Senate Bill 79, which passed 65-5, only allows Class 1 e-bikes with pedals that assist up to 20 mph and no throttle.
Its primary sponsor in the House was Rep. Tim Goodwin, R-Rapid City, who explained the historical significance of the trail and why more people should be allowed to use it.
“We have George Mickelson, he never lived long enough to see the invention of electric bikes,” Goodwin said at 2:45. “What we’re trying to do with this bill is just have Class 1 bikes on the trail.”
The Mickelson Trail, which was completed in 1998, has become a popular trail internationally, running from Edgemont to Deadwood.
Rep. Tesa Schwans, R-Hartford, shared her worries about safety, especially given the varying terrain of the trail.
“(I) being an active rider on the Mickelson Trail for many years, I’ve never experienced issues more than I have in the last few years,” Schwans said. “With speeds exceeding your cadence, it can create dangerous levels of being out of control, especially around curves with gravel, single track, and dark tunnels.”
While a Class 1 e-bike only provides assistance when the rider is pedaling, a Class 2 e-bike may have a throttle, and a Class 3 e-bike can reach speeds up to 28 mph.
Some lawmakers who had concerns with the bill highlighted the problems with enforcement.
“I wouldn’t know the difference between a Class 1 versus 2 versus 3 e-bike,” Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, said. “What concerns me is that people are going to get an e-bike, not know what class it is, and take it on the Mickelson Trail and accidentally break the law.”
“There is a mechanism to patrol the trail,” Goodwin said at 13:12. “I mean, talk about a college kid’s dream. ‘You get to ride the trail and check people,”” he said.
The Senate approved SB 79 and now waits for the governor’s signature.
The first segment of the Mickelson Trail was completed in 1991 and the entire trail was finished in 1998. Since then, it has become one of the top 10 trails in the United States, attracting visitorsworldwided.
