The popularity of E-Bikes in The Villages is undeniable.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, which for years has worked with bicycle clubs to collect and refurbish old bicycles for charitable redistribution in the community, was recently overwhelmed with donated bicycles, thanks to the E-Bike craze.
“I believe that as Villagers have upgraded to electric bikes, they want to help others by donating their traditional bikes to the Sheriff’s Bicycle Collection,” said Dave Lawrence of the Sumter Landing Bicycle Club.
Sales of E-Bikes in the United States grew by 240 percent last year. The sale of E-Bikes has outpaced the purchases of traditional pedal-style bicycles. Earlier this year, a bicycle store catering specifically to the E-Bike crowd opened at Trailwinds Village on County Road 466A in Wildwood.
Mark and Karen Stotka of the Village of Bradford recently went before the Community Development District 12 Board of Supervisors to express their concern about E-Bikes buzzing by them on their daily walks. The couple suggested E-Bikes have become a threat to safety on the paths south of State Road 44.
The reality is that there is little that can be done to regulate the use of E-Bikes on the multi-modal paths in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Villagers have complained about the Smart Cars and golf carts large enough to have license plates that travel on the roadways and also use multi-modal paths. The size and speed of those vehicles can be intimidating to both walkers and cyclists.
David Dallas of the Village of Bradford said Villagers had better get used to E-Bikes, as they are here to stay.
“There are always a few bad apples who can ruin it for everybody but do NOT lump us all together as being irresponsible speed demons. On many of my rides I have been passed by human-powered bicycles so it is not just E-bikes that are capable of going fast. Walkers also need to take some responsibility for their own safety such as removing their earbuds so they can hear a cyclist using their warning bell or calling out a warning,” he said.
What do you think about E-Bikes? Share your thoughts in a Letter to the Editor at letters@villages-news.com
