Three of the most influential cycling organisations in the United States – the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) and PeopleForBikes – have formalised an ongoing collaboration to align their advocacy on e-bike regulation, the groups announced this week. The new coalition arrives as state-level legislation continues to fragment the rules around electric bicycles, with California, New Jersey and New Hampshire all moving on bills in 2026.
The three organisations say they will now meet monthly to share intelligence on policy developments, coordinate responses to state and federal proposals, and present a unified industry voice on the legal definitions, access rights and rider-safety questions that have come to dominate the e-bike conversation.
What the Coalition Will Actually Do
According to the joint statement carried by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, the cooperation has three main areas of focus: rider safety, electric-bicycle definitions and access, and so-called “e-moto” legislation – the rapidly growing grey area between Class 2/3 e-bikes and unregistered electric motorcycles being sold to teenagers as bicycles.
The groups also pointed to recent collaborative work on bills in New Jersey and New Hampshire as a template. In both states the trio engaged retailers, advocates and bicyclists to push back on language that would have either eliminated existing class definitions or imposed access restrictions on bike paths and trails. The shared message – consistent definitions, access protected, e-motos called what they are – is the same one the coalition now plans to bring to every state legislature.
Why the Industry Is Worried
The backdrop is messy. Twenty-six states currently use the three-class system (1, 2, 3) introduced by PeopleForBikes a decade ago. Several others use ad-hoc definitions, and a growing number have passed or proposed legislation that either rolls back the class system, imposes age restrictions, or expands the definition of an e-bike to include vehicles that are clearly e-motos in everything but name.
The most aggressive recent move is in California, where a new package of 2026 safety rules tightens battery, lighting and helmet requirements. New Jersey, meanwhile, eliminated the three-class structure entirely earlier in the year, creating a single “low-speed electric bicycle” definition that some retailers say will create new headaches at point of sale.
For local bike shops – the constituency NBDA represents – the patchwork is becoming unworkable. A bike that is legal to sell as a Class 2 in Virginia may be a “moped” in Maryland and a different category again in Pennsylvania. The coalition’s pitch is that consistent national language will protect both rider safety and the underlying retail market.
What This Means For You
If you ride or are thinking about buying an e-bike, the immediate practical impact of the coalition is small – the rules in your state today are the rules tomorrow. But the longer-term implications matter a lot. A few things worth doing right now:
- Know your bike’s class. If you can’t say whether your e-bike is Class 1, 2 or 3 (or, in NJ now, “low-speed”), check the manufacturer label. It dictates where you can ride and what equipment is required.
- Don’t buy an e-moto by accident. Anything advertised at speeds above 28 mph, with a hand throttle and no usable pedals, is almost certainly a motor vehicle in the eyes of the law – regardless of how it’s marketed.
- Read your state’s helmet and age rules. Several 2026 bills tied helmet requirements to e-bike class. A 14-year-old riding their parents’ Class 2 may now need a helmet by law.
- Get the basics right. If you commute, our complete e-bike commuting guide covers helmets, lights, locks and storage – everything most state bills focus on.
Why a Unified Voice Matters Politically
For most of the past decade, the three groups have lobbied largely in parallel: PeopleForBikes on industry-side standardisation, the League of American Bicyclists on rider advocacy, and NBDA on retailer interests. They have not always told the same story. State legislators have, in private, sometimes complained that they don’t know which “the cycling industry” position to listen to – the activist version, the retailer version, or the manufacturer version.
Monthly coordination meetings won’t solve every difference of opinion, but they should make it harder for poorly drafted legislation to pass on the assumption that “no-one in cycling really opposes this”. That matters in a year when, by PeopleForBikes’ own count, more than 90 e-bike-related bills are active in state houses across the US.
The Bigger Infrastructure Picture
The coalition also lands at a sensitive moment for cycling infrastructure. Federal active-transportation programmes face major proposed funding cuts in 2026, even as cities like New York roll out new free helmet-and-light programmes aimed at the very e-bike commuters the legal debate is now about. Without aligned advocacy, the industry risks losing on both fronts at once: tighter rules and less infrastructure to ride them on.
Key Takeaways
- LAB, NBDA and PeopleForBikes are now formally coordinating on e-bike policy in the US.
- The coalition will meet monthly and align messaging on safety, definitions and e-moto legislation.
- The launch follows joint efforts in New Jersey and New Hampshire to push back on restrictive bills.
- More than 90 e-bike bills are active in state legislatures in 2026.
- For now, individual riders’ best move is to know exactly what class their bike is and follow state rules.
Source: announcement carried by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, joint statement from the League of American Bicyclists, the National Bicycle Dealers Association and PeopleForBikes (April 2026).
