The largest bicycle club in The Villages has announced that a class of electronic bicycles has been banned from its club rides.
Throttle controlled, Class 2 E-bikes are not covered by the Sumter Landing Bicycle Club’s liability insurance carrier and therefore they are prohibited from participating in SLBC rides. Members of the bicycle club are well known for adhering to strict safety protocols.
E-bikes have been popular sellers at local bicycle stores and a new store has opened at Trailwinds Village in Wildwood exclusively dealing in E-bikes.
However, E-bikes have caused a major split in the bicycle community, between the traditional pedaling purists and those who enjoy zipping along with the freedom of electronic assistance.
“Giving a rider more control over how power is delivered to the ground, a Class 2 E-bike adds a rider-controlled throttle into the mix. That throttle can work in addition to a bike’s pedal-assisted or independent of it, propelling the bike up to 20 mph and maintaining that speed without the rider having to turn the pedals,” according to a review in the Electric Bike Report.
E-bikes are allowed on the multi-modal paths in The Villages.
