By KITTY CONOLLY
Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, have been widely popular since 2022, including in Cambria. An increasing number of residents own e-bikes, visitors bring theirs along, and local businesses rent them. With Cambria’s hilly coastal terrain, e-bikes can be a convenient way to get around town.
However, their presence on the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve has caused confusion and concern. The legal definition of an e-bike is nuanced. While all e-bikes have electric motors, as of January 1, 2026, the State of California will group e-bikes into three different classes:
–Class 1. Low-speed, pedal-assisted e-bikes have a motor that works only when the rider is pedaling; maximum speed that the motor functions is 20 miles per hour; above that speed, the bike is pedal powered
–Class 2. Low-speed throttle-assisted e-bikes have a motor that works when the rider is not pedaling; maximum speed that the motor functions is 20 miles per hour; above that speed the bike is pedal powered
–Class 3. Pedal-assisted e-bikes have a motor that works only when the rider is pedaling; maximum speed that the motor functions is 28 miles per hour; above that speed, the bike is pedal powered
All classes of e-bikes are treated under California law and on the Ranch in the same way as regular bicycles. Certain trails are off limits for all bike riding, no matter how they are powered, including the Bluff Trail and lower Meander Trail boardwalk. The rule on the Ranch is “Motorized or fully electric vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, or ATVs are prohibited.” Although e-bikes have an electric motor, the intent of the rule is to cover internal combustion vehicles and fully electric vehicles that lack pedal assistance. Fully electric mobility devices are exempt from this rule.
Prohibited vehicles include electric dirt bikes and motorcycles that lack pedals. Several people have been riding these vehicles on the Ranch in contradiction of the law and to the peril of other Ranch users. Cambria Community Services District and Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve were able to identify these riders with help from community members and they have been reminded of the rule.
For everyone to have a safe and enjoyable visit to the Ranch, using multi-use trails requires consideration of others. Bikes must yield to pedestrians and maintain a safe speed. FFRP offers loaner bells for riders so they can alert others of their approach. Pedestrians must keep their dogs on leash and under control, as required by law. Each year bicycle riders report that they are either attacked or thrown off their bikes by dogs on the Ranch.
E-bikes are still relatively new so laws covering them are likely to change over time. FFRP will keep current on the changing regulations with an eye toward safety for all Ranch visitors.
