Pedelecs and e-bikes can be found everywhere, on the bike path, on the road, on the sidewalk - and often much to the annoyance of other road users. Not even cyclists themselves always see eye to eye, a pedelec, especially in the fast "S" variant, is often perceived by traditional cyclists as a traffic hooligan. This raises the question: Are you allowed to ride a (S-) pedelec and e-bike on the bike path? Or are you even required to? What is the "mandatory bike path usage" all about? You'll find out in the Bike Blog!
Are you allowed to ride a pedelec on the bike path? The answer is a clear "maybe" - because it depends on the type of bike. To know exactly where you should best ride your bike, a precise distinction is necessary. To make it even more complicated, there are different bike lanes: namely bike paths and bike protection lanes.
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Here we first sort the terms pedelec, e-bike and S-pedelec, then we take a closer look at bike paths and protection lanes. By the end, you'll know where you are allowed or required to ride your pedelec. |
🔌 This is how you distinguish pedelec, e-bike, and S-pedelec
Bicycle? E-bike? Pedelec? It's becoming increasingly difficult to recognize at first glance whether a bicycle is motorized or not (here with)! Image © Orbea
✋Pedelec and e-bike are often misnamed!
For bicycle manufacturers, all bicycles with motors are e-bikes. Among them are slower ones (they call them pedelec) and faster ones (they call them S-pedelec). 90% of the sold electric bikes are actually pedelecs, but owners and the bicycle press often mistakenly call them "e-bike," so the terms have become mixed. The designation would actually be irrelevant if not according to StVO different rules applied.
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☝️ This is a pedelec: |
☝️ This is an S-pedelec: |
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The drive has a power of up to 250 watts. |
An S-pedelec has up to 4 kilowatts of allowed nominal continuous power, the maximum limit is four times the power of the rider. |
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A pedelec supports up to a speed of 25 km/h. |
An "S-Pedelec" or "fast pedelec" supports up to a speed of 45 km/h, which is the main difference from a pedelec or "e-bike". |
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The motor is regulated at 25 km/h, and if this speed is exceeded, the support ceases. |
An S-Pedelec stops providing support at 45 km/h. |
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Support is only provided while pedaling. If the crank of the pedelec is still, the support also stops. |
Here too, the motor only supports the pedaling movements of the rider. Without your own effort, the drive does not start. |
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Pedelecs are legally equated with bicycles. |
S-Pedelecs are legally considered mopeds. |
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Pedelec is the abbreviation of the English "Pedal Electric Cycle". |
The "S" in S-Pedelec stands for Speed or "fast pedelec". |
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The likelihood that you are riding such a pedelec is quite high, as over 90% of all e-bikes sold are pedelecs. |
An S-Pedelec requires a general operating license from the Federal Motor Transport Authority. It must have an insurance plate. |
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Since pedelecs are considered bicycles, there is no age restriction. |
You must be at least 16 years old if you want to ride an S-Pedelec. Unlike bicycles and e-bikes, you need a class AM driver's license ("scooter license") and a helmet! |
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See above – the e-bike/pedelec is considered a bicycle. |
To make things even more complicated, there are also S-Pedelecs that do not need to be pedaled, they are also considered small motor vehicles. |
§ Are you allowed or required to ride the pedelec on the bike path?
If you now know, what you are riding, you almost know, where you can ride your pedelec. But first, you need to distinguish the bike path from the cyclist protection lane.
The "bike path usage obligation"
There is a bike path usage obligation in Germany. Does this mean you have to ride on the bike path if there is one? Again, the answer is "Yes and no... it depends..."
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Because there are bike paths and cyclist protection lanes. The former must be used, the latter can be used. |
💡This is a bike path:
- A bike path is clearly marked.
- The bike path must be visibly or structurally separated from the roadway.
- Often, bike paths are separated from car traffic by a solid line or a green strip.
- A bike path is always marked with a sign .
There are three traffic signs that designate a bike path.
- Traffic sign 237 designates a bike path (blue background with white bicycle); riders of pedelecs and bicycles MUST use this path, other road users may not enter it
- Traffic sign 241 designates a separated bike and pedestrian path (blue background with white bicycle and white pedestrians side by side); bike path and sidewalk are side by side but separated
- Traffic sign 240 designates a combined bike and pedestrian path (blue background with white bicycle and white pedestrians one below the other); bicycles and pedestrians use this path together, cyclists must be considerate of pedestrians
If such a bike path is available, the "bike path usage obligation" applies and you must ride on the bike path with the pedelec or bicycle. You are not allowed to ride here with the S-pedelec!
The solid line and the bicycle symbol mark a bike path. However, the most important marker is the traffic sign! Image © Phil Hearing on Unsplash
💡This is a cyclist protection lane:
- If a bike path is not feasible, a "cyclist protection lane" can be established instead.
- A protection lane can also be clearly separated from the roadway, but it is part of the roadway!
- A protection lane is often separated from the car lane by a dashed line.
- Unlike a bike path, cars may use the protection lane if necessary. However, they may only drive on it if they do not endanger bicycle traffic (the 1.5m distance rule applies here in urban areas) and they may not drive on it permanently.
- You MAY ride on the cyclist protection lane with a pedelec and bicycle, but you are not required!
Since pedelecs (or "e-bikes") are equated with bicycles, these regulations apply to them equally.
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Attention, since the bike path is part of public roads, the bicycle must be equipped for road safety! And it doesn't matter whether it's an e-bike, pedelec, or bicycle! |
⚡S-Pedelec on the bicycle path … no, thanks!
Up to this point, we only had term explanations for you, now let's get to the actual question: Are you allowed to ride the Pedelec or S-Pedelec on the bicycle path? In the case of the fast S-Pedelec there is a clear answer: No!
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Since an S-Pedelec is not considered a bicycle but a small motorbike, it has no place on the bicycle path. You must always ride on the road. If you are caught on the bicycle path with the S-Pedelec, you risk a fine! Even if the bicycle path is open to mopeds, you are not allowed to ride the S-Pedelec there! |
A Pedelec that supports you up to 25 km/h (and thus almost every "E-Bike") is allowed to ride on the bicycle path and on the bicycle protection strip.
💡Tips: With E-Bike & (S-)Pedelec on the bicycle path
It is often not easy to find your way around the applicable legal situation, as the traffic education for cyclists is quite sparse. The increasingly dense road traffic and the different terms around the E-Bike do not make it any easier to behave in compliance with the rules. In case of doubt, it always helps to ride cautiously and considerately and to push your E-Bike a bit if necessary. This is especially true if you are significantly faster on a Pedelec than other cyclists around you or if there are many pedestrians around.
Sources:
https://www.adfc.de (retrieved on 22.2.2023)
https://www.bussgeld-info.de (retrieved on 22.2.23)
https://www.radverkehr.bayern.de (retrieved on 22.2.23)
https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/pedelec/ (retrieved on 22.2.23)
Title image: Yura Khomitskyi on Unsplash
As of February 2023, please note that despite careful research on laws and the StVO, we cannot make binding statements!
