I have seen a few letters from people complaining about all the e-bike riders on the Animas River Trail, and there certainly is a reason for the letters. There are reckless bike riders on the river trail. However, it certainly isn’t all e-bike riders. A reckless rider can be a reckless rider with or without a motor assist. Many of the e-bike riders that I see are our elders with bad knees and other age-related infirmities. Please do not group the abusers with everyone else.
To the parents who bought a Class 3 e-bike for their Durango High School student to get to school, I’ll bet they promised you that they would wear their helmet at all times and ride respectfully and in full control. Well, I’ve got news for you, they are not doing either. They are riding two on a bike while passing walkers and other bike riders as if they were standing still.
And when confronted about such reckless behavior, they are yelling obscene and rude things and flipping off the very people they almost ran into. This is a big problem for you as their parent. When they do seriously hurt someone, and they will, you will be liable for any harm, damage or loss of life that they may cause. And riding the speeds that these kids were without helmets could result in a serious injury or death to themselves. Please inform your teenagers about this possibility. Let’s keep the ART a pleasurable experience for all.
Joe Sargent
Durango
