They started showing up in Whitefish about five years ago and today, E-bikes are everywhere. The electric battery toting bikes feature pedal assist, which helps a rider while pedaling, and some have a throttle, so the rider needn’t pedal at all. 

Mitch Kauffman, co-owner of Montana E-Bikes in Whitefish, only rents class 1 E-bikes that have pedal assist, and class 2 E-bikes with pedal assist with a throttle. Each can travel up to 20 miles per hour. 

Class 3 E-bikes have a top speed of 28 miles per hour. Although the state does not define these three types of E-bikes, the Whitefish city code does. 

“Most of our clients [are] 30 to 80 years old. A lot of them haven't ridden bikes in years, and they have seen E-bikes, and they want to get out and get exercise,” Josh Houser, former shop owner and current employee said. “Everybody that rents from us has to wear a helmet, and we take them through a safety presentation. 

“This year we'll do over 4,000 rentals, and pretty much everybody so far has had a safe ride,” he said.

Houser said the E-bikes range in weight from 37 to 76 pounds and offer riders three modes. The eco mode takes about 20% of the workload, the sport mode helps about 40%, and the turbo mode does about 75% of the work. 

Montana E-bike employees also tell people where they can and cannot ride E-bikes. 

"One of our best rides that we do here is called the Tour Whitefish. People come in, they scan our QR code, and it keeps you on our bike path system in town 90% of the time,” Kauffman said. “It takes you on bike paths along the river up to Whitefish State Park, and then to City Beach, and then the Les Mason State Park, and then a bike path back.” 

E-bikes are not allowed on the Whitefish Trail because they are considered motorized vehicles by the state. The majority of the Whitefish Trail is on State Trust Land, which is non-motorized by law.  

Houser would like to see that law change, to be like Canada, Alabama and other places that allow E-bikes on all mountain biking trails. 

Kauffman added that E-bikes on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park are not allowed to have throttles. 

IN APRIL, the Whitefish City Council voted unanimously to adopt changes to the city code regarding regulations for motorized bikes. Some brought city code into alignment with state law. 

Motor vehicles of any kind are not allowed on shared-use paths in Whitefish, however, type 1 and type 2 E-bikes are allowed. The city code says they must be operated in a “careful and prudent manner and at a rate of speed no greater than is safe, reasonable and proper.” 

“This new section of the code was created to prohibit any person from driving or operating a motor vehicle on a shared-use path,” Whitefish Chief of Police Bridger Kelch said. “It also added a 15 mph speed limit to all permitted vehicles on a shared-use path. 

“You're liable if you're passing six people that are walking down the shared-use path ... going 25 miles an hour or even 15 miles an hour and you hurt somebody,” he said, adding there is a penalty to E-bike riders for failing to yield to pedestrians and non-motorized bicycles. 

It is also unlawful to operate a motor vehicle on public sidewalks in Whitefish, but non-motorized vehicles, like bikes and skateboards, and type 1 and 2 E-bikes are permitted. The exception is sidewalks on Central Avenue from Railway Street to East Third Street, where they are not allowed. E-bikes and other non-motorized vehicles must yield to pedestrians and non-motorized bicycles on sidewalks, too. 

Kelch said it is the operator's responsibility to know what kind of E-bike they have. 

E-motos are electric motorcycles that can reach speeds up to 60 miles per hour. 

“If it does not have pedals ... those are considered motorcycles ... a motor vehicle,” Kelch said. “They can’t be ridden on shared-use paths. They can’t be on sidewalks and if you’re going to ride them on public streets, you have to have a driver's license, and they have to be equipped.” 

To skirt this distinction, Houser said some people are putting pedals on E-motos — some that even crank, but do not function. 

“A lot of times when you hear people talk about E-bikes, they're not necessarily talking about what we do,” Kauffman said. “They see the 14-year-old kids going 60 miles an hour on a bike path on an E-moto.”  

The biggest motor on an E-bike at Kauffman’s shop is a 750-watt motor. He said E-motos have 6,000 watts. 

“That's the biggest issue in our eyes, is that they're all getting lumped together,” Kauffman said, adding that ill-mannered E-moto riders are giving E-bikes a bad reputation. 

Whitefish Police is currently distributing flyers that outline E-bike laws. To notify the police of E-bike and other vehicular violations, Kelch suggests using the anonymous, online reporting feature on the city’s website. 

"I think our biggest hope is for education and also getting those near misses we always hear about reported through our online system or to the Police Department so we can address those,” Kelch said. 

For general information about E-biking etiquette, see offroadebikesource.com.

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.