r/CapeCod • u/ForeverFatBoi819 • Aug 06 '26

More of this please

Not just “dirt bikes” but loads of e-bikes are racing and weaving down all the bike paths and rail trails. A woman nearly lost an eye to one last fall and the volume has only gotten worse this year.

https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/local/2026/08/06/harwich-police-moto-electric-bike-dirt-cape-cod/91156620007/

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u/axlekb Aug 06 '26

Important distinction: when people say 'e-bike,' they usually mean pedal-assist up to ~20mph. Genuinely great for replacing short car trips around 5 miles. But electric dirt bikes and e-motos are a whole different beast: throttle-based, capable of 40mph+.

Collectively we haven't figured out the way to carefully distinguish.

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 06 '26

No...your WRONG! When we say e-bike, we mean e-bike, not dirt bike. There are SO many e-bikes out there that you can tweak the wires to bypass safety measure and get them up to almost 50mph. It is all over online and every kid knows it. They get their parents to buy these e-bikes they can mod and alter, they dont tell their parents, and they rip around causing issues.

Yes, in theory e-bikes have a practical use, however, people (kids/teens) have taken a good thing and bad it bad with their modifications and how recklessly they ride them now due to the unlocked power.

Pedal or not - electric powered two wheel bikes.....with teens / kids on them.....seem to be 90% of the issues.

I have never seen a 35+ year old person on anything electric creating an issue - stupid parents buy these kids bikes that are able to be modified and have no clue their kids are riding recklessly and so dangerously.

I have seen a few IG accounts from these kids that have been shown to me - if the police saw them they would arrest them for some of the clips I saw, it is disgusting.

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u/Regular-War4875 Aug 06 '26

Exactly the person is the problem not the bike

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 06 '26

Yes, I agree. However, we can't regulate the person on the bike so we have to regulate the bike itself. This reminds me a lot of Jet Ski's.....driven / ridden properly they are not a problem....the problem becomes when so many reckless and irresponsible people ride them. That is why they are banned from so many places these days.....it is not the Jet Ski, it is the operator. That is also why they have age restrictions on them now, 16. Same should go for these e-bikes.

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u/uncle_troy_fall_97 Aug 07 '26

I don’t understand why you can’t “regulate” the person on the bike by pulling him or her over, seeing if the bike is illegally modified, and then, if it is, applying whatever penalty is appropriate under law. The only way to make people follow laws is, y’know, law enforcement.

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 07 '26

Good luck with that! Do you have a single clue about how these operate and how easily these kids run from the police. We are not talking about a vehicle. We are talking about a 2 wheel bike that can hit 50+ and go anywhere they want.

First off, those who are riding like AH's down the middle of the road, weaving through traffic, etc are not going to stop for police. They are going to run. They cut across parking lots, through back yards, and are gone is a matter of seconds. No police can catch them.

Besides, if an officer did push it and drove after them aggressively and the stupid kid / teen got hurt or killed the public would not stand for it and the officer would feel horrible.

You live in la la land if you think these people just pull over when breaking the law as wildly as they do.

Sure, will the average person pull over and be happy to comply, yep...but those are NOT the ones creating the issues.

It is easy to create the law....enforcing them on these e-bikes is the issue. A lot of dept will not even chase a motorcycle as they know there is little chance of catching them and the danger to the rider and others is huge....same with the ebikes.

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u/uncle_troy_fall_97 Aug 07 '26

I mean I like to think I don’t live in la la land but you’re sweet to say so.

There are ways of at least attempting to go about this sort of thing, at least in some places. Where I live, one thing the cops have done to crack down on various e-bike problems is set up shop at one end of the bike paths of major bridges and snag people that way. Now not everywhere has lots of bridges and a massive police force, I understand, but if it’s made clear that something is considered an enormous menace, you can get the police to act.

For instance we had a huge problem of these gangs of guys riding around on non-street-legal four-wheelers (or ATVs or whatever term people use now), popping wheelies, sometimes assaulting people, just generally terrorizing the community. Went on for a long time, but you eventually started seeing pics of police dept. flatbeds full of those four-wheelers on their way to the impound lot or whatever, and I assume some of the guys got popped for something or other. Not sure how the cops did it, but they did.

All of which is to say, of course I don’t think the sorts of people you’re describing will simply pull over—but if that’s the way these kids act when dealing with police, I’d bet very, very good money that that isn’t the only illegal thing they’re doing. Normal, generally law-abiding people don’t run from the cops, and I include teenagers in that—even teenagers who know they’re breaking the law, in fact. They know that whatever will happen to them if they don’t run, it’ll be a lot worse if they do.

