are no longer classiifed as motor vehicles. Scottsdale hasn't addressed Ebikes in the law and are hiding behind the old “motorized vehicle” law in an attempt to scare people off.

Just carry AZ ARS 28-819. I ride there as it’s just down the street, but I stay away from the main trail head just to avoid the REI whiners.


While I agree with you and will ride my emtb anywhere I would like, and would just tell anyone that has an issue to give me a ticket or gtfo my way. this is the statute that Tucson, Scottsdale, and Sedona bureaucrats cling too, "A local authority or agency of this state having jurisdiction over a bicycle or multiuse path may prohibit the operation of a class 1 electric bicycle"

That whole Browns area, Rio Verde, Troon, etc was our playground back in the 80s/90s we mobbed it on trikes, dirt bikes and even had a regular paintball field at the entrance to dynamite and Pima. I miss the Phoenix of my youth in the 80s, it was the best place to grow up and be into the outdoors/desert before all the . . . . . .
 

HNL2LHC

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by the way went out today in our adventures and checked out both Soul and EBC. I had no idea that they would be as much fun….
 
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