"The lefts cultural agenda wants to tear down and desecrate all that you love and hold sacred. They have no ideas of their own, and they have no plans beyond the destruction. They borrow from Christianity, even while they ridicule it. They hate and their hatred drives them to destroy." This was Matt Walsh's description of the left, and I concur. This thought and action process can apply to all the things we have loved about or in our country and what they are doing to them.
When we refer to "Electric bicycles" we are usually making a category error. The proper category is actually "Electric motorcycle with pedals". The pedals of most electric bikes are unused, and serve as foot pegs. We don't allow motorcycles on hiking trails, but bolt some pedals to the frame, and electrify it; suddenly it's a bicycle????
CAB warned the public when the E bikes hit the streets. You see repeated violations of law by theses assisted bike riders. Where has been the Bike Guys now known as Move? Where are the objections to the lack of enforcement on streets of what amounts to mopeds traveling in excess of bike path speeds and such?
This issue of E bikes and bikes in general on the rural trails is a serious issue. Mountain bikes have been a serious issue of degradation of the environment (tearing out of vegetation and changing trails as a result). The Board of Supervisors hired a group at close to $1.0 million to review this issue and "active" transportation in the county. Supervisor Hartman promoted a group to review this issue and when they did not agree with the heavy trail use by bikes and motorcycles (gas or electric) the outcomes were quietly dismissed.
Los Padres Trail Riders were also hurt by the City of Santa Barbara closing of State St. that was a massive draw for equestrian groups that helped encourage LPTR. The historic use and protection of the trails is being destroyed by Sacramento demands for high density infill.
Look around you. Where is the demand that trails are protected from mechanical vehicles? The enforcement agencies know there is no support from elected officials and as a result are seldom around.
LPTR is not the canary in the mine, it is the hammer on what is becoming Mega-metropolis because of high density demands by Sacramento.
Now back to the dangerous e-bikes on city streets.
A sad day to lose LPTR, as a Past President of that organization, I can attest to what a great group it was. We rode the front and back country trails together, enjoying the quiet mountains and beautiful vistas. It became too dangerous and we had to ride in more remote areas to stay safe. This was therefore inevitable. Thanks for the memories.
I am increasingly concerned about these “motorcycles with pedals”, but not only on trails where they should be banned, period, but also on sidewalks. Trails could be created that are dedicated to motorized bikes, afforded by those that want them. Motorized vehicles should otherwise have licensed drivers and be on roads.
With the exception of wheelchairs for disabled, every user of a motorized vehicle needs to be licensed. At what age are minors allowed to be licensed for motorized bikes? 10, 12, 16? What’s the parent financial liability - CA insurance requirement — for harm done to others by their minor child?
We enjoyed the trail rides and camaraderie with LPTR for years. I still have horses on our ranch and watch my adult children ride and teach the grandchildren. Getting a kid on a horse is much better for their development than getting them a new app for their phone. Our kids were all members of Manure movers of America. The grandkids still feed the horses, muck the stalls and ride around our property. I own an electric bike and enjoy riding on SB bike trails. I totally agree that we need to preserve trails for hikers and horses exclusively. Failure to do this would be tragic loss.
Electric bikes or motorcycles should not be allowed on the trails. They have a very big negative impact on wildlife! Studies have shown that animals flee from humans on the trails in different ways. By looking at a large number of radio-collared animals, they could model the probability that the animals would flee, and at what distance, for each specific activity. This “fleeing” corresponds to a disturbancea. A walking human, for instance, would cause an animal to flee around 400 meters, a horse would cause them to flee around 550 meters. When bikes and electronic fueled engines enter the scene animals can flee at rates of 1350 meters. Avoiding motors, wheels, hooves, or feet takes a toll on wildlfe in two ways: increased energy expenditures and decreased access to food sources. Moving more than necessary and not having enough to eat can be detrimental to the viability of certain species. Its a bad idea all around to allow these on the trails.
I agree. I love riding my bike but like some people with dogs, it's usually all about them. Courtesy these days is just a guideline like stop signs. Love the post cards.
Man, as sympathetic as I am to bicycles generally, SB’s bicycle lobby needs to be slowed down by a lot. That’s something I thought reading this article and it’s also something I frequently think as I drive by mile upon mile of expensively-installed recent bike lanes that are barely being used. How much are we going to let ourselves be bossed around by a group of what can’t be more than a couple of hundred bicycle maniacs? And who *is* funding them?
There are several other very small-memberships groups, who by their abusive conduct in public, have taken over an awful lot of real estate in this town. Yet they generate no independent tax stream that supports their real estate takeover.
