Everything E-bikes
09/15/2025 12:40PM ● By Jack O'Brien
Joey Schusler and Garrett Davis, both from YETI Cycles ride the SB160E, a class 1 e-bike. Photo by Ben Duke.
From roving bands of tweens riding to and fro, to parents zipping around town with kids in tow, Steamboat teems with electric bikes. E-biking in Ski Town – er, Bike Town USA – is an efficient, popular way to get around, complete with its own know-how and etiquette.
To begin, electric bikes are separated into three categories and are regulated accordingly. Class 1 e-bikes are designated as low speed, pedal-assist motorized bicycles that do not aid the rider above 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes are also low speed variants but are powered by a throttle, again ceasing to assist above 20 mph. And Class 3 e-bikes are pedal-assist models like those of class 1, but are motored up to 28 mph. Both class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on city trails, while class 3 are not. All classes of e-bikes are permitted for use on roads in accordance with all traffic laws.
Per City of Steamboat Springs ordinance, e-bikes are subject to a speed limit of 15 mph on all city trails, and any rider 15 years old or younger is required by law to wear a helmet when operating or riding as a passenger on any bicycle, motorized or not. Class 1 and class 2 e-bikes can be used on the Yampa River Core Trail, Walton Creek Trail, Bear Creek, Blue Sage, Butcherknife, Fox Creek, Sailors Way and Tamarack Sneak. E-bikes are not permitted on the Emerald Mountain trails, while Steamboat Resort states that class 1 e-bikes are allowed on chairlifts and in the bike park if the battery is removed, but they are not permitted on multi-use trails. And class 2 and 3 e-bikes are forbidden from use on the resort.
E-bike users enjoy a right to the road, in turn requiring the rider to obey all traffic signs, signals and rules, and to not impede cars or other riders. E-bikes are also required to ride with the flow of traffic – for instance, at red lights, riders are not to move to the front and side of traffic, impeding vehicles making right turns.
Many retailers in town offer e-bikes both for sale and rent, including Ski Haus. “E-bikes are a great and sustainable way to get around town,” says Ski Haus buyer and manager Andrew Stoller. “In the summertime, I rarely drive my car and just use my e-bike to get around.” The retailer offers e-bikes for rent, including the Specialized Vado 4.0 and Haul LT – which has room for up to two children on its rear frame. Andrew also notes the etiquette folks should abide by while e-biking.
“Make sure to follow the 15-mph rule, signal to slower bikes and pedestrians when you are passing, and make sure to always wear a helmet. I also think that it is important for parents to teach their children basic rules of the road before sending kids out on e-bikes,” he notes.
E-bikes offer a transportation alternative during Steamboat’s busy summer season and can be a lively way to move about town. And, with a little regard for the rules of the road – and other users – it adds in positive ways to the palette of experiencing Steamboat.
From roving bands of tweens riding to and fro, to parents zipping around town with kids in tow, Steamboat teems with electric bikes. E-biking in Ski Town – er, Bike Town USA – is an efficient, popular way to get around, complete with its own know-how and etiquette.
To begin, electric bikes are separated into three categories and are regulated accordingly. Class 1 e-bikes are designated as low speed, pedal-assist motorized bicycles that do not aid the rider above 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes are also low speed variants but are powered by a throttle, again ceasing to assist above 20 mph. And Class 3 e-bikes are pedal-assist models like those of class 1, but are motored up to 28 mph. Both class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on city trails, while class 3 are not. All classes of e-bikes are permitted for use on roads in accordance with all traffic laws.
Per City of Steamboat Springs ordinance, e-bikes are subject to a speed limit of 15 mph on all city trails, and any rider 15 years old or younger is required by law to wear a helmet when operating or riding as a passenger on any bicycle, motorized or not. Class 1 and class 2 e-bikes can be used on the Yampa River Core Trail, Walton Creek Trail, Bear Creek, Blue Sage, Butcherknife, Fox Creek, Sailors Way and Tamarack Sneak. E-bikes are not permitted on the Emerald Mountain trails, while Steamboat Resort states that class 1 e-bikes are allowed on chairlifts and in the bike park if the battery is removed, but they are not permitted on multi-use trails. And class 2 and 3 e-bikes are forbidden from use on the resort.
E-bike users enjoy a right to the road, in turn requiring the rider to obey all traffic signs, signals and rules, and to not impede cars or other riders. E-bikes are also required to ride with the flow of traffic – for instance, at red lights, riders are not to move to the front and side of traffic, impeding vehicles making right turns.
Many retailers in town offer e-bikes both for sale and rent, including Ski Haus. “E-bikes are a great and sustainable way to get around town,” says Ski Haus buyer and manager Andrew Stoller. “In the summertime, I rarely drive my car and just use my e-bike to get around.” The retailer offers e-bikes for rent, including the Specialized Vado 4.0 and Haul LT – which has room for up to two children on its rear frame. Andrew also notes the etiquette folks should abide by while e-biking.
“Make sure to follow the 15-mph rule, signal to slower bikes and pedestrians when you are passing, and make sure to always wear a helmet. I also think that it is important for parents to teach their children basic rules of the road before sending kids out on e-bikes,” he notes.
E-bikes offer a transportation alternative during Steamboat’s busy summer season and can be a lively way to move about town. And, with a little regard for the rules of the road – and other users – it adds in positive ways to the palette of experiencing Steamboat.