06/16/2026
When Mike Stiles talks to residents in Evanston these days, one topic comes up more than any other — electric bikes.
Stiles, president of the Evanston-Creekside Community Association, said complaints about youth riding high-powered e-dirt bikes through parks and along pathways have become “probably the most dominant topic that we have in the community at the moment.”
Since fall 2025, the community has had issues with a group of youths riding Surron e-motorbikes through the community park and on roadways. Surron Canada’s website offers models with top speeds of 60 km/h to 110 km/h. Stiles said riders have caused extensive property damage, costing the non-profit community association thousands of dollars to repair.
The concerns go beyond property damage, with Stiles worried about pedestrian safety.
“We do have elderly people that walk at the park and they’re scared when those kids are around because they are reckless,” Stiles said.
Similar concerns have been raised in Facebook community groups tied to Coventry Hills, Harvest Hills and Bowness, with excessive speed a main
As Calgary enters peak cycling season, those concerns have sparked a broader conversation about e-bikes and how residents can safely share public spaces.
E-bike versus e-dirt bike
Not all two-wheeled vehicles are treated the same under Alberta law.
According to the Alberta Traffic Safety Act, a legal e-bike, or power-assisted bicycle, has a maximum speed of 32 km/h, a 500 or smaller wattage electric motor and must have pedals. These types of bikes can be used on sidewalks, but pedal-assist cannot be engaged.
Anyone riding a power-assisted bike — the types offered by Neuron and Bird’s sharing services in Calgary — must wear a helmet and be at least 12 years old.
A bike that tops out at 70 km/h is considered a limited speed motorcycle, or moped, and requires a Class 7 licence, insurance and a helmet at all times. Anything that travels over 70 km/h is considered a motorcycle.
Calgary’s pathways allow power-assisted bicycles, but riders must maintain a maximum speed of 20 km/h. A limited speed motorcycle must remain on the roadway and follow the same rules as a vehicle.
Chart from the City of Calgary distinguishing what is allowed and not allowed on pathways. No matter the device, all users must obey the 20 km/h speed limit. Photo from City of Calgary website.
Chart from the City of Calgary distinguishing what is allowed and not allowed on pathways. No matter the device, all users must obey the 20 km/h speed limit. Photo from City of Calgary website.
The growing online marketplace
While Calgarians can purchase e-bikes through a variety of local retailers, from a wide selection at Amego EV Calgary in Forest Lawn to branded retailers such as Pedego Calgary in Kensington, online retailers such as Amazon and Temu are hard to beat with cheaper prices and wider selections.
According to Street Rides , a Canadian-based e-bike and e-scooter retailer, there are 738 electric bikes, scooters and trikes listed on Amazon Canada as of May 2026, with 67 brands identified. Temu lists over 1,400 items under e-bikes. Without taking into account online specific e-bike retailers like Surron, big box giants like Walmart and Canadian Tire or other drop-shipping based stores like Alibaba, that is more than 2,000 results at Canadians’ fingertips that can be easily shipped to their doorstep.
The problem is that there is no guarantee of the quality or warranty if it breaks.
Street Rides found that 50 per cent of those Amazon Canada listings had no identifiable brand, with the top 10 brands with the most listings all coming from China. This is largely because North American e-bike companies generally sell on their own websites, directly to the consumer.
Retailers like Amazon Canada can also falsely advertise the power of the bike and leave out common-place safety features, often without the consumer realizing.
When analyzing electric dirt bikes advertised to kids on Amazon Canada, Street Rides found that out of 170 listings, only 14 per cent of bikes had disc brakes, which help with slowing down fast, and just 66 listings advertised a top speed. None advertised a speed limiter, though some bikes did come equipped with one, with that information being buried in the product description.
Street Rides also analyzed which type of e-bikes Canadians gravitated to, and while e-dirt bikes only accounted for seven per cent of listings, ‘electric dirt bike’ generates 12,100 searches a month. The report posits that this increase in interest could stem from young riders wanting high speeds while parents want something quiet, or because traditional bike shops do not generally carry them.
How safe are e-bikes?
The city has no data specific to e-bikes or rider age, according to a written statement provided to Postmedia.
“Historically, e-bikes have been grouped with other devices such as bicycles, rollerblades and skateboards,” it said. “The City is updating 311 reporting categories to better distinguish between e-bikes, e-scooters and other devices to support improved tracking and reporting.”
Alberta Health Services data, which similarly does not distinguish between privately owned e-bikes and shared mobility providers, shows Calgary-area emergency departments and urgent care centres recorded dozens of e-bike-related injury visits between April 2025 and February 2026.
The largest number was recorded at Foothills Medical Centre, with 36 visits, followed by Rockyview General Hospital’s 24 admissions. Physicians continue to see preventable injuries, including broken bones, head injuries and facial injuries.
Dr. Eddy Lang, a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Calgary and an AHS researcher, said e-bike and e-scooter injuries are highly preventable if users take the necessary precautions when riding, such as wearing a helmet, avoiding riding intoxicated and exercising caution when riding at night.
He emphasized that low speeds are the best form of injury prevention, even if it’s not as fun.
“True, it takes people longer to get to where they’re going, (and) it may not be quite as much of a thrill, but it’s definitely safer,” he said.
An e-bike is shown on a pathway near the Calgary airport on June 5, 2026.
An e-bike is shown on a pathway near the Calgary airport on June 5, 2026.
What Calgarians need to know before riding
Calgary bylaw services declined interview requests and were unable to provide data on enforcement and ticketing, instead providing a statement emphasizing that safety on shared pathways depends on education, awareness and responsible riding.
It added that speed and unsafe riding behaviour remain among the most common concerns raised by residents, with current enforcement efforts focusing primarily on speed and dangerous operation.
On top of the helmet requirement, e-bikes must