A lot of folks who thought their days of fun on a bike were long gone and never to return are discovering, much to their delight, how wrong they were. They’re discovering — and riding — e-bikes.

An e-bike is a bicycle that has an electric motor to assist a rider’s pedal power when needed or moving the bike solely on electric power. They are considered bicycles because they still can be pedaled with or without the electric motor assist.

E-bikes are gaining rapidly in popularity and the e-bike industry is growing because recreational riders and commuters find they can cover longer distances and climb hills more easily. Because they use rechargeable batteries to power the motor and don’t emit carbon dioxide, they are an environmentally friendly, sustainable, mode of transportation.

Since they give people an easier entry into the physical activity of cycling, they’re also a healthy lifestyle choice because they’re getting folks out and riding whom otherwise wouldn’t or thought they couldn’t.

The thing is, almost anyone can hop on an e-bike and find themselves speeding along at 20 miles per hour without breathing hard or breaking a sweat. That can be exhilarating and it will certainly expand the range of your cycling excursions.

But if your bike-handling skills aren’t what they need to be, it also poses a higher risk to you and to others.

This is one reason that, as e-bikes have become more prevalent, efforts to regulate them have increased. In the U.S., local, county and state governments have been at the front of efforts to legislate how e-bikes differ from motorcycles, mopeds or motorized scooters, where they can be ridden, whether they, or their riders should be licensed, and so on.

Like a lot of legislation, the result is often more complex, complicated and difficult to understand than the mechanics of the e-bike motor (or quantum physics).

Washington, however, has a pretty straightforward law on the books now. Its key provisions:

• E-bikes are regulated like bicycles.

• The same rules of the road apply to both e-bikes and human-powered bicycles.

• E-bikes are not subject to the registration, licensing or insurance requirements that apply to motor vehicles.

• Three classes of e-bikes are designated by the size and type of the motor and the assistance provided. For Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, pedal assistance is provided only until the e-bike reaches 20 miles per hour; a Class 3 e-bike provides assistance until the e-bike reaches 28 miles per hour.

• Only Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on bike paths and improved trails, unless a local agency authorizes them.

• The use of electric bicycles on single-track mountain bike trails is determined by the agency or local authority with jurisdiction over that land.

Now for us here on the north Olympic Peninsula this has some important implications because the number of e-bike riders on the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) and the Olympic Adventure Trail (OAT) is growing and that has the potential for increasing the risks for all those on the trails.

For some the best way to deal with that increased risk is simply to ban e-bikes altogether on the ODT and the OAT. Most people, though, seem to agree that that’s neither fair nor necessary.

The fact is that on the ODT you’ll often encounter a cyclist riding at 20 mph or more on a regular bike; on the OAT, mountain bikers without electric-assist can exceed the recommended 10 mph speed. The fact is that on either the ODT or OAT you’ll often see a cyclist whose bike-handling skills aren’t what they ought to be (regardless of how slowly they may be riding).

On both trails you’re going to witness unsafe acts by someone whether they’re on a bike, on foot or on horseback. The unfortunate reality is that even here in our little paradise, you’ll find people who are not courteous and seem to have no interest in being courteous — or safe — when they’re using the trails.

The Olympic Peninsula Bicycle Alliance (OPBA), Peninsula Trails Coalition (PTC), the local chapters of the Backcountry Horsemen of America (BCHA), county and local governments, bicycle groups and especially e-bike retailers are working together to improve safety and courtesy for everyone on our trails, including e-bike riders. Among other things you’ll see in the coming weeks:

• Speed limit signs on the ODT and OAT. These will be required, not just “recommended” speeds. They will vary depending on the volume of use in a given area — higher numbers of walkers, cyclists, riders will mean lower required speeds — or objective hazards such as sharp turns or steep downhills.

• Warning signs indicating an upcoming hazard or situation such as a higher volume of pedestrian traffic or areas where horses are more likely to be encountered, whether singly, in groups, or—as on the OAT—in pack trains.

• Informational signs and notices showing how to be safe and courteous on the trail regardless of whether you’re on foot, on a bike or on horseback.

A coordinated educational campaign designed to increase awareness of what trail users should know and how they should act—i.e., the need to be alert and aware, to be safe, to be courteous to other trail users.

As cyclists, regardless of what kind of bike we’re riding, it’s up to us to remember that we’re required to yield to all other trail users — they have the right of way. That means, as someone on a bike, you need to know and practice the proper rules and procedures for approaching, overtaking and passing those on foot or on horseback. That’s simple courtesy, it’s simple safety.

It’s also the law. When you take your bike out on the trails (or anywhere for that matter) you should ride in control, which means within your limits — within your skill and ability. Experts, however, don’t get to ignore the laws or the rules; they don’t get to be unsafe or discourteous just because they can ride better or faster.

It’s up to each of us and all of us to remember that, as wonderful as it is to be out on our trails (great as they are!) and as much fun and enjoyment as we get when we’re using them, we do share them with others and we need to share them responsibly and respectfully.

See you down the ride! Stay safe — and be nice — out there!

Ken Stringer is president of the Olympic Peninsula Bicycle Alliance. Cycling Around is a monthly column focused on cycling in Sequim and the surrounding area. For more information, go to www.olympicpeninsulacycling.com or contact the author at opcycling@gmail.com.