Forest Service Issues ‘E-Bike’ Guidance

[BenInMT]

I think that horses/mules/llamas will eventually be re-evaluated in the context of modern times where horses are no longer the primary mode of transportation, or even a valid option for the common man. Who can afford horses??? You need land, feed, equipment for long-term maintenance. In modern times it's just the privileged elite who can afford it.

All the horse poor Montana folk living in single wides spending 1/3 their income on hay are going to be stoked to learn that they are privileged elites.

 

[mtmuley]

All the horse poor Montana folk living in single wides spending 1/3 their income on hay are going to be stoked to learn that they are privileged elites.

My hunting truck is worth less than some of these Ebikes. mtmuley

 

[Dirthog67]

Horses are not mechanized, nor are they motorized.
The fact that horses are a traditional use in wilderness and on public lands is just one more of many reasons not to allow electric motorcycles where horses are used.
Pack strings and silent fast forms of transportation on the same trail do not mix well.


My mother has a couple horses including my old horse from my childhood. She makes maybe $50k a year.
When I was a teen 13-20 years ago, my parents and I would pack in and hunt elk with horses all the time. Parents worked in a lumber mill and drove log trucks. Not exactly the rich elite.
Some people think that only rich kids grew up skiiing too. Used gear or rentals and $12 lift tickets. Elite stuff.

How old are you? This use to be the way but not so much anymore. Wages stagnating and expenses are increasing.

 

[DFS]

How old are you? This use to be the way but not so much anymore. Wages stagnating and expenses are increasing.

Exactly use those e bikes on motorized trails. Save money on gas problem solved. Boots still are very affordable unless you are lazy and unable to use them.

 

[MTGomer]

How old are you? This use to be the way but not so much anymore. Wages stagnating and expenses are increasing.

31

 

[DFS]

Maybe somebody on here needs to do the stats on forest service lands that allow motorized vehicles on trails and lands that do not. I’m guessing you won’t be “discriminated” against in any way but maybe the people that don’t want to share trails with motorized vehicles are.

 

[Dirthog67]

31

Not sure where you live but its likely your moms property has increased is value drastically faster than her salary and if she had to buy property now without some sort of outside support you wouldn't have grown up with the same luxuries.

 

[Dirthog67]

Maybe somebody on here needs to do the stats on forest service lands that allow motorized vehicles on trails and lands that do not. I’m guessing you won’t be “discriminated” against in any way but maybe the people that don’t want to share trails with motorized vehicles are.

All the ranches are getting bought up, the ranchers are dying and their power is going with them. Pretty soon the political clout and power will be in the hands of the ebikers!

 

[MTGomer]

Not sure where you live but its likely your moms property has increased is value drastically faster than her salary and if she had to buy property now without some sort of outside support you wouldn't have grown up with the same luxuries.

Yes, real estate is getting expensive fast, especially in western Montana.

 

[DFS]

All the ranches are getting bought up, the ranchers are dying and their power is going with them. Pretty soon the political clout and power will be in the hands of the ebikers!

I can assure the ranches aren’t getting bought up by e bikers. Listen dirty hog I’m not willing to discriminate against people that want non motorized travel on a small amount of their public lands. You may be but I’m not.

 

[MTTW]

#entitledbikes

 

[rogerthat]

Only on hunttalk…where ranchers and ebikers are vicious enemies

 

[rogerthat]

The future

Rancher to son: “let’s go gather cows.”

Son: “ok. I’ll go get the quietkats”

 

[F250]

I predict some bad wrecks when a couple E-bikes buzz past a pack string. IMHO, E-bikes should be regulated to the motorized trails. I have been on one of our horses, in a National Park, that was designated as a trail for horses only, and had a Pinhead on a bicycle come whizzing by me from behind. Had it not been for the ensuing rodeo, proper action would have been taken.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Some people think that only rich kids grew up skiiing too. Used gear or rentals and $12 lift tickets. Elite stuff.

Yeah back when I was growing up VR gave free season passes to kids/ later deeply discounted… local rep would sell local kids last season skis at discounted wholesale rates. Like $100 for in the plastic skis.

@mtmuley I’m like 95% of the way with you… the 5% being allowing ebikes on some highly developed trail systems. So giving the BLM some leeway in management. If the trail system has banked curves, hay bale walls, jumps, ladder curves, etc knock yourself out.

 

[Dirthog67]

I predict some bad wrecks when a couple E-bikes buzz past a pack string. IMHO, E-bikes should be regulated to the motorized trails. I have been on one of our horses, in a National Park, that was designated as a trail for horses only, and had a Pinhead on a bicycle come whizzing by me from behind. Had it not been for the ensuing rodeo, proper action would have been taken.

Ebikes would be required to follow the same rules hikers and regular bikers are. Stop, greet the horse rider, step off the trail to the down hill side or however the horse rider asks as long as reasonable.

Train your horses.

Once I stepped off downhill side as asked for was standing there, dog on leash sitting next to me and the horse kicked at me. Missed my head by about 6 inches. I didn't do anything wrong.

 

[FI460]

Ebikes would be required to follow the same rules hikers and regular bikers are. Stop, greet the horse rider, step off the trail to the down hill side or however the horse rider asks as long as reasonable.

Train your horses.

Once I stepped off downhill side as asked for was standing there, dog on leash sitting next to me and the horse kicked at me. Missed my head by about 6 inches. I didn't do anything wrong.

I'm not convinced that they shouldn't be meeting road rules/ dmv rules.

In some states if you put a weedeater motor on a bicycle you need to pay a registration fee. Where is the road tax money for ebikes?

 

[Straight Arrow]

I'm not convinced that they shouldn't be meeting road rules/ dmv rules.

Good point. Motorized ATVs and UTVs are required to have mirror, horn, and license plate to be "street legal".

 

[FI460]

Good point. Motorized ATVs and UTVs are required to have mirror, horn, and license plate to be "street legal".

Even for offroad use you need an Oregon offroad permit if it isn't a plated vehicle.

 

[Irrelevant]

Dude. Everyone can own an ebike, there's zero effort. They require zero maintenance, zero feedings, zero shoeing, zero worming. I don't need a trailer to move it, a pasture to keep it. It doesn't need training. No fixing fence, building corals, nor barns. It sits in the garage until I want to use it.

So looking at the impact is not 1 ebike vs a packstring of 12 horses. It's that packstring vs 200 ebikes on a off season weekend, double that on a holiday.