The laws for electric bicycles and mopeds differ from pedal-powered bikes.

As cycling season begins in earnest, Dennis Redikop, Community Constable for Steinbach RCMP, is clarifying the rules around electric bicycles.

“If a bicycle has an electric motor it's considered a power-assisted bicycle or an electric bicycle. Helmets must be worn at all times, by all ages.”

But electric bikes are not for children.

“Anyone under 14 is not allowed to operate an electric bicycle”

All bicycles, electric or otherwise, may not be driven on sidewalks with the exception of bikes where the diameter of the rear wheel is 410 millimetres (16 inches) or less.

Bikes with wheels larger than 16 inches must be on the road driving in the same direction and on the same side of the road as vehicles. Cyclists also must obey all traffic laws including stop and yield signs.

Electric vehicles are not allowed on sidewalks no matter what size the wheels are.

Two or three-wheeled electric vehicles that can travel up to 50 kilometres per hour are considered mopeds and must be licensed and be driven on the road.

Redikop explains that an exception to the sidewalk rules for powered vehicles is mobility aid 4-wheeled scooters.

“These are specifically manufactured or modified to be operated by a physically handicapped person, so they are considered a pedestrian. They cannot exceed 15 kilometres per hour, so they are allowed to travel on sidewalks.”

The City of Steinbach does make a distinction between sidewalks or walking paths and cycling paths.

Redikop adds that, for safety reasons, cyclists riding on streets and roads should ride single file and make sure they’re visible at night.