MTB legend asks if it is time to draw a line in the sand of when e-bikes become “too powerful”
An Open Letter to the Bicycle Industry
To the leaders, builders, advocates, and riders who shape our industry,
I’m writing because I care deeply about where bicycles—and electric bicycles—are headed. We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make about language, power limits, and definitions will determine whether Class 1 e-bikes remain accepted as bicycles—or get grouped with much more powerful machines that don’t belong in the same category.
It’s time to define our language and it’s time to draw a line in the sand of when e-bikes become too powerful.
Words Matter
Today, the term “e-bike” is used to describe everything from a lightweight pedal-assist mountain bike to electric mopeds and full-blown electric motorcycles. That lack of precision creates confusion—and conflict—with land managers, other trail users, parents, and lawmakers.
If we don’t define our terms, others will define them for us.
Ideally, “e-bike” would mean one thing:
A Class 1 pedal-assist bicycle with a maximum assist speed of 20 mph [in North America – Editor] , no throttle, and a motor not exceeding 750 watts of peak power.
Instead, the label has expanded to cover vehicles with throttles, higher speeds, and significantly more power. That blurring of categories puts access at risk.
Clear Categories, Clear Expectations
We need distinct names for distinct machines:
- E-bicycle (EMTB): Class 1 pedal-assist only (20 mph max assist, 750W max peak power)
- E-moped: Throttle-equipped or faster than 20 mph or exceeding 750W, incl. Class 2&3
- E-motorcycle: High-power electric motorcycles well beyond bicycle-level performance
Clear labeling should be mandatory. Every electric vehicle should visibly state its category, assist speed, and peak motor power. This isn’t about enforcement—it’s about clarity and accountability.
The 750-Watt Line Matters
The 750-watt peak limit is not arbitrary. It helps determine whether a vehicle is treated as a bicycle or a motorcycle—and whether it remains welcome on trails and bike paths.
Maximum peak power and nominal (or average/rated) peak power are not the same.
A bike limited to 750 watts peak never exceeds that output. A motor rated at 750 watts nominal can produce much higher bursts of power. That difference is significant.
Class 1 e-bikes gained acceptance because they behave like bicycles: pedal-assist only, no throttle, limited speed, and moderate power. If we allow power creep—higher torque, faster acceleration, motorcycle-like performance—we shouldn’t be surprised when access disapears and regulations increase.
We are already seeing warning signs. In New Jersey, a bill was already signed that will require insurance, registration, motorcycle helmets, and will restrict trail access for electric bikes. In California, lawmakers are working to reinforce the 750W peak limit to improve safety and preserve trail legality. These debates are not theoretical—they are happening now.
A Call to Responsibility
To manufacturers:
Resist the temptation to chase bigger numbers at the expense of long-term access. Short-term sales gains could lead to long-term collapse.
To media and marketers:
Use precise language—even when it’s less convenient. Help draw and defend the line that protects this category.
To riders:
Ride responsibly. Understand what’s at stake. Don’t take trail access for granted.
To advocates and trade groups:
Defend Class 1 clearly and consistently. The industry must self-regulate until the laws are defined.
In order to protect what we have we must stop asking how much power we can get away with—and start asking how much power is too much.
— Hans Rey
What’s the problem with power?
Why is more watts a problem? Well, it’s nothing really much to do with mountain biking rider safety or trail erosion or even the forever in the background spectre of illegal de-restriction. It’s to do with pedal assist bicycles straying too far from their original remit and raisn d’être. Namely, to add a bit of extra motor power on top of the rider power going into the pedals.
Anyone who’s ridden a DJI Avinox ebike – such as the Amflow PL Carbon – will know that it doesn’t take very many rider input watts to get the motor ro give out its much hyped 1,000 watts of motor assistance. The experience is akin to using soft-pedalling of the cranks as essentially a throttle.
