(10-14-2016, 06:01 PM)KevinL Wrote: Older-style electric bikes are much more compact and have a small electric motor that supplement the pedals; for riders that lack the strength to climb hills, for example.
The legal specifications meant that so long as the vehicle could conceivably be powered by pedals, and the motor was electric, it still counted as a bike. There's your loophole.
To clarify; I have zero problem whatsoever with a proper bicycle equipped with a motor assist. I've even considered buying or making my own system.
What I take issue with is the cheaply-built Chinese units which are designed to look like a gasoline scooter (which is classified as a motorcycle), but are not subject to any laws, regulations or insurance regulations because they get lumped in with bicycles by having superficial pedals (which are never used). They're ridden by people who are not cyclists, who do not have respect for cycling or rules of the road, and are simply a less-expensive or more accessible alternative to a car because they're either too poor or have a DUI and are too lazy to get a real bicycle.
London got it right:
/rant