Electric bicycles are rolling out for rent this summer along the Burlington Bike Path, where riders must limit their speed to 12 miles per hour.
That’s the max allowed under an agreement between the Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Commission and Burlington Segway Tours, the rental company offering the e-bikes.
The commission voted to allow the rentals in April after several years of lobbying by Burlington Segway Tours co-owner Rick Sharp.
Sharp also convinced the commission in 2013 to give him permission to bring rented Segway motorized scooters onto the path.
So far just a few people have taken the e-bikes out for a spin from the company’s
shop at 277 Pine Street, though Sharp says initial reviews are good. His is the only business approved to rent the bikes for use on the path.
The cycles Sharp rents can hit about 28 miles per hour, though scofflaws will find they can’t go over the speed limit — each bike is set to keep riders to the agreed-upon 12 mph top speed.
The commission initially worried high speeds could be dangerous, especially when the path is congested, so Sharp compromised with the speed limit. They also wanted to generally preserve the ban on motorized vehicle traffic along the path, and allow only some exceptions.
“Their main concern is that you open up the bike paths to all kinds of motorized things, that you’re going to have ATVs,” Sharp said.
ATVs are still not allowed and Jesse Bridges, the director of Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront, doesn’t foresee problems with electric bikes, saying he welcomes the added mobility option.
The e-bikes can be pedaled or powered by a small, light motor that riders control from switches on the handlebars. Many people do a combination of pedaling and cruising. The bikes rent for $20 an hour and $45 a day. Sharp is also selling them for $2,350.
An environmentalist and attorney, Sharp was instrumental in winning the court battle that led to the creation of the bike path in the 1980s and also played a key role in blocking the Alden Plan, which would have plopped a towering hotel, condos and a parking garage on what is now Waterfront Park.
The entrepreneur is now using the path to further his business plans — and get people going. The motorized bikes aren’t some way for fat, lazy people to avoid breaking a sweat, but instead allow riders with physical limitations to enjoy the outdoors and scenery. Sharp knows firsthand after a paragliding crash in 1996 left him walking with difficulty.
“It gets more people out onto bikes,” Sharp said. “The parks commission bought that argument; they understand that.”
The option of switching to engine power means more people can make the 13-mile journey from the Burlington waterfront to the end of the Colchester Causeway, the trail on converted railroad bed that juts out into Lake Champlain.
“It’s a beautiful place to go but a lot of people don’t have the stamina to pedal a bicycle all the way out there,” said Sharp.
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Are these bikes heavier than regular bikes? Can they accelerate faster? Who wins in a crash?
Toronto banned electric bikes from their bike paths and they sounds like an excellent idea.
Not a good idea, but you know what wins over common sense…that’s right, the almighty $$$. Sad to see. This path is about as flat as you can get.
‘merican living and riding in Europe…E-Bikes are the rage here…I’ve test ridden them and they’re great…motor helps you on the hills and allows you to ride longer-farther, gets more people outdoors exercising. Speed isn’t a problem, must pedal for motor to assist so not relying on motor for sole means of propulsion, you go only as fast as you can pedal like a motor less bike. E-Bikes are heavier but so is a larger person (like me) on a regular bike hitting something…Please give one a try…
Toronto does allow pedelecs no heavier than 40 kg on their bike paths, so some electric bikes are allowed. They are not further restricted in speed, although they can go 32 km/h, there is a 20 km/h speed limit on the trials, which is about the same speed as the 12 mph in Hamilton. Pedelecs are what is being offered in Hamiton, so Toronto trails are essentially the same as Hamilton.
An average bike is around 35 lbs, and with an average rider at about 190 lbs the package is around 215 lbs. A small motor and modern battery can add 20 lbs, so about 235 lbs total by comparison. At slow speeds, the extra 20 lbs is insignificant in the unlikely event of a collision, indeed 20 lbs could be a backpack or case of beer, or even a fatter person. Nobody wins in crash, and this type of ebike has essentially the same outcome as a pedal bike at the same speed. Pedal bikes however are not top speed limited so would be subject to speeding along, a fit cyclist can maintain 20 mph on level ground with ease.