Passionate, Responsible E-Bike Riders Promoting Fair Access

What We Do

E-Bike Access is a non-profit, public benefit corporation advocating for safe, legal, and equal access to pedal-assist e-bikes. We are a diverse group of artists, business professionals, environmentalists, lawyers — all passionate e-mountain bikers united by a shared love for nature and cycling.

We stand for equal treatment for all riders, regardless of age, physical condition, or disabilities. With a deep respect for the environment and the communities where we ride, we promote responsible e-bike use to ensure access for future generations.

Our advocacy efforts span a wide range of activities:

  • Policy Leadership: Three of our founders - Bob Mittlestaedt, Bill Albright and Jonathan Frieman - served on the MMWD Citizens Advisory Committee on E-Bikes in 2019/2020.

  • Community Campaigns: We participate in Trail Partners’ Slow & Say Hello campaign to promote trail etiquette and environmental respect.

  • Trail Stewardship: Members volunteer as Trail Ambassadors with One Tam, fostering collaboration among MMWD, GGNRA, Mt. Tam State Park, and Marin County Parks.

  • Class 2 E-Bike Project: We lead and participate in efforts at local, state and national levels to address the dangers of illegal throttle devices mislabeled as e-bikes.

  • Ongoing Advocacy: We continue working with MMWD to ensure fair e-bike access as part of the Recreation Management Plan and the success of the E-bike Pilot Program — and collaborating with local municipalities, Marin County, TAM and other groups like Access4Bikes, MCBC, Safe Routes, etc.

Our commitment extends beyond e-bikes—we actively support mountain bike advocacy groups and environmental organizations, building bridges for a more inclusive and sustainable outdoor community.

We invite you to join us in championing safe, legal e-bike access for all. Together, we can protect and share the trails we love.

Our Story and Mission

Decades ago, we helped blaze the path to obtain the right to ride mountain bikes in the Marin area. 

Over time, as some of us have grown older or faced physical challenges, pedal-assist e-bikes have become vital to continuing our connection with nature. These bikes empower us to enjoy the outdoors while upholding the same principles we’ve always embraced: respect for others and protection of our fragile ecosystems.

We formed E-Bike Access during the pandemic in the spring of 2020 in an effort to assure that everyone who rides an e-bike could enjoy the Mt. Tam watershed roads owned by the Marin Municipal Water District. It took 5 years but e-mountain bikes are now officially legal on Tam. Go here to read about that project.

Along the way, opponents of e-bike access warned of opening the floodgates to throttle devices that youth were riding on Marin streets. We learned quickly that most of them were not legal e-bikes and that all of them were dangerous and contributed to the disproportionately high youth injury rate . Consistent with our mission statement to foster safe riding, we urged enforcement of existing laws and helped write the new law banning Class 2 throttle e-bikes for kids under 16. Go here to learn more about that project.

Unlike other cycling advocacy groups, E-Bike Access focuses on e-bikes. We coordinate with the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, One Tam, Safe Routes to Schools, Access4Bikes and other aligned groups. Through collaboration and community engagement, we aim to ensure fair and responsible e-bike access.