It’s this ‘support ratio’ issue that the bike industry is concerned about. Although 1,000w pedal assist bikes are still quite far off things like Surron e-motos in terms of power (minimum 12,500w of peak), there’s no denying that higher and higher wattage e-bikes have the potential to stray too far from regular bicycles.
Also, it should be mentioned that Hans Rey is a Bosch ambassador, so is not entirely without skin in the game, as they say.
Read more about the e-bike power struggle.
Agree with him, but it’s all pie in the sky. It’s just too late now. Bit like social media, it developed into the shitheap it is now before the realisation that it needs to be regulated. Some people make a living out of illegally chipping, what Hans terms as “E-bicycle (EMTB)". Marking the bikes with their category would be a waste of time.
I’m with Hans.
I’m with him too. It’s bad enough where I live as it is. Basically our corner of Germany rules it’s illegal biking on anything in the forests narrower than 2 metres so we depend on goodwill and being nice, to be tolerated on singletracks. Ripping around on electric motorbikes will just piss everyone off further and create heavy enforcement and / or bans…. Bike parks: go for it. Street riding: enforcement of current regs and German police have mini-dynos to check bikes. Natural trails: e-pedelecs meeting current regs.Natural singletrack… I can see it becoming a bigger issue. Bikes wizzing past walkers is enough of a problem as it is without extra e-powered speed. No-one wants to be the 2wheeled equivalent of a jetski. He’s right about getting the language sorted too. It’s been mentioned that the BBC refer to chipped and overpowered Surrons as E-bikes when they are clearly not as we know but to the uninformed they are all the same.
I’m with him as well, and not just for MTBs – the lack of regulation (or at least enforcement of regulation) on ebikes in general massively undermines their potential for decarbonising transport.
This is being discussed on EMTB forum at the moment and two interesting things have been mentioned…
Hans Rey is now a Bosch ambassador, and Bosch also currently have the 2nd least powerful motor:
Avinox: 1000wSpecialized: 850wMahle: 850wYamaha: 800wBosch: 750wShimano: 600w
100% agree. When you limit ebikes to 15mph-ish and 600W-ish, they’re far less likely to take pedestrians and other vehicles by surprise. We’re all used to bikes going fast downhill. No-one is used to tiny silent vehicles on bike lanes or in the countryside doing 20mph+ on the flat or uphill.
I still have to slow down on my ebike for dog walkers etc, especially with younger people often wearing headphones (is no-one else paranoid about not hearing things?!) or older people being deaf, but at least even at full tilt it’s doing 15 not 30!
Bosch could build a motor of any power you like… and to stay “competitive" might well have to… that they haven’t yet built an ebike motor that can deliver peak 2000w for 20mins, stretching the intent of current regulation to breaking point, is because they have so far chosen not to. They are not using an ambassador to cover up limitations they have in delivering motor technology… their current offerings don’t even touch on what they could do if they didn’t care about the consequences for the European market and users.
Rather than the apparent focus on creating forever increasing power outputs, I wish manufacturers would invest the same time and money in reliability and battery development.
Too powerful is too far from what an e-bike is. IMO obviously. I’d rather have better reliability, greater range and less weight than more power.
Umm – road bikes? Sure they’ll slow down climbing but 20+ on the flat isnt unusual.
I have a bike with the lowest powered/oldest of the current motors (EP801-RS), which I’m more than happy with… so I don’t really have a horse in the race. I just through it was an interesting observation.
The 15.5mph limit is annoying on the flat on eMTBs too, and almost feels dangerous when cycling on the roads with cars to and from the trails. I could certainly pedal my non-eMTBs faster than that. I just turn the assist off, but then motor drag is annoying. Still, it’s a means to an end to get to the trails.
FFIW I don’t think I’m much faster on my eMTB, the climbs are just a bit easier. I’m definitely not doing 15.5mph up climbing trails.
