Identifying Types of E-Bikes and E-MTBs

E-bikes and e-mountain bikes are an ongoing hot topic among riders, CAMTB member trail stewardship organizations, public lands advocates, and land managers. In 2020, the California Mountain Biking Coalition released our Statement about Electric Bicycles which outlines our position on which types of e-bikes are appropriate for natural surface trails where traditional “analog” mountain bikes have been commonly used in California.

As an addendum to the Statement, we thought this helpful identification guide for the different official e-bike classes alongside unclassified e-bikes, electric motorcycles, and other electric mobility devices helps shed light on this complicated topic. This educational campaign was created by the OCEV Working Group (out-of-class electric vehicle), which includes CAMTB members SDMBA, CORBA, and TAMBA, as well also other advocacy and industry partners.

Special Thanks

We appreciate the work that went into this identification guide from the Trails Are Common Ground coalition and IMBA. There are additional helpful e-bike and other bike and trail resources on their websites.