You have to register and pass a test if you're under 17? For a bicycle that moves the same speed as a regular bicycle? Yeah, no one is going to do that.
this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2026
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micromobility - Bikes, scooters, boards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles, heelies, or an office chair: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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Are governments doing more to control ebikes than firearms?
Given that New Jersey is one of if not the most restrictive state for firearms regulations in the country, I don't think this analogy is quite as sharp as you were expecting.
TIL, thank you
But I'm still serious. Places outside nj are trying to pass e bike regulations too, and I'm sure the panties are twisting harder than for gun control.
I would think cities would want e-bikes to be accessible. I'd be surprised if difference in risk to both riders and those around them as compared to regular pedal bikes is anything other than negligible. But it's an ultra low emissions (assuming a polluting source of power used to charge the battery) with lower infrastructure requirements and maintainance than cars.
This is just speaking for myself, but I bet it's a common sentiment among e-bike owners. I have no interest in bicycling as a hobby or method of exercise. I also own a car. But I do like having a motorized extremely cheap to use means of transportation to use around town, and I often do.
Many cities have speed laws for e-bikes because they uncomfortably straddle the line between a motorized vehicle and not, and it is hard to tell the difference on sight. A Class 3 e-bike can legally go 28 mph and there isn't much preventing people from modifying their e-bikes to go faster.
The reason why they are getting regulated in NJ is because a lot of e-bike riders are either riding them on sidewalks at near car speeds or they are going faster on roads but ignoring road regulations like stop signs. The e-bikes have to go somewhere while both pedestrians and motorists don't want to give up their space.
The biggest controversy seems to be that the regulations impose similar burdens on lower speed ebikes:
The law treats a low-speed 15-20 mph (25-32 km/h) throttle-equipped Class 2 e-bike much more like a motorcycle than like a bicycle, despite its similar performance to a standard Class 1 pedal-assist bike. Bike shops and advocacy groups have instead urged lawmakers to exempt low-speed e-bikes under 20 mph (32 km/h) from licensing, registration, and insurance requirements while focusing regulation on higher-speed, higher-powered machines that more closely resemble electric mopeds.
I won't be surprised if the law changes as the people who wanted the regulations are somewhat mollified by the outcome or are still pissed that kids are ignoring stop signs.
That said, it will probably be easier for them to get Class 1&2 grouped together due to disabilities and get the insurance requirements waived, but I won't be surprised if they keep the license as a requirement even if they lower the age requirement. New Jersey was one of the first states to institute a restricted teenage driver's license. I think people supporting e-bike regulation are still going to want some forced test to ensure that riders know the rules of the road
I'm sure they will but it's still bullshit, licensing was never needed for bicycles, licenses are only justified for automobiles because they kill so many people due to their size and speed. Bureaucracy is a burden mentally, practically and on privacy, not everything needs to be managed and catalogued by the state.
That's New Jersey for you.
And bikes do not damage roads like cars do. All the road repairs? Due to heavy vehicles (average 4,000 pounds today) driving on the roads. EVs are great but they are heavier, so more damage. Meanwhile, bikes do not cause damage to roads.
This biggest risk to riders of either is, by far, vehicles.
There are ways to tackle those road-rats with cheap, fast motorbikes with throttle overrides, pretending to be e-bikes. This law ain't it, and everybody told them that would happen.
The only silver lining is other states will learn to tailor their laws more narrowly so they don't prevent grandparents from toodling around on their Class 2 bikes.
shocking, requiring sending money to bloodthirsty insurance corps makes people not want less useful, but much cheaper and environmentally friendly cars
The article says nothing about enforcement. Did they start enforcing this yet? What does that look like? How aggressive have they been?
good thing you can just ride a regular bike
Not if you're disabled.
Dealers who specialize in mobility-focused transportation say disabled customers are returning newly purchased e-bikes or abandoning plans to buy them altogether because they fear they won’t qualify for licensing or insurance requirements. One retailer described customers losing transportation to work or school because of the new rules.
damn u right tho :\\
How do you not qualify for licensing unless it is due to age?
For tens of millions of people, e-bikes make the difference between bikes as a form of exercise and bikes as a form of practical transportation.
I can, but that doesn't mean everyone can: Many have injuries, disabilities, or other reasons that make a traditional bicycle non-viable.
Personally? I ride normal bikes probably about as often as I ride e-bikes, maybe even a little more (Priority Folder is probably my #1), but I still think it's important to recognize that not everyone is in a position to ride a bike to work because of health or other practical reasons.