{"id":2801,"date":"2020-10-26T19:13:49","date_gmt":"2020-10-26T19:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/?page_id=2801"},"modified":"2020-10-26T19:13:49","modified_gmt":"2020-10-26T19:13:49","slug":"difference-between-trail-bikes-and-e-bikes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/difference-between-trail-bikes-and-e-bikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Difference Between Trail Bikes and E-Bikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

What is the difference between a motorized trail bike and an electric mountain bike?<\/h1>\n

We have found the distinction is confusing many people.\u00a0 In particular, people want to know which kinds of bicycles with motors are permitted to use rail trails.<\/p>\n

Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles (OHRVs)<\/h2>\n

The \u201cOHRV\u201d term applies to both All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and small motorcycles designed for off-road use.\u00a0 Manufacturers sometimes distinguish between ATVs and Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs), where UTVs allow two people to set side-by side.\u00a0 We use the ATV term to encompass both narrow and side-by-side versions.<\/p>\n

Motorized Trail Bikes look like this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h1>\n

They have powerful engines and excellent maneuverability.\u00a0 Riders like to go places where the surface is rough going.\u00a0 Crossing shallow ponds and rivers is easy for them.\u00a0 They are propelled solely by the motor, not by pedaling, and are often called \u201cdirt bikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Electric bikes (e-bikes)<\/h2>\n

Electric bikes look like this:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They usually have a mechanism for shifting gears, a small motor (often in the rear hub), and a fairly small battery.\u00a0 Older bicyclists appreciate having the boost they provide, especially going up hills.<\/p>\n

Some e-bikes, like the one pictured above, are made for rougher surfaces.\u00a0 Often termed \u201ce-mountain bikes\u201d (e-MTBs), they have a strong frame and fatter tires.\u00a0 Others have more of a touring frame and somewhat narrower tires.\u00a0 All have pedals, as the motor is designed to assist, rather than replace pedaling.<\/p>\n

e-bike classifications<\/h2>\n

The bike community classifies e-bikes into three classes, defined loosely as:<\/p>\n

Class 1: Pedal-assist only, with no throttle.\u00a0 The maximum assisted speed is 20 mph.<\/p>\n

Class 2: Throttle-assisted with a maximum speed of 20 mph.<\/p>\n

Class 3: Pedal assist only with no throttle.\u00a0 The motor stops assisting at 28 mph.\u00a0 A speedometer is required.<\/p>\n

All three of these classes of e-bikes are called \u201cLow-Speed Electric Bicycles\u201d (LSEBs) with a motor not exceeding one horsepower or 750 watts.\u00a0 Almost all LSEBs have motors in the range of 250-350 watts, about the same power a \u201chuman engine\u201d applies to the pedals.<\/p>\n

Bikes with electric motors that can go beyond 28 mph or have motors exceeding one horsepower are called \u201cOut of Class Electric Vehicles (OCEVs).\u00a0 They are considered to be OHRVs by the industry, but without operator license or registration requirements in most states.<\/p>\n

Can e-bikes ride on rail trails in New Hampshire?<\/h2>\n

In general, Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed on New Hampshire rail trails wherever bicycles are permitted.\u00a0 This is similar to the treatment of other \u201cmobility devices\u201d needed by people with physical handicaps.\u00a0 Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed on New Hampshire rail trails per state law.<\/p>\n

Note that 20 mph is a rapid speed.\u00a0 Few bicycle riders who are not racers can keep up that speed for long.\u00a0 Most e-bike riders will travel at a speed of 12 mph or less.<\/p>\n

What is a \u201ctrail bike?\u201d<\/h2>\n

Technology advances are making the term \u201ctrail bike\u201d unhelpful.\u00a0 Bicycle manufacturers refer to fatter tire bikes with or without electric motor assist, often with full suspension, as \u201ctrail bikes.\u201d\u00a0 Motorcycle manufacturers refer to their machines as \u201ctrail bikes\u201d if they support travel over rugged terrain.<\/p>\n

Watch out for this slippery terminology!<\/p>\n

September 6, 2020 Charles Martin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  What is the difference between a motorized trail bike and an electric mountain bike? We have found the distinction is confusing many people.\u00a0 In particular, people want to know…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2801","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2801"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2804,"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2801\/revisions\/2804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhrtc.org\/nhrtc-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}