Now it’s the horse trails and let’s SS of a historic club. Organized Biker Bolsheviks have seized control of too much of Santa Barbara, where trails are intended for horses, roads for shared used by wheeled vehicles, and walkways for pedestrians. I can’t understand why designated use spaced are not respected by many locals and tourists. I remember when Eli Luria with other leaders conceived ‘The Plan’ for a 2-way concrete bike path along East Beach — prior to invention of dangerous electric bikes, with a widening to 12’-14’ of the Cabrillo roadside concrete sidewalk for walkers and the Sunday vendors; plus if funding forthcoming, for a parallel walkway along side the bike path for walkers/ runners wanting to be on concrete closer to the ocean. The SB City did a beautiful job finishing the beachside Bike Path, but did nothing for pedestrians who now (rudely) dominate the bike path intended for bikers, skaters, boarders. In turn, organized organized bikers controlling the Transportation Dept have taken over city streets destroying vehicle access to State St, Alisos, etc. These unintended consequences are undesired. Appreciate reading the backstory on the trails! Sad.
I hope this wonderful organization can hang in there for a bit longer. I’m one of the odd birds that feels that eminent change is on the horizon, and that some common sense will restore our nation and eventually our State ‘leadership’. For now you have to fight them on their own turf. Force them to do a EIR in these rural areas and prior to that, hire your own environment study that shows the vast wildlife, etc without the electric bicycles. You should be able to get assistance from an environmental organization though most of them are captured now by the lobbyists. Wishing for you the tenacity to fend off this egregious ‘taking’ of horse trails. Horses and motorized bikes shouldn’t be on the same trail any more than a car and a 747 should share a road.
What else can I add to Pat Fish's masterpiece? She hits all the points about the elitist, survival-of-the-fittest "I got mine and I want what YOU have too" mentality.
Once Santa Ynez got discovered by the Bike Brigade, it became the personal racetrack of all the angry, uptight, spandex-wearing Lance Armstrong wannabees. Add to that the fact that the people stood by as the politicians sold the area out to the rich winos who drive here, get drunk, then drive back, and you have our version of paradise lost.
Sad story. Ive been mountain biking since the 80s. We would always stop for horse riders and slow down and announce for hikers "On your left". The younger ones were almost always discourteous and would "Mob" past you/us without announcing. Do to an old ankle injury I can no longer hike, but I can ride my mountain bike. I would hate to loose access. Share the road with bikers, and bikers, ride single file, it's the law. Your aren't in "The Tour de France".
So well written. When crossing just a sliver of the bike path at the harbor I have seen and almost participated in several ebike collisions they have the double whammy of being fast and quiet and not expected (and no licensing)….
"The lefts cultural agenda wants to tear down and desecrate all that you love and hold sacred. They have no ideas of their own, and they have no plans beyond the destruction. They borrow from Christianity, even while they ridicule it. They hate and their hatred drives them to destroy." This was Matt Walsh's description of the left, and I concur. This thought and action process can apply to all the things we have loved about or in our country and what they are doing to them.
When we refer to "Electric bicycles" we are usually making a category error. The proper category is actually "Electric motorcycle with pedals". The pedals of most electric bikes are unused, and serve as foot pegs. We don't allow motorcycles on hiking trails, but bolt some pedals to the frame, and electrify it; suddenly it's a bicycle????
Great news!!! I plan on putting a set of pedals on my Harley-Davidson soon so I can ride all the trails 🏍️
😂
CAB warned the public when the E bikes hit the streets. You see repeated violations of law by theses assisted bike riders. Where has been the Bike Guys now known as Move? Where are the objections to the lack of enforcement on streets of what amounts to mopeds traveling in excess of bike path speeds and such?
This issue of E bikes and bikes in general on the rural trails is a serious issue. Mountain bikes have been a serious issue of degradation of the environment (tearing out of vegetation and changing trails as a result). The Board of Supervisors hired a group at close to $1.0 million to review this issue and "active" transportation in the county. Supervisor Hartman promoted a group to review this issue and when they did not agree with the heavy trail use by bikes and motorcycles (gas or electric) the outcomes were quietly dismissed.
Los Padres Trail Riders were also hurt by the City of Santa Barbara closing of State St. that was a massive draw for equestrian groups that helped encourage LPTR. The historic use and protection of the trails is being destroyed by Sacramento demands for high density infill.
Look around you. Where is the demand that trails are protected from mechanical vehicles? The enforcement agencies know there is no support from elected officials and as a result are seldom around.
LPTR is not the canary in the mine, it is the hammer on what is becoming Mega-metropolis because of high density demands by Sacramento.
Now back to the dangerous e-bikes on city streets.
A sad day to lose LPTR, as a Past President of that organization, I can attest to what a great group it was. We rode the front and back country trails together, enjoying the quiet mountains and beautiful vistas. It became too dangerous and we had to ride in more remote areas to stay safe. This was therefore inevitable. Thanks for the memories.
I am increasingly concerned about these “motorcycles with pedals”, but not only on trails where they should be banned, period, but also on sidewalks. Trails could be created that are dedicated to motorized bikes, afforded by those that want them. Motorized vehicles should otherwise have licensed drivers and be on roads.
With the exception of wheelchairs for disabled, every user of a motorized vehicle needs to be licensed. At what age are minors allowed to be licensed for motorized bikes? 10, 12, 16? What’s the parent financial liability - CA insurance requirement — for harm done to others by their minor child?
