Project Status: “We Are Legal”

E-mountain bikes have been used for over a decade on the fire roads of Mt. Tam. Ever since 2015 when the California Legislature decreed that e-MTBs should be treated as bicycles, we’ve been legal. But it took until July 1, 2025, for the Marin Municipal Water District — the largest landowner on Mt. Tam — to officially allow e-MTBs (or class 1 “pedal-assist” e-bikes) wherever traditional bicycles are allowed.  Now everyone agrees, including the anti-bicycle groups led by Marin Conservation League which threw in the towel when their legal challenge proved insufficient. 

This victory comes after 5 years of advocacy. To ensure that the pilot program becomes permanent, cyclists should continue to set good examples of courteous riding and eschew poaching. Everyone should participate in the visitor surveys that will determine the fate of the pilot program.

More information is available on the MMWD website.