Fresno Police are power pedaling into summer with E-bike safety tips

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With summer on the way, more people are hitting the roads and parks with bikes.

That includes electric bikes, which continue to grow in popularity, but bike enthusiasts and the police want you to be aware of the rules of the road before you hit the throttle.

Inside The Bike Shop at Woodward, the team works on standard and electronic bikes alike.

E-bikes remain popular for people of all ages.

"People who haven't ridden on bikes are getting back out on a bike, and a lot of young kids are riding e-bikes as well," said Joseph Mauzy with The Bike Shop at Woodward.

E-bikes come in three different classes, with speeds as high as 20 to 28 miles per hour.

"For class two, you can completely rely on the throttle," said Mauzy. "You can just hit that lever or twist the grip throttle, and not pedaling is required. They'll almost always have a pedal assist option as well. Class three does have to be pedal assist only to get to that top speed of 28."

With the added boost comes an emphasis on safety.

You're going to want a helmet and to make sure that it is properly fitted. Wearing bright colors is another suggestion to make sure you're visible to drivers. An added bonus and feature on the electric bikes is a headlight.

The bikes are popular from parks to schools.

"It takes me like two minutes to get up here to the library or less, so I could just make it in two minutes instead of that 15-minute walk," said Ari Selorozco, Student.

But as you're out rolling, Fresno Police are patrolling for anyone riding dirty.

"A lot of stuff we're seeing is just more reckless behavior," said Sgt. Todd Turney with the Fresno Police Department.

E-bikes have to be under 750 watts to be considered street legal, with speeds up to 20 to 28 miles per hour.

Those bikes are under the same rules as regular bikes.

"Bicycles can be operated in bicycle lanes, there's different bicycle paths, you have shared roadways, you have designated bike lanes," said Turney. "As any bicycle or vehicle, the vehicle code requires you to travel the direction of the vehicle traffic. You're required to stop at stop signs, you're required to stop at red lights."

It's a different story for motorbikes, which are more powerful.

"This one looks more like a more like a motorcycle as opposed to a bicycle. It's not going to have any pedals for the rider to provide their own power into it. You're going to have pegs, you're going to have throttle assist and everything as well, but the wattage is going to be over the 750 watts," said Turney.

Like a car, motorbikes can only be driven on the road with a proper license, insurance, and registration.

It's not a recommended gift for kids.

If caught riding it without the proper paperwork, you can be cited and have your motorbike impounded. Parents can be cited for minors too.

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