Marco Island is a relatively small place where everything is just a few miles away. Whether it is the beach or our local grocery store, nothing is ever too far. This allows for less use of cars and more use of the old-fashioned way to get around – bikes.
However, the old-fashioned way is not so old-fashioned anymore. This has led to the creation of electric-powered bikes known as “E-bikes”. This new style of transportation utilizes electric motors to propel the rider with less effort than standard pedaling. With a large variety of different designs and capabilities, e-bikes took the market by storm, overall dominating the micro-mobility market compared to standard bikes and scooters.
The increased usage of e-bikes has allowed residents to commute to work faster without traffic and has allowed students to ride to school faster without a parent or guardian having to drive them. E-bikes are capable of reaching high speeds relatively quickly and are often ridden on sidewalks, sharing the same paths as pedestrians.
In the market, there are three classes of e-bikes. Class one allows the rider to reach speeds up to 20 miles per hour with only pedal assistance. Class two can reach 20 miles per hour, but the bike has a throttle that controls the motor. Class three has a throttle for the rider and can achieve up to 28 miles per hour. Additionally, all classes of e-bikes are equipped with speed limiters. Speed limiters are devices that control the speed capabilities of the bike. However, there are ways to bypass this limitation. The American College of Surgeons explains how there are a variety of methods and devices being marketed to remove the speed restrictions with the use of “Tuning kits” that can deactivate the speed limiter, turning a lawful e-bike into a non-street legal motorcycle or moped.”…