LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) \u2014 As electric bicycles become more common on trails across Arkansas, longtime cyclists say the growing popularity comes with a greater need for safety awareness and proper trail etiquette.<\/p>\n
E-bikes, which use an electric motor to assist riders while pedaling, are helping more people stay active and continue cycling later in life.<\/p>\n
For Glen and Ruby Wilson, that extra boost has made all the difference.<\/p>\n
“That’s the truth of it. In our upper 60s. And I turned 70 in a month. And so we needed something that gives us a little boost,” Glen Wilson said.<\/p>\n
David Williams, a longtime cyclist, said he welcomes the rise of e-bikes because they allow more people to enjoy cycling.<\/p>\n
“I’m pro e-bikes,” Williams said. “I don’t ride one yet. There may be a time I need it and I will get one when I can’t ride my regular bike.”<\/p>\n
However, Williams said many people purchasing e-bikes are new to cycling and may not understand the basics of riding safely on shared trails.<\/p>\n
“I think the biggest thing is one of education, because sometimes people who get e-bikes, they’re new,” Williams said. “They haven’t been riding for a long time. They don’t really know the rules of the road as far as cyclists, calling out when you pass people and observing those around you.”<\/p>\n
Richard Machycek, owner of Arkansas Cycling & Fitness, said riding an e-bike requires the same responsibility as operating any other bicycle.<\/p>\n
“Honestly, that’s a lot like how we treat the roads when we drive our car,” Machycek said. “You can be safe or you cannot be safe, and most cyclists are going to be safe even when they graduate to an e-bike because they know how to ride, they know how to be around other people riding.”<\/p>\n
Machycek said the concern comes with first-time riders who may not have experience sharing the trail.<\/p>\n
“A lot of the young people getting e-bikes don’t,” he said. “They’re just not concerned with the safety aspect that you need to be.”<\/p>\n
Cyclists encourage riders to announce themselves before passing others, slow down in crowded areas and remain aware of pedestrians, runners and children using the trails.<\/p>\n
“When we’re passing someone on our bicycle, we always say, ‘Bike on your left,’ or ‘Coming around,'” Williams said. “We also don’t speed through the busy portions of the River Trail where there are a lot of walkers. Little kids are out here with their parents and we want to be very cautious and aware of that.”<\/p>\n
Machycek also stressed the importance of wearing a helmet, saying one likely saved his life after he flipped over his handlebars during a crash.<\/p>\n
Industry trends show e-bikes are becoming a larger share of bicycle sales. Williams said e-bikes now make up a significant portion of sales at Arkansas Cycling & Fitness as more riders look for pedal assistance to stay active and ride longer distances.<\/p>\n
As e-bike use continues to increase, so have concerns about injuries. A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine found e-bike-related emergency department visits in the United States increased nearly 91% between 2019 and 2022, with more than one in 10 injured riders requiring hospitalization.<\/p>\n
Cyclists say the best way to keep Arkansas trails safe is for every rider, whether on a traditional bicycle or an e-bike, to follow the rules of the trail, wear a helmet and be courteous to others sharing the path.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) \u2014 As electric bicycles become more common on trails across Arkansas, longtime cyclists say…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":827625,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-827624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=827624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827624\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/827625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=827624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=827624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=827624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}