Electronic bikes newest addition to Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

CATALDO — The high-pitched buzzing that cyclists might now hear while riding the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes isn’t a big mosquito or a trailing hummingbird. More likely it’s an electric bicycle.

And it’s probably clipping along at a solid pace.

When the Legislature earlier this year allowed electric bikes on non-motorized trails, the bill was a few years in the making. Idaho’s e-bike bill amended the existing definition of electric-assisted bicycles to match industry standards and permit their use on sidewalks and paths.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes Recreational Trailway recently adopted the law on the 72-mile North Idaho trail that winds between Mullan and Plummer.

“If you have a bike with an electric motor on it, you can ride it on the trail,” said Kathleen Durfee, trail manager at Cataldo.

The bikes allowed include Class I and Class II Electric Assist Bicycles, Durfee said. They’re among a species that is gaining popularity nationwide by riders who want to traverse state and national trail systems without the exertion of pedaling — at least not a lot of it.

In the past, trail managers would issue permits for people who, for reasons that may include physical handicaps, asked to ride electric bikes on the trail, Durfee said.

“If they told us they needed an electronic bike to ride on the trail, we would be happy to give them one,” she said.

As inquiries and permits increased, the state took a hard look at e-bikes. It found a national trend — pushed in part by manufacturers — that sought to overturn old-school thought when it came to pedal pushers.

A bill emerged.

“We’ve been working on this for several years,” Durfee said. “As more people can afford and use them, they are becoming less costly.”

The Class I bikes use electronic assist. That means pedals are required to get them going and then an electric motor can take over. The Class II bikes have an electric motor that can be used exclusively.

Mike Domy, who has for 35 years owned Excelsior Cycle and Sport Shop in Kellogg, a business that abuts the Trail of The Coeur d’Alenes along Railroad Avenue, isn’t opposed to the electric bikes although his shop doesn’t stock them. He orders them if a customer wants one.

Domy has watched the legislation to allow electric bikes on formerly non-motorized trails in Idaho emerge and, in the last two years, turn to a frenzy of activity that resulted in the new law.

He said the state has worked hard on the e-bike bill to ensure limited liability.

The bikes are popular not just for people with disabilities — the cost, from $1,500 to $10,000, is often prohibitive — but for people with means.

“The battery alone can cost $500,” Domy said.

Although it may appear that the bill caters to the average citizen, it mostly allows a special group to go fast on the trail without a lot of exertion, he said.

“They are ideal for mom and pop,” Domy said. “But after that it’s just for people who want to go faster.”

The state law prohibits e-bikes on trails from exceeding 20 mph, he said. But any bicycle can be modified to go faster, even if the braking system can’t keep up.

Most zooming pedal bikers clip along at 12 to 18 mph, with stock brakes made for the bike, Domy said.

“That’s pretty much as fast as they are going to go,” he said.

It’s unlikely trail police will check bike speeds, but the law puts the liability on the cyclist, Domy said. That’s one of the reasons it took so long to craft the legislation.

Class III e-bikes can go faster than the other two classes and aren’t included in the latest legislation.

“They are not allowed on the trail,” Durfee said.

In a press release, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s recreation department said it’s pleased with the latest law that allows more people to recreate on the trail.

“The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and the Trail Commission are excited to make this amendment to provide additional opportunities to all trail users to enjoy the experience offered by the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes,” according to the press release.