Thinking about getting your teen an e-bike?
You’re not alone—e-bikes are the ride of choice for today’s teens. But with so many options (and legal gray areas), we want to provide some helpful information for e-bike specifications, the current policy, and what’s not being talked about enough in the teen e-bike discussion.
At The Ride Cafe we help families navigate the e-bike buying process. Here’s what helpful for parents and e-bike buyers to know:
✅ What’s the Difference between an E-Bike and an E-moto?
In most states, including in MA, an e-bike must:
- Have an electric motor not exceeding 750 watts
- Fall into Class 1 or Class 2:
- Class 1: Pedal-assist only (up to 20 mph)
- Class 2: Pedal + throttle assist (up to 20 mph)
Gray Area: 36 states (not including MA) have an additional e-bike classification, Class 3: Pedal-assist up to 28 mph. In states where Class 3 exists, riders must be at least 17 years old. MA is currently working towards updating its micromobility classifications in Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L) and Class III will most likely be a recommended inclusion.
We recommend avoiding models marked as OCEVs (Out-of-Class Electric Vehicles), electric motorcycles or “e-motos.” If it goes above 28mph, its not an e-bike* its an e-moto.
Here in MA, helmets must be worn on bike riders who are 16 years and under.
🛑 Bicycle Safety First: What to Look For
We recommend e-bikes with:
- Hydraulic disc brakes
- Integrated brake lights with turn signals
- UL-certified batteries for peace of mind. UL Solutions tests and certifies virtually every type of battery available—including lithium-ion battery cells and packs, power banks, chargers, and adapters—to key international, national and regional regulations. UL-certification ensures enhanced safety standards for design and manufacturing of the battery.
At The Ride Cafe, all of our e-bikes have UL-certified batteries, hydraulic disc brakes, integrated brake lights and turn signals.
🛠️ Why Buy Local?
Buying from a local shop like ours means:
- Expert guidance on the right model
- Test rides to find the perfect fit
- Safe, professional assembly
- Ongoing support & service for your teen’s ride
- A trusted place to ask all your questions – there are no silly questions – as this is a new space for parents and consumers
Unfortunately, we have to turn away many e-motos or non UL-certified e-bikes. Buying an e-bike from a local bike shop means you never have to worry about being turned away for service.
Learning the Rules of the Road
After choosing a Class 1 or 2 e-bike with hydraulic brakes, integrated lights, turn signals, and a UL-certified battery, the next step is making sure your teen understands the rules of the road. If they don’t yet have a driver’s permit or license, and may not have grown up biking in the street, they’ve likely never learned.
We’re in the process of designing a teen e-bike course – which will include the rules of road for young riders. Would you be interested in this teen e-bike course? If so email us at hello@theridecafe.com.
If Safety is the Topic, We Must Include Street Design in the Discussion
Teens riding their bikes in the street is a beautiful thing. Regardless of the type of bike they’re riding, our society needs more of it. Its a sign of community health to have kids of all ages riding bikes (not electric motorcycles or e-motos) in the street. Bikes help to foster independence, build confidence and community. Parents often come to us saying, “I want my kid off their phone and outside, which is why I want to get them a bike.” Bikes are not the problem, they are the solution to so many of today’s problems.
The most important way to keep teens safe is designing streets for people of all-ages-and-abilities. Designing streets that truly welcome people of all-ages-and-abilities means creating streets where people driving are naturally slowed to livable speeds (20–25 mph) or where there’s vertical physical separation between people driving and those biking, walking, or rolling (i.e. a separated bike lane or path). These design choices reduce conflicts that can lead to serious injuries. When we prioritize safer street design, we reduce severe crashes involving people biking, walking, or rolling—and ideally, we eliminate them altogether.
Street design should be a bigger part of conversations about teen e-bike safety — including in news coverage. Unfortunately, when a crash happens that involves a person biking, the media tends to frame it incorrectly as an “accident,” or a random event implying its unpreventable. The inclusion of “bicyclist” or “pedestrian” and “vehicle” is used instead of person biking, walking, rolling or driving. The article headlines may include “Bicyclist Hits Vehicle” “Accident Injures Pedestrian.” These articles seldomly center the human experience on both sides, nor include one of the most important elements, discussing how this crash could have been prevented.
One of the most important questions to ask is: “How do we create safer, more inviting streets and paths that encourage more teens—and people of all-ages-and-abilities—to get around safely by bike?“
– Kara Oberg, mom, The Ride Cafe owner, Kids Learn to Ride instructor, Transportation Planner and MassDOT Micromobility Commissioner
📍 Let’s continue the conversation. Call or text me – 617.644.0212 , email me at hello@theridecafe.com and join our email list.
*To avoid confusion, the current definition of motorized bicycle was not included above. However its worth noting, in M.G.L, a ”Motorized bicycle”, is defined as “a pedal bicycle which has a helper motor, or a non-pedal bicycle which has a motor, with a cylinder capacity not exceeding fifty cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission, and which is capable of a maximum speed of no more than thirty miles per hour; provided, that the definition of ”motorized bicycle” shall not include an electric bicycle.”
In M.G.L, an e-bike is NOT a motorized bicycle but it is a bicycle. Fear not, the proposed updated micromobility definitions, which will be easier to understand, are planned to be released in January 2026. There are no silly questions on this topic as the current state of regulation has yet to keep up with the consumer market.