'Motorcycles with pedals" drivers also need proof of insurance.
We enjoyed the trail rides and camaraderie with LPTR for years. I still have horses on our ranch and watch my adult children ride and teach the grandchildren. Getting a kid on a horse is much better for their development than getting them a new app for their phone. Our kids were all members of Manure movers of America. The grandkids still feed the horses, muck the stalls and ride around our property. I own an electric bike and enjoy riding on SB bike trails. I totally agree that we need to preserve trails for hikers and horses exclusively. Failure to do this would be tragic loss.
Electric bikes or motorcycles should not be allowed on the trails. They have a very big negative impact on wildlife! Studies have shown that animals flee from humans on the trails in different ways. By looking at a large number of radio-collared animals, they could model the probability that the animals would flee, and at what distance, for each specific activity. This “fleeing” corresponds to a disturbancea. A walking human, for instance, would cause an animal to flee around 400 meters, a horse would cause them to flee around 550 meters. When bikes and electronic fueled engines enter the scene animals can flee at rates of 1350 meters. Avoiding motors, wheels, hooves, or feet takes a toll on wildlfe in two ways: increased energy expenditures and decreased access to food sources. Moving more than necessary and not having enough to eat can be detrimental to the viability of certain species. Its a bad idea all around to allow these on the trails.
I agree. I love riding my bike but like some people with dogs, it's usually all about them. Courtesy these days is just a guideline like stop signs. Love the post cards.
Well stated. I agree. Change just a few words and this same article can be used to support gun control laws. Thank you.
Great piece. I knew nothing about all this.
Man, as sympathetic as I am to bicycles generally, SB’s bicycle lobby needs to be slowed down by a lot. That’s something I thought reading this article and it’s also something I frequently think as I drive by mile upon mile of expensively-installed recent bike lanes that are barely being used. How much are we going to let ourselves be bossed around by a group of what can’t be more than a couple of hundred bicycle maniacs? And who *is* funding them?
There are several other very small-memberships groups, who by their abusive conduct in public, have taken over an awful lot of real estate in this town. Yet they generate no independent tax stream that supports their real estate takeover.
Eager to know who you’re thinking of.
Now it’s the horse trails and let’s SS of a historic club. Organized Biker Bolsheviks have seized control of too much of Santa Barbara, where trails are intended for horses, roads for shared used by wheeled vehicles, and walkways for pedestrians. I can’t understand why designated use spaced are not respected by many locals and tourists. I remember when Eli Luria with other leaders conceived ‘The Plan’ for a 2-way concrete bike path along East Beach — prior to invention of dangerous electric bikes, with a widening to 12’-14’ of the Cabrillo roadside concrete sidewalk for walkers and the Sunday vendors; plus if funding forthcoming, for a parallel walkway along side the bike path for walkers/ runners wanting to be on concrete closer to the ocean. The SB City did a beautiful job finishing the beachside Bike Path, but did nothing for pedestrians who now (rudely) dominate the bike path intended for bikers, skaters, boarders. In turn, organized organized bikers controlling the Transportation Dept have taken over city streets destroying vehicle access to State St, Alisos, etc. These unintended consequences are undesired. Appreciate reading the backstory on the trails! Sad.
I hope this wonderful organization can hang in there for a bit longer. I’m one of the odd birds that feels that eminent change is on the horizon, and that some common sense will restore our nation and eventually our State ‘leadership’. For now you have to fight them on their own turf. Force them to do a EIR in these rural areas and prior to that, hire your own environment study that shows the vast wildlife, etc without the electric bicycles. You should be able to get assistance from an environmental organization though most of them are captured now by the lobbyists. Wishing for you the tenacity to fend off this egregious ‘taking’ of horse trails. Horses and motorized bikes shouldn’t be on the same trail any more than a car and a 747 should share a road.
Yes, need some more safety on trails
What else can I add to Pat Fish's masterpiece? She hits all the points about the elitist, survival-of-the-fittest "I got mine and I want what YOU have too" mentality.
Once Santa Ynez got discovered by the Bike Brigade, it became the personal racetrack of all the angry, uptight, spandex-wearing Lance Armstrong wannabees. Add to that the fact that the people stood by as the politicians sold the area out to the rich winos who drive here, get drunk, then drive back, and you have our version of paradise lost.
Sad story. Ive been mountain biking since the 80s. We would always stop for horse riders and slow down and announce for hikers "On your left". The younger ones were almost always discourteous and would "Mob" past you/us without announcing. Do to an old ankle injury I can no longer hike, but I can ride my mountain bike. I would hate to loose access. Share the road with bikers, and bikers, ride single file, it's the law. Your aren't in "The Tour de France".
So well written. When crossing just a sliver of the bike path at the harbor I have seen and almost participated in several ebike collisions they have the double whammy of being fast and quiet and not expected (and no licensing)….