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(Iowa) -- Biking and trail use are boosting local economies in all 99 Iowa counties, according to a new study from the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
“Even in Adams County, one of the most rural counties in the state, you still saw half a million dollars in annual impact,” said Executive Director Luke Hoffman. “Year over year, this type of spending and job creation, workforce development—all of those things that add up to quality of life—are happening in every single county.”
Biking is now one of Iowa’s top 50 industries, generating $1.4 billion in economic impact. The biggest gains are seen in service and retail sectors, including restaurants, bars, and bike shops.
While electric bikes (e-bikes) have helped boost biking’s overall economic impact, they also raise safety concerns.
“These e-bikes, that for all intents and purposes are really motorcycles, yes, they might have a drivetrain and some pedals, but do the pedals actually do anything? Our position is that if you aren’t pedaling, it’s not a bike,” Hoffman said.
E-bikes often feature pedal assist, allowing riders to reach speeds of 15 to 22 miles per hour, significantly faster than the average cyclist’s speed of 12 to 15 miles per hour.
“There are some pedal-assist e-bikes that can go fairly fast, and that’s one thing,” Hoffman added. “But where we see the worst abusers are people who are riding motorcycles disguised as e-bikes.”
Hoffman believes reclassifying certain high-speed e-bikes as motorcycles could reduce accidents and improve safety on public trails.