E-Bikes
We celebrate e-bikes as a fantastic alternative to driving! Below you’ll find resources, safety tips and laws.
What is an E-bike?
Bikes and e-bikes fit into a broader family called micromobility—alongside scooters, skateboards, and Segways. Legally, California defines an e-bike as a regular bicycle with working pedals and a motor under 750 watts. Because they are legally bikes, you still have to follow standard traffic laws and equipment rules (like using lights and yielding to pedestrians).
The catch? You can’t tell what a legal e-bike is just by looking at it. The market is full of misleading advertising and devices that look like standard bikes but pack illegal power (or look like mopeds but claim to be e-bikes). To sort through the noise, California and most states break legitimate e-bikes down into three categories:
- Pedal-assist only
- Max speed 20 MPH
- Can typically be used anywhere regular bikes are allowed*
- No age restriction
- No license / registration
- Helmet required if under 18
*(other local trail or sidewalk restrictions may apply)
- Throttle operated or pedal-assist
- Max speed 20 MPH
- Can typically be used on roadways and most paved trails* (per East Bay Parks trails rules)
- No age restriction
- No license / registration
- Helmet required if under 18
*(other local trail or sidewalk restrictions may apply)
- Pedal-assist only
- Max speed 28 MPH
- Can typically be used on paved roadways but not on most paved or unpaved trails* (per East Bay Parks trails rules)
- Ages 16 and up only
- No license / registration
- Helmet required for all ages
*(other local trail or sidewalk restrictions may apply)
- Can travel faster than 28 MPH
- Requires a drivers license
- Has an associated age limit (and are NEVER for kids under 16)
- Some have state registration and license plate requirements
- They usually fall under the same category as e-scooters and e-mopeds
No e-device that goes faster than 20 MPH is permitted for youth under 16 years old.
However, some non-street legal devices have been promoted incorrectly as e-bikes, and some e-bikes can have their speed governor disabled illegally, either with an app, or with modification to the hardware.
If you are shopping for a device for your child under 16, it is your responsibility to ensure they are using it safely and legally.
There is a lot to love about e-bikes! As ultimate tools of personal, on-demand mobility, they make it easy to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and just have fun. They’re also a massive boost for your body and mind, giving you a low-impact workout that burns calories while clearing your head and lowering stress. Plus, they’re a huge win for the planet: an e-bike emits just 8g of CO2 per mile, compared to a staggering 374g from a gas-powered car. You’ll save a fortune on gas while flattening tough hills and crushing long commutes with ease. With game-changing cargo capabilities and incredible accessibility, e-bikes remove physical barriers—getting everyone from older adults and families to those with limited mobility out riding.
Our e-bike approach
E-bikes are used safely by hundreds of thousands of California families, commuters, and workers every day, and we support their choice of active transportation.
E-bikes are not the enemy; they are a climate and mobility solution. They allow people to travel further, more frequently, provide an alternative way to navigate errands or drop off kids at school, and help folks with mobility limitations get around with independence. A gas-powered car emits 374 grams of CO2 for every mile driven – the emissions associated with e-bikes are 98% less, only 8 grams. Our approach to e-bikes include:
Expanding Access
Active Projects
Free Education
Opportunities to Learn
Strategic Advocacy
Focus Areas
There are many regulations already in place that ensure we all share the road safely, and we support legislation like SB 1167 (Blakespear), which makes it illegal to manipulate consumers into buying illegal devices marketed as e-bikes.
Many legislative proposals miss the mark, and ignore the real dangers of traffic violence. We oppose bills that punish sustainable choices, enable biased policing, or add bureaucratic barriers for legal e-bike users without meaningfully regulating problematic e-motos.
What We Know
- Dangerous driving and outdated street designs remain the true threats
- Better bike infrastructure saves lives
- The cities loudest about e-bikes, are often the quietest about infrastructure
- Illegal devices are already on our streets
3 Ways Policy Often Misses the Mark
- Emphasizing paperwork over infrastructure:Â for example, license plates don’t save lives, but protected bikeways do
- Misdirected focus: Law-abiding commuters are in the crosshairs more often that high-speed or hacked “e-moto” devices
- Climate contradiction:Â e-bikes emit 98% less CO2 than gas cars, but are legislated disproportionatelyÂ
Free Bike Education
To learn more about the rules of the road for bikes AND e-bikes, practice on-the-bike handling and crash avoidance skills, avoid bike theft, ride at night or in wet weather, and a lot more, check out our FREE adult and youth bike education classes at BikeEastBay.org/education.
Ours is one of the largest free bike ed programs in the country, helping tens of thousands of people around the East Bay to do more and have more fun on every bike trip.
Events
List of events in Photo View
Get riding!
Purchasing an E-Bike
Buying an E-bike? Apply for a rebate to save hundreds.
Alameda County: Ava Community Energy has an incentive program that offers instant rebates of $400-$1,500 off new e-bikes. Apply online to be entered into monthly drawings.
Contra Costa County: 511CCTA offers rebates of $150-300 on new e-bikes or e-bike conversion kits.
Renting or Test Riding an E-Bike
Join Us at a Test & Ride Event: We’re partnering with Ava to help you find your perfect e-bike! See a recap of our past events, and stay tuned for the next one.
Visit Your Local Bike Shop: many don’t realize that you can test ride bikes at bike shops! Staff can help answer your questions.
Try Out Bike Share: Bay Wheels operates in Oakland, Berkeley & Emeryville and has many e-bikes in their fleet. Learn more about how to rent bikes, or apply for a discounted membership.
[Oakland] Rent an E-bike: The City of Oakland is piloting a great new lending program. Try out an e-bike for a month, for just $120 (or $20 for low-income residents).