To anyone considering purchase of an e-bike: Great. Have fun. And buy a bell or a horn, and use it. Learn proper trail and bike riding etiquette. And here's why: I can't tell you how many times an e-bike whizzes past me at 20 or 22 mph as I pedal along at 16 mph or so on a trail, and I didn't even know you're there until you've passed me. You are buying a fast, almost silent vehicle. I hear the same stories from others I know who ride unmotorized bikes.
You might say, "Then check your mirror, stupid!" and there's some truth in that, but I need to look where I'm going, same as you. The bell or horn is a safer way to let slower bikers and walkers know you're coming so we make sure not to drift left at the wrong moment – like if we need to avoid a low-hanging branch or a buzzing insect startles us, or any number of other things that we react to on the trail.
And for your own sake, buy a helmet and wear it. It's cool to do 20 mph or above with little to no effort on an e-bike until you take a tumble or have an accident and your skull is unprotected. Most people I see on e-bikes skip the helmet, and if you bike enough, you hear all the stories of people who are seriously injured or killed because they didn't wear a good helmet.
I have nothing against e-bikes. I just want you and me to both be safe. Enjoy your ride, and hopefully I'll see you (and hear you) out on the trail.
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