Atlanta cyclists warn of high-speed e-bike dangers

With the Beltline booming and the city of Atlanta’s e-bike rebate program attracting nearly 9,000 applications last month, some residents report concerns over another growing phenomenon — privately owned e-bikes speeding on shared paths.

Jonas Ho, founder of E-Board and E-Bike Atlanta, said he first noticed aggressive e-bike speeding around eight months ago near Ponce City Market, the Beltline and Piedmont Park. He has also observed an increasing number of high-speed electric dirt bikes in public spaces, with 22 at last month’s Critical Mass ride, a regular gathering where hundreds of cyclists roll from Woodruff Park through the city.

Atlanta limits e-bike motors to 20 miles per hour on shared-use paths, but Ho has seen riders on e-bikes capable of up to 70 mph. On top of that, he collected social media screenshots where riders clock 70 mph on roadways.

Since e-bikes run more quietly than motorcycles, Ho said these high speeds pose a threat to pedestrians and other riders. He noted that e-bikes lack automotive-grade turn signals, lights and brakes.

“I’m a big cycling advocate, and I’m a big e-board advocate, e-bikes, electric unicycles,” Ho said. “But from my standpoint, I know these [new e-bikes] are dangerous. I mean, I ride a Harley Davidson. I can’t imagine stopping 70 miles an hour on my e-bike brakes.”

Under federal regulations, top velocity e-bikes operate in a somewhat legal gray space.

Only Class I and Class II e-bikes, capable of providing motor assist up to 20 mph, are authorized to operate on shared paths like the Beltline, according to the Atlanta Police Department. Class III e-bikes, which provide assistance only when pedaling and only up to 28 mph, may be ridden on roadways.

But without a federal category outlining e-bikes that surpass 28 mph through motor power, the APD could not provide further information about restricting usage of those vehicles.

High-end e-bike brands like Surron, Talaria and Letric, not available in local bike shops, offer rides capable of reaching around 70 mph. For comparison, a professional cyclist in an event like the Tour de France averages around 25 to 28 mph on flat terrain.

While most manufactures label their fastest models as off-road dirt bikes, user-made videos offer step-by-step tutorials on sidestepping safety guards for street legal versions. Cutting one wire on a Surron Light Bee e-bike unlocks top speed, allowing the bike to blow past the 28 mph limit.

Cyclist and Bike Friendly ATL founder David Matthews, who survived a life-threatening head-on collision with a Buick in 2011, pointed to these speeds as “tragedies waiting to happen.”

“With these e-bikes going 50 to 70 miles an hour … that’s (a) speed even me as a cyclist, I can’t go,” Matthews said. “That should not ever be on the Beltline, on a bicycle path, not even close.”

Although high-speed e-bikes and dirt bikes are legal for use on private land, enthusiasts openly discuss public riding in online forums, where users have commented that riders are generally safe from police as long as they follow traffic laws and avoid unnecessary attention.

Georgia law treats e-bikes as regular bikes, not requiring licensing, registration or insurance, as long as the motor is less than 750 watts and pedals are fully operable. Yet among some cyclists and retailers, the lines between “e-bike,” “dirt bike” and “motorcycle” seem to blur. A Letric XP 3.0 e-bike, marketed as street legal — with an asterisk saying “where permitted by state law” — runs at 1000 watts .

Even if a rider tried to register an e-bike as a motorcycle or other motor vehicle, most of these vehicles lack a VIN and other certifications. Ho worried tracking accidents becomes complicated without proper identification.

This month, California legislators proposed a ban on devices that enhance an e-bike’s speed. In a sea of varying regulations state to state, Ho hopes Atlanta officials will respond with similar legislation, along with issuing citations and impounding illegal vehicles.

“It’s kind of a wild, wild west right now, because nobody knows about it yet,” Ho said.

Ho previously communicated with City Council in 2018 to amend an ordinance clarifying that personal electric vehicles like bikes, scooters and skateboards do not violate the Beltline’s “no motor vehicles” signage. He has reached out to council members again with the goal of raising awareness of the new issue.

While the full legal scope of e-bikes over 28 mph remains to be determined, the APD’s restrictions limiting shared paths to Class I and II e-bikes still holds. APD said it is aware of and on the lookout for illegal e-bikes operating on the Beltline.

“We encourage the public to contact 911 as our officers can address this activity by issuing citations when appropriate,” the department said in a written statement.

Matthews agreed that legislation and police vigilance will prove key in protecting people against the wave of illegal e-bike use.

“You have to come up with some kind of a law against it, and at that point you got to enforce it somehow, some way,” Matthews said.

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