E-Bike use on the Mickelson trail proved a contentious matter for the Senate Ag and Natural Resources Committee.
The Mickelson Trail is a popular hundred-plus-mile-long mixed-use trail in the Black Hills. It is administered as a state park by the Game Fish and Parks Department.
GFP representatives say wide use of e-bikes is inevitable and allowing them on the trail will create more trail users. However, the GFP-backed measure for unrestricted e-bike use on the trail failed on the back of safety concerns.
Opponents argue the most powerful e-bikes are effectively motor vehicles, and permitting them on a trail shared by hikers, horseback riders, and traditional bicycles could create a hazard.
There are three categories of e-bikes. The first with a maximum speed of about 20 miles an hour, and the third reaching up to 30 miles an hour. Both require a pedal assist to reach top speeds. The second class, which are throttle-operated like a moped, are banned.
An amendment to the proposal was added to limit e-bike use on trails to only the slowest class. That amended bill was advanced on a 5-2 vote.