Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Moab BLM closes Mountain Bike Trails to E-bikes

   E-Bikes are becoming more and more popular. You will see reviews and ads for them in most mountain bike magazines, and small shops popping up all over. They are used in everything from road bikes to commuters. And that's good, everyone on a bike, right? 

Wrong!

   The Moab Bureau of Land Management recently announced that E-Bikes are not allowed on mountain bike trails. 

Example sign

   This is sure a polarizing decision. The general arguments are as seen below:

Names changed to protect the innocent

   The general arguments are:
  • This is good
    • A bike with a motor is a motorcycle, stay on motorcycle trails
    • E-bikes tear up trails
    • E bikes will create more traffic than the trail can handle
  • This is bad
    • Everyone should have access
    • E-assist bikes are not like motorcycles

   These arguments all make sense, right? A bike that provides a 30% boost for someone with a leg injury can't be all bad?

Simple E-bike

  But this is also an E-bike, and this surely belongs on a motorized trail.

Not simple E-bike

   It will be interesting to see if this ban moves to more trails outside Moab like Fruita in the future. Until then:



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