Speed limits for cars are put in place for a reason – they aim to protect road users of all kinds — but when it comes to bicycles, do those same rules also apply?
As more and more people opt for traveling on bicycles and the rise of electric bikes (e-bikes) continues to grow, so do questions of what traffic laws apply to cyclists. In California, many laws and regulations that govern cyclists are statewide, while others vary from municipality to municipality. Generally, there are no speed limits in place specifically for cyclists — however, in California when riding on roads, bicyclists are required to follow the same laws that apply to cars, including speed limits (CVC 21200).
Even if you’re not riding on a road, it still a good idea to be mindful of your surroundings and watch for posted signs on trails, densely populated areas, and where there might be a lot of traffic. There are a plethora of factors that may dictate how fast you can safely ride, including road conditions, visibility, and the flow of traffic.
The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District is one example where speed limits are posted specifically for cyclists. The district instructs a 15mph speed limit for cyclists on bridge sidewalks and 5mph around the towers.
Elsewhere across the Bay Area’s scenic thoroughfares and urban corridors, cyclists are mostly free to ride free from speed limits, but there is a growing conversation across big cities about whether this should be the case.
E-bike regulations
While you won’t likely get stopped for speeding on your bicycle or e-bike, there are some regulations that limit the speeds of e-bikes. A new law that went into effect January 1 more clearly defines the classes of e-bikes, including how fast they can travel. And if you’re riding on a road over the posted speed limit and get into a crash, the crash will likely be deemed at least partially your fault.
These speed limits are the responsibility of the manufacturer, so the regulation doesn’t burden the rider, but it’s good to keep in mind as you’re shopping for an e-bike or wondering what might be the best fit for you.
The new law now defines e-bikes in the following ways:
Class 1: A bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 mph.
Class 2: A bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20mph.
Class 3: A bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 28mph, and that is equipped with a speedometer.
Safe speeds
Speed can contribute to the severity of a crash or injury and reckless driving laws apply to both vehicle drivers and cyclists. No matter what the posted speed limit is — or if you are riding off-road in an area with no speed limit — the law still always require that you ride at a safe speed.
A state appeals court in Los Angeles refused to dismiss a 2014 case involving a cyclist charged with felony reckless driving. The case marked the settlement of an important question that was long debated across the state, including in San Francisco when a cyclist rode through either a yellow or red light, causing them to hit a pedestrian, who died as a result of the collision. While the law that the cyclist was charged under was not a speed limit, it did raise a similar question of “whether traffic rules and criminal penalties that were designed for motor vehicles should apply to human-powered vehicles that, while far smaller and lighter, can cause considerable harm and havoc,” SFGate reported at the time of the 2014 case.
The rise of speed concerns
In some places, conversations around cycling safety topics, specifically related to speed limits, are taking hold in an effort to bolster safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. In 2022, for example, a London woman died following a collision with a cyclist who was traveling above the speed limit posted for cars in the area. While this would have violated the law in California, it may not violate the law in all localities.
In New York City, the idea of a speed limit specific to e-bikes has garnered both support and pushback with mayor Eric Adams’ proposal to limit e-bike riders to 15mph to match e-scooters. This would reduce many e-bike speeds by 5 to 10mph.
“I have heard, over and over again, from New Yorkers about how their safety — and the safety of their children — has been put at risk due to speeding e-bikes and e-scooters,” Adams said in a statement regarding the proposal.
Skeptics of the speed limit say the concern for cycling safety should still be on motor vehicles, since they remain a major factor in dangerous and deadly crashes.
In fact, traffic experts point out that lower speeds for cars are among the biggest factors for creating safer streets akin to what Adams says he’s hoping to achieve with the reduction in e-bike speeds.
“Twenty miles per hour speed limits are promoted for public health and safety because they help ensure that vehicle crashes are less common and more survivable when they occur,” says the League of American Bicyclists. “Currently, 20 mph speed limits are rarely promoted or enabled through state speed limit laws. In urban districts, it is more common for 20 mph speed limits to be explicitly prohibited than encouraged.”
In San Francisco, speed reductions for cars across many of the city’s busy urban hubs have been implemented in an effort to increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
“It is no accident that the most common posted speed limit on roads where a person biking or walking is killed is 45 mph, a speed at which a person hit has a more than 50% chance of death,” the League says. “Creating more streets with speed limits of 20 mph or less, where a person has less than a 10% chance of death if hit, is a science-based approach to traffic safety.”