E-Bike Classes Explained
Trail rules are written by class, so knowing yours is the first step to knowing where you can ride.
The three classes
Class 1: the motor helps only while you pedal, and stops helping at 20 mph.
Class 2: has a throttle that can move the bike without pedaling. The motor stops helping at 20 mph.
Class 3: the motor helps only while you pedal, and stops helping at 28 mph. States commonly require a speedometer, and some (Missouri and Colorado among them) don't let riders under 16 operate one.
The states on this site define an e-bike as having working pedals and a motor of no more than about 750 watts. New York is the odd one out: its Class 3 is a throttle bike that cuts out at 25 mph, and it only exists in New York City.
How to tell which class you have
Check the label. Some states, including Colorado and Missouri, require a label on the bike showing its class, top assisted speed and motor wattage. Many bikes carry one either way.
Throttle? If a throttle can move the bike without pedaling, it's a Class 2 (New York sorts throttle bikes differently).
Top assisted speed. Help that stops at 20 mph means Class 1 or 2. Help up to 28 mph means Class 3.
If the motor pushes past 28 mph, or it's stronger than your state's limit, it may not count as an e-bike at all under these laws, and e-bike trail rules won't cover it.
Why the class decides where you can ride
Trail managers write their rules by class, so the same trail can be open to one bike and closed to another. A few real examples from the rules on this site:
- Michigan: Class 1 is allowed by default on paved and crushed-limestone rail trails. Class 2 and 3 can use them only if the trail's manager allows it. Michigan e-bike laws
- Colorado and Washington: Class 3 is kept off shared-use paths unless the local manager allows it. Colorado · Washington
- Jackson County, Missouri: Class 1 and 3 are allowed on county trails like the Little Blue Trace, but Class 2 (throttle) is not. Little Blue Trace
- New York: e-bikes aren't allowed on public land unless the owner has designated and posted it, so a trail that says nothing is not a yes. New York e-bike laws
- National forests: the U.S. Forest Service treats all e-bikes as motor vehicles, so they're limited to roads and trails open to motor vehicles.