The Problem With E-Bikes and Ontario’s Solution

The problem with e-bikes is nobody knows what they are.

When I first considered getting an e-bike I was looking for something that was foremost a bicycle and could be used without the power assist on but have it available for difficult hills, high winds, or the end of extremely long rides. After trying out my wife’s I ended up purchasing a Norco Scene VLT and wrote a review of it which included:

Definitions first. How do I define e-bike. An electric motor assisted bicycle that can be pedalled easily without the assist turned on and that requires pedalling for the motor assist to function. Any so called “e-bike” that does not require pedalling to move (except when coasting) is a variation on an electric motorcycle or scooter.

To me an electric motor assisted bicycle looks like a bicycle and if it does not it probably is not an electric motor assisted bicycle. I use that term because I think that is a more accurate description of what we refer to as e-bikes (Class 1 according to the proposed new Ontario regulations discussed below). But that ship has not only sailed but it has sunk, as the term e-bike is firmly established in the public’s mind.

However the fact that there are no generally agreed union legal definitions of e-bikes has enabled manufactures and retailers, as well as much of the public, to call anything with two wheels and an electric motor an e-bike, including what are obviously motorized scooters or mopeds. I have even seen what looked like an enclosed golf cart marketed as an e-bike.

Regulators are finally starting to catch up and, surprisingly, the Ontario government is proposing a classification which essentially meets my definition but with some more detailed requirements, such as weight and maximum speed. They include a separate category for heavier e-bikes such as cargo bikes, which allow throttle control, but have the same maximum speed restrictions.

These bikes would be treated like bicycles but with a minimum age requirement of 16 years for riders.

The two separate categories allows jurisdictions that feel that the heaver class 2 e-bikes may not be appropriate for a particular location to still allow the lighter Class 1 e-bikes.

I have mixed views on the age restriction because treating proper e-bikes as bicycles would preclude an age limit, but at the same time I think all riders will use e-bike more effectively if they learn to use the gears on a regular bike first so they can use the gears and power assist together rather than simply relying on the power assist when pedalling gets a bit more difficult. As well, young healthy people today do not always get as much exercise as they should in our society.

Electric scooters and mopeds and anything else that is a motorcycle-style vehicle will require registration and insurance and drivers will have to have a motorcycle licence.

Hopefully this will keep those motor vehicles off of bicycle and multi-user pathways that they do not belong on and ease some of the public hysteria about actual e-bikes that has been the result of not understanding what an e-bike actually is, because there was no generally agreed upon definition.

According to the Government of Ontario (source):

The key benefits of an updated regulatory framework for e-bikes include:
• Improving safety by enabling requirements that reflect differences in e-bike speed, weight, and design,
• Providing greater clarity for riders, industry, municipalities, and enforcement,
• Modernizing the framework to keep pace with a rapidly evolving e-bike market; and
• Supporting the safe use of e-bikes as a sustainable transportation option.

The full Ontario government proposal is below: 

A review of the Ontario government proposal is also provided here (but note it is an e-bike retailer website).

For additional information I tried to find a review of all Canadian provinces regulations that was not associated with a retailer but was unsuccessful. These are some summaries provided by retailers:

E-Bike Laws in Canada 2026: Every Province and Territory Explained - Street Rides

Canadian E-Bike Laws by Province 2026: BC to PEI Complete Guide | FavoriteBikes

Understanding E-Bike Classes in Canada: Class 1, 2, and 3 Explained - Chain Reaction Bicycles Inc.

Bikes from Eh to Zed

A bike  What everyone needs. Everyone should have a bike.

B bike  Be at one with your bike. Be the bike.

C bike  A homophonic cross reference to bicycle. See bike.

D bike  To get off your bike. The rode is over and it is time to D bike.

E bike   The latest trend, electric bicycles. We need say no more.

F bike  Distracted drivers favourite word for bikes. The f...ing bike came out of nowhere.

G bike  A bicycle used by the FBI. The G man arrived on his G bike.

H bike  What drivists imagine bicycles to be, a thermonuclear device that wipes out everything in it's path.

I bike  What I do. No more need be said.

J bike  To bike crossing traffic. Dammit there goes another J biker.

K bike   A famous series of bikes made by Chrysler in an alternative transportation universe.

L bike  Eleven's bike, of course, nothing strange about that.

M bike  A catchy tune about bikes, MMMbike.

N bike   A variable representing the number of bicycles one has.

O bike  The national anthem of cycling, alternatively a carol about decorating your bike for Christmas.

