How suburban e-bike laws evolved in 2025

No bicycling topic was as widely debated in 2025 as e-bikes.

E-bike use grew, and so did that of their high-powered cousins, “e-motos.” Many were speeding around and intimidating residents, and local governments responded with e-bike laws.

They did so, however, with limited guidance from the state or federal government (only counties had established regulations for trails), and little grasp of all the kinds of bicycle-like vehicles out there — to a great extent because manufacturers were selling them all with the “e-bike” label, whether they met the state definition or not.

Thus, laws varied widely, and they created a patchwork of regulations even among neighboring suburbs.

For the full story, go to suburbanchicagobicycling.com.