Which States Are The Best For E-Biking?

Whether someone is looking for the best electric bike or is considering taking their well-ridden e-bike on a trip, it’s handy to know how that state’s laws govern e-bikes. Some are friendly to e-bikes, others aren’t as great. So there are things to consider that help determine which states are the best for e-bikes.

The good news is that thanks to the three-class system that the industry worked hard to write and propose has served as a terrific framework for the majority of states, 40 of the 50, to be specific.

People for Bikes

The advocacy organization People for Bikes is the largest cycling-centric lobby for cyclists in the U.S. They worked with the industry to compose and lobby for the three-tier classification system for e-bikes.

In addition to working on proposed legislation meant to improve facilities and protections for cyclists, they also evaluate cities across the nation according to how hospitable they are to riders. Each year they release their top 10 list of the best cities for riding. They break their list into three groups: large (population >300k), medium (50k-300K) and small (<50k). Below are their winners for 2024

	Large	Medium	Small
1	Minneapolis	Davis, CA	Provincetown, MA
2	San Francisco	Ankeny, IA	Crested Butte, CO
3	Seattle	Berkeley, CA	Blue Diamond, NV
4	Philadelphia	Boulder, CO	Murdock, NE
5	Portland, OR	Corvallis, OR	Ashland, WI
6	New York	Hoboken, NJ	Jackson, WY
7	St. Paul, MN	Plainfield, NJ	Aspen, CO
8	Washington D.C.	Ames, IA	Shorewood, WI
9	Milwaukee	La Crosse, WI	Ashland, OR
10	Detroit	Longmont, CO	Mifflinburg, PA

Here are the leading states and the number of their communities to make the list:

1. Wisconsin—4
2. Colorado—4
3. California—3
4. Oregon—3
5. Minnesota—2
6. New Jersey—2
7. Pennsylvania—2
8. Iowa—2

People for Bikes examines cities according to what they call their bicycle network. A good bicycle network in a city will score well on each of these factors:

• Neighborhoods — access to parts of the city where residents live.
• Opportunity — access to jobs and schools.
• Essential Services — access to places that serve basic needs, like hospitals and grocery stores.
• Recreation — access to recreational amenities like parks and trails.
• Retail — access to major shopping centers.
• Transit— access to major transit stations.

What states aren’t friendly to e-bikes?

It seems fair that if we are going to note which are the best places for people to ride e-bikes, we should also mention places that riders might be wary of. The good news is there is very little to be concerned about.

Forty states have adopted the three-class system for e-bikes. People for Bikes maintains a database on the e-bike laws in each state that have adopted the three-class system. They track things like age and sidewalk restrictions, equipment requirements, where Class 3 e-bikes can be ridden, trail policies and any helmet requirements. It’s comprehensive and riders can find their database here.

There are only two states where e-bike ownership can cause frustration and confusion: Alaska and Rhode Island. The laws in those states consider e-bikes either mopeds or motor vehicles but their licensing and registration requirements are confusing. Their equipment requirements and access restrictions for cycling infrastructure are also part of the confusion.

There are eight states—Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania and South Carolina—that have yet to adopt (or adapt) the legislation that defines the three e-bike classes. This doesn’t make them unfriendly to e-bikes; it just means they could be doing more to welcome and encourage people to ride e-bikes.

Staying abreast of changes

For people considering travel or a move, the People for Bikes website is a terrific resource for understanding both the rights and responsibilities of e-bike riders. Generally, behaving with common sense will keep the riding fun and the rider out of trouble. But for anyone new to a city, a bit of research can be helpful. Sure, it’s good to know if there’s a local helmet law, but what can be even more helpful is learning that there’s a bike path system that can allow someone to ride from the suburbs to downtown without ever encountering a car.

All states offer something for e-biking. Let the staff at Best Electric Bikes know how you feel about e-biking in your state!