P bike  A bicycle with a built in urinal designed for riding on Ottawa bike paths where toilets are non-existent.

Q bike  An online community promoting drivists favourite conspiracy theories about bicycles.

R bike  What pirates will tell you is their favourite land-based means of travel, ARRRBikes.

S bike  I bet there's an app for that somewhere in the galaxy.

T bike  A fast, sporty bike, “she'll have fun, fun, fun, 'till her daddy takes the T-bike away”.

U bike  The soon to be invented Underwater Bicycle.

V bike  Bicycles used by allied soldiers during WWII.

W bike  When one Underwater bike isn't enough.

X bike  A variable bicycle.

Y bike  Because, just because.

Z bike  A bicycle pronounced differently in the United State than the rest of the world.

The Most Annoying Thing About Cycling in Ottawa: Postscript

I was riding the shared bike path along the Ottawa River today and across from the War Museum on the pathway I noticed three yellow dots similar to the three yellow dots on roadways that mark where cars can activate traffic lights( I have tried using them on my bicycle with no effect). I can only assume that they serve the same purpose and, being on a bike path, are activated by bicycles. I returned via a different route so was not able to test them. However, if that logical assumption is true, it is doable. So why is it not done.

Previous Fifth Column Post

The Most Annoying Thing About Cycling in Ottawa

We all agree that Ottawa is a great place for cycling, but it is not perfect. Apart from the fact that the City of Ottawa and NCC have to do a better job of completing the system and linking their pathways together there is the problem of a lack of washroom and drinking water facilities along the pathways.

However that is not my biggest complaint. Ottawa is supposed to be encouraging and promoting cycling and bicycles are supposed to be considered vehicles. But it all seems somewhat hypocritical.

Can you imagine someone in a vehicle stopped at a red light virtually forever, unable to move, without getting out of their vehicle and walking over to the side of the road and pushing a button. But that is the reality, more often than not, for cyclists in Ottawa who are stuck at red lights until a "real" vehicle or a pedestrian comes up to the intersection. It's that or just run the red light out of frustration and anger at the hypocrisy and lack of respect.

A tax cut I can support

Congratulations to the Ontario government for taking a small step that makes an important statement about the importance of health, fitness and the environment. The provincial government has announced the removal of the Provincial Sales Tax on bicycle helmets and bicycles under $1,000.

Why I Like Bike Lanes

The first thing I should make clear is that I am not a hardcore roadie or commuter. I am more of a recreational cyclist who, when not riding dirt trails on my mountain bike, prefers to ride dedicated pathways on my hybrid. That being said, I still have occasion to ride on the roads and when I do I try to act as a vehicle following the same rules of the road.

I realize that many cyclists, as well as Citizens for Safe Cycling, are not big fans of bike lanes.

One of the reasons I am a fan of bike lanes is because, like it or not, bicycles and cars are not equal on the road. For one thing cars are faster, larger and heavier, and more importantly can do much more damage than bicycles. Read that to mean they can kill people.

Bicycles are also not equal legally and are required to move to the right to allow motor vehicles (and horses) to pass. The Highway Traffic Act states:

“Every person on a bicycle or motor assisted bicycle who is overtaken by a vehicle or equestrian travelling at a greater speed shall turn out to the right and allow the vehicle or equestrian to pass and the vehicle or equestrian overtaking shall turn out to the left so far as may be necessary to avoid a collision. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 148 (6).”

Sharing the same roadway may be fine in theory but can be very scary in practice. I really appreciated having dedicated bike lanes when I was travelling down Hunt Club Road in heavy traffic with cars and big trucks whizzing past me at high speeds within one or two feet of me. However because I was in a dedicated lane, so that both myself as a cyclist as well as the car drivers had our own clearly dedicated space, I felt safe.

On the other hand travelling over the Queensway on Moodie Drive while it is under construction and the bike lanes are removed is a lot scarier than taking the same route with the bike lanes.

I realize that bike lanes are not perfect. My biggest complaint about bike lanes is when they disappear at intersections, creating a situation that can create real havoc as cyclists are almost pushed off the road where four directions and multiple lanes of traffic are converging. But let us fix the design problems, not eliminate bike lanes.

If we want more people to cycle we have to make it comfortable for them to cycle. While hardcore roadies and commuters may feel comfortable fighting with automobiles for a piece of the road, the average person we are trying to convince to use their bike instead of their car will be scared off of the road unless we make them feel safe on the road. In my humble opinion, dedicated bike lanes are an important way of making riding on the road safer for the average cyclist.