Suddenly, state e-bike legislation emerges

Local leaders, including some who created ordinances to restrict e-bike use, have been waiting to see if state lawmakers would address e-bikes and, more important, e-motos, their more powerful cousins. In April, the state Senate really got to it, and suddenly it passed legislation Wednesday.

The legislation is dramatic. It defines e-motos as "motor driven cycles" and separately regulates motorized scooters, skateboards and unicycles. It treats the "motor driven cycles" like motorcycles, which means a driver’s license, registration, insurance and title would be required to ride them.

It doesn't change e-bike rules, with one big exception: Riders of Class 1 and 2 e-bikes would have to be 15 (while Class 3 riders would still have to be 16).

And, the legislation would override any and all local e-bike/e-moto laws — undoing the work that so many local leaders did in 2025 but also smoothing out the inconsistent (if creative) rules suburb to suburb.

The legislation now moves to the state House, which last month was working on a vastly different bill — one that many northwest suburban mayors endorsed. I'll be watching to see what happens. Read more about it.​

What if they repave just half a trail?

The Cook County forest preserve district has used "data bikes" for a while now to see which parts of all its trails need work the most. A planner recently cited the bumpy north half of the Poplar Creek Trail as an example. Could really only part of a trail be repaved? (And how soon?) Read more.​

Post a hundred, ride a hundred

Suburban Chicago Bicycling reached its 100th post this month! So what better topic to write about than riding 100 miles in a day? Here's how you can do it and which organized rides in the suburbs this year offer a "century."

THANKS FOR RIDING WITH ME

I've ridden centuries for Bike MS; the Illinois group is having a kickoff event in May. That's on the 2026 calendar now as are trail cleanups this month. Poplar Creek has been expanded in the trail round-up. And a Mount Prospect path debate is now in the local news round-up.

Thank you for following me for any of the 100 posts! I'll keep rollin'. — Neil

THANK YOU, DONORS: The Arlington Heights Bicycle Club, Alan White, Mitchell C. Jones, John Heer, Terry Witt, T L Szensy, Douglas H. Hoffman, James Krause, Melynda Findlay Shamie, Eric Slagter, Jeffery Norman, Kathleen Hays, Andrew L. Campbell, Mark Rathe, Robert M. Yedinak, John S. Perry, David Waycie, David Michels, Cynthia DeVoss, Cheryl Zalenski, Richard H. Jordan, Mark Joseph Dugo, Richard Wadleigh, Colleen Stevenson, Randy Barich, Michael D. Staples, Michael Vander Weele, Hilliard B. Grossman and Kevin V. Barba.
I create the Suburban Chicago Bicycling website and newsletter with the help of readers like you.
​Buy me a cup of coffee, as they say?

At top: I think we can safely call that an e-moto on the North Branch Trail. Got a license, kid?

For even more, read old newsletters. And please forward this to anyone interested.