All excellent points from Hans, just half a decade late, those of us who’ve said similar in the past have been shouted down and accused of being the fun police…
So I’m inclined to shrug and give it a big old “meh" the horse has bolted at this point. The available products have outstripped the rules and Reg’s (globally) there are customers who already in the “Biggest number mean betterer, me go fasterist!" mindset and enforcement (again globally) is miles behind it all…
The dire prognostications will now come to pass and the Ban hammer shall start to fall randomly in various jurisdictions as edge lords with chipped E-bikes merrily kick grannies to the floor and fling roost about acting like tossers in everyone’s local woods…
My advice if you want to avoid it all, just don’t buy an E-bike, get the skinniest tubed, impossible to mistake for an eeeeb, unassisted MTB and enjoy the lack of molestation by authorities and busybodies (for now at least).
Apparently the correct response is " no effs given, dry your eyes Hans"
With attitudes like this from a British manufacturer –
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/bike-forum/dan-does-ebikes-and-zero-effs-given-%f0%9f%98%82/#post-13705695
I don’t think the future of electrically assisted bicycles is in good hands.
Yep. It’s good that Bosch aren’t getting involved in the higher wattage arms race. Hopefully they are more into the reliability – they’ve already made them quieter (according to the website), which sways me in their direction for my eventual next emtb.
Was the point I was making in the Fresh Goods Friday chat about the Megamo bike that promoted the 1000w output over the fact it was 250w compliant e-bike, so STW culpable here too.
They should have called it 1kW, sound even more gnar. 😒
Berm Peak did a good YouTube video about the potential, (as I believe it’s not been 100% rubber stamped yet) massive restrictions on e-bikes of all types a few weeks ago.
This. Motor reliability and efficiency is more important than max power. If motors were more efficient at the same power then batteries and the overall weight could come down or range be extended. Far more useful than hitting the speed limiter a little bit quicker
The legal limit is 250w continuous power, there’s no limit on peak or maximum power.
The 250w peak limit is not there to limit your speed, it’s for motor safety. Although it could be much higher and still be safe with modern motors.
Since you mention Megamo, which has the same motor as the Amflow, here’s Amflow’s own explanation on the difference:
People in the UK might think the 25km/h limit is a pain on the road, but here in Europe I have to share a mixed use bike lane with these, people running, e-scooters and people with prams as riding on the road isnt the thing. So i think the speed linit is fine, but Id like more enforcement.
The difference between e bikes, e mopeds and Surrons is very small. The big difference is where you took a pedal bike, and added a motor
I agree with Hans. Keep regs and limits as they are. More enforcement and education needed both on the streets and in off road. Harsh opinion maybe but if you can pedal your non e-bike full suss faster than 16mph on the flat over a sustained distance long enough that makes a meaningful difference to your journey time then maybe you should ride that non e-bike instead 😉
I don’t have an eMTB but I can push my Tern GSD over the assist level on nice flat sections and gentle downhills… but on my 20 mile each way commute I am happy with my 16mphish cutout. If it cut out at 20 then I’d be riding in assist all the time.
It’s an interesting topic. So I’ve added a quick poll to the top of this thread.
No from me, as it has no bearing on the bike’s top speed. It could be 1MW max and we’d still be stuck with 15.5mph
I think you need to have another look. Llandegla most of the KOMs are taken by bikes going uphill with avg speeds above 20mph. I was surprised just how many bikes have been de restricted
To me it’s then about safety and trail damage.
Speaking to the trail staff at Llandegla they said e-bikes are massively effecting the ware on their trails
Derestricted bikes are a different matter though. They may as well be on Surrons.
So Amflow think an ebike and riding one is a discipline? Interesting…
I’m not sure it is as it allows the rider to ride whatever discipline they want, just on a motor-assisted pedal bike.
I’ve no skin in the game as I’ve no ebike, but it is interesting hearing how companies frame all this kind of stuff.
I think he’s completely correct. I think it will cause huge damage to the future of e-bikes if they are lumped together with e-mopeds or e-motorbikes. I can see why places in the USA ban them.