The Regional District of North Okanagan quietly passed the bylaw changes last year, but now that signage has gone up this spring, those with a stake in the bike business have become aware of the rules and are speaking out.The regional district said the new rules banning class two and three bikes on its part of the rail trail, and other RDNO trails, were in response to complaints.
Class one bikes are pedal-assist while class two e-bikes include a throttle. Class three bikes can go up to 45 km/h.“The throttle, for the retired group and the older demographic, it’s a winner. It gets you out. They are not sitting in front of the TV. They are not burdening our health system because they are using their knees and backs,” said Pedego Oyama co-owner Murray Fraser.