COLORADO SPRINGS — “I believe there's a niche bike for pretty much any and everything you want to do from gravel ebikes, to a commuter style ebike, to the full on mountain ebike,” said Patrick Trujillo with Ted’s Bicycle in Colorado Springs.
Staff at the long time Colorado Springs bike shop are well aware that the popularity of electric bikes continues to grow in the city.
It is a large part of their business.
Ebike sales in the last probably two years, maybe three years, we've been up 35% to 40% of our overall sales,” said Trujillo.
In response to the growing number of electric bikes on local trails and in parks, parks managers with Colorado Springs are launching the process of creating better rules and regulations for ebikes.
“We've definitely heard from our stakeholders that there's an interest in ebikes, there's a want to have a discussion on ebikes and to have some kind of regulation set around where the bikes are allowed within our city park system,” said City Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) Manger, Lonna Thelen.
Some trails allow ebikes and others prohibit them.
Rules where ebikes are allowed can vary depending on the type and speed of a bike.
“Currently, ebikes are not allowed on our tops properties,” said Thelen, “That can be confusing when you're on a bike going from one property to another or trail system, and not knowing whether you're on TOPS or not.”
It is now time for a critical look and update to ebike rules
A very complex issue on the surface that may seem as simple as just whether or not we allow ebikes, but we do have a lot of regulating factors that come into play,” said Thelen.
The starting point is a task force that should be in place by the end of the February.
“Combining their thoughts and pieces together to really have that well rounded cross section to hopefully represent our community as we go forward into our community,” said Thelen.
Once the task force comes up with a draft of ideas it must go through review by several boards including city council and there has to be public input.
It is a process that will likely take most of 2024.
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