When e-bikes began to enter the mountain bike scene, trail users were concerned. Getting out into the forest in this way was inherently an activity that required committment — and anyway, wouldn’t those fast new bikes ruin the trails, and add more congestion in our already crowded network?
Those were just some of the assumptions that most cyclists — including ourselves — made about the prospect of juiced-up bikes hopping onto the singletrack. But time and the democratic process may have softened us, and many others, to the realities. In recent years, e-bikes have flooded the streets as viable commuter vehicles for parents and purists alike. Now, they’re also allowed on a number of Bend area trails.
In order to make this rollout of new rules go as smooth as possible, those able to support the work of volunteers and local nonprofits should do so.
This month, the U.S. Forest Service announced that it had concluded its years-long process of deciding whether to allow e-bikes to ride singletrack trails in the Deschutes National Forest. When the USFS announced this process, it already seemed something of an inevitability: The e-bike community had become big enough that they began to have lobbying power and began to enlist the support of cycling groups who would advocate, and eventually benefit, from the addition of a new group of cyclists. People were demanding access to the developed trails rather than being relegated to the countless miles of doubletrack forest roads where e-bikes previously had to tread.
It may not have been our first choice, but the question of whether to allow e-bikes on Deschutes singletrack was answered by many, and many of them said they wanted it. That’s the democratic process unfolding. Meanwhile, proponents of cycling and trails, including the Central Oregon Trail Alliance, eventually came out in support, within limits.
USFS’ ultimate decision was to limit e-bikes to about half of the trail miles in Central Oregon, and to limit the type of bike to only class 1 e-bikes. That means no bikes with throttles that can reach speeds beyond what a human could achieve on their own. These are reasonable limits to put in place and are in line with what is allowed in other trail networks that already allow e-bikes. Both will, of course, come with a need for enforcement and new signage.
Our hope is that adding e-bikes to the roster of singletrack riders will drum up more support for the organizations building and maintaining many of Central Oregon’s trails. E-bike users — who tend to be a bit older and more affluent than other cyclists, according to the USFS — represent a new class of potential volunteers and donors. These riders, it is hoped, should add greatly to fundraising efforts. With the greatly increased number of riders, the trails are going to need the support.
If we are not enthusiastically embracing having our trails further crowded, perhaps we’re mollified by the fact that an older and more affluent cycling enthusiast might want to donate to the organizations supporting trails.
Perhaps those who are so newly welcomed onto the singletrack trails of the region will see it as such too: In this moment, when hundreds of miles of trail have suddenly been opened up to e-bikes, it’s a good time to give back and support those who made it possible. The Forest Service is admittedly broke, and thanks to the current administration, getting broker — so it falls to local nonprofits to maintain the trails and educate users on what is and is not allowed. In order to make this rollout of new rules go as smooth as possible, those able to support the work of volunteers and local nonprofits should do so.
This article appears in the Source December 18, 2025.
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Thank you for the article. I’m a new EMTB rider and until last month have spent most of my riding time up at Bachelor in the summer – on regular pedal mtnbks. But after meeting first an ebike rider at Bachelor and later one on Lower Whoops (when the FS approval was pending), I realized I had stopped riding some fun trails because I didn’t like climbing, even on my 25 lb carbon mtnbk. Since getting an EMTB a month ago, I have been out eight or nine times (one to the Gray Butte Loop, and three to Horse (Rocky) Ridge – both places I had stopped riding because of the LONG uphill climb, rockiness, a short, fast decline). Now I’m enjoying those areas again, and, actually, doing a little exploring. However, as an aside, while I’m happy that the FS has opened some trails up to C1 EMTBs, they neglected to drop the restriction for those bikes during the wildlife restriction period from Dec 1 to Mar 1. Regular mtnbks are ok there in this restricted period, but not ebikes. I guess it is a bureaucratic oops. I understand that it has to do with “no motor vehicles allowed” during this period but by allowing C1 ebikes and pedal mtnbks to coexist outside of that restricted season then there is no impact reason to be keeping the C1 ebike restiction during the wildlife restricted period – that is, they have no more impact on wildlife than do folks on regular mtnbks (if C1 ebikes are restricted in this period, so should regular mtnbks – from a logical standpoint. But I’m not supporting that approach, to ban both – let’s get it open to C1 ebikes during that period). Thanks. Larry
There are a lot of assumptions in this story, from the editorial board of the Source, to COTA, to the Forest Service. First of all, the forest service decision was based on just environmental impact. COTA looked at trail impact and somehow concluded there is minimal difference between human peddle bikes and e-bikes. That is a big assumption without a longer look. Now the editorial board writes about the assumptions and “time and the democratic process has softened us”. I wouldn’t call this a democratic process nor enough time to come to the conclusion that it will all be ok.
I’m not against e-bikes. I will probably own one someday, but can’t say I’m happy with them on the trails. Mtn. Biking pre e-bikes was fun while it lasted. It won’t be the same now.