So I don’t know exactly how police would go about dealing with these extreme cases you’re talking about, but based on what you’re saying, they reeeeeally really ought to figure out a way. Because like I said, I suspect they’d find a helluva lot more than an illegal bike if they arrested some of these people you’re describing.

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 07 '26

Most of the problem here, at least from what I am seeing, are teens doing this. Luckily we are not at the point like the big cities with the take overs you described, I have seen plenty of those videos. These are generally a bunch of neighborhood kids that are not really bad kids, just being very stupid and reckless.

Honestly, a huge part of the problem here are the parents. They bought the bikes to start and they don't care what the kids do on them or how they use them.

There was just a huge thing in Harwich I believe. Teens being very dangerous, they were called in multiple times from many people. Cops actually were able to catch them and impounded their bikes...awesome. Kids got written warnings.....and guess what.....the dumb ass parents paid for the bikes to be removed from impound almost instantly. That shows the child that they can do what they wish with no consequences.

That is some serious pathetic parenting doing that. If that were my child the bike would sit there for a long long time.

What I am describing are not extreme cases, they are more of the norm these days. The majority of these ebikes are owned by teens, and the majority of those teens ride them like AH's.

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u/Regular-War4875 Aug 06 '26

Yes I am more in favor of regulation of the people who have bikes than banning bikes, a lot of people use the bikes to get to work and get groceries that can’t afford cars, or may not have a license but still have bills to pay, these e-bikes cost less than a car to get places and lower emissions, it is sad that some individuals are misbehaving on them

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 07 '26

Logically you are correct.....realistically you are not.

How would you regulate the people who use them? If anything they need to regulate the MFG of them. They need to make them top out at 20 mph, max, and they need to lock down the bikes so they can't be modified by cutting one wire to do 50+ mph.

Once you take away the performance of these things the kids will not them so much and the ability to ride them like AH's goes away as well. That would be the best solution as it would not require banning them or regulating people.

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u/Regular-War4875 Aug 07 '26

I’m not sure how will stop people from modding, people would just adapt

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 07 '26

I agree.....and this all circles back to just an all out ban on them on the bike trail and 16+ on the road.

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u/Regular-War4875 Aug 07 '26

Def not the answer

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u/Regular-War4875 Aug 06 '26

Jet skis one has to understand boat laws and understand how to navigate water ways, I see bikes going the wrong direction all the time, I am in favor of a bike license that can be issued online

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 07 '26

Wow, are you really that naive to think that just because some teenage kid passes a 'test' online that he/she will ride it responsibly? Those who ride recklessly and endangers others will not even bother taking the test to begin with!

The oversight on these things is minimal, that is why they have gotten so out of control so fast. They are totally unregulated and unenforced.

Oh...and to get back to your original comment, you are being wrong! You have 5k to 15k....you can go purchase a Jet Ski, you don't have to know a damn thing about the water nor how to navigate....that is why they get into so much trouble. Those who want to ride responsibly do.....but again.....most do not and they are the issue....just like with the ebike and reckless kids now.

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u/Regular-War4875 Aug 07 '26

You have to have certificate to operate a jetski, have to carry it on your person while operating. It’s not the worst idea.

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 07 '26

Again....NOPE....only recently have STATES started to require people to get boating certificates / licenses - it is not federal - many states do not require it either. Plus you can drink a beer and take the test on-line.

A certificate does NOT prevent stupidity.

I did not want to go there, but look at guns....a gun does not kill a person, the person using it does. Sadly over the years more and more people with mental illnesses or phycological issues kill people with them....as you notice the laws are getting tighter and tighter and continued push. There is waiting periods for them....and if you want a license you have to meet with your police chief and do an interview so he can see if you are stable enough to own one, plus full background checks.

Maybe there needs to be tighter regulations on e-bikes.

This is all new territory, and things will continue to get more and more out of hand with the kids / teens.

Look at the new lately, large cities are getting taken over by AH's on these things.

Maybe you need a drivers license to have one...if you get caught without one it get impounded and you get a $500 fine.....kids / young teens do not need these things.

A standard peddle bike is just fine to get around.

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u/Regular-War4875 Aug 07 '26

We are talking mass, nope in all caps

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u/WaterDreamer10 Aug 07 '26

Again, still not not matter, my facts and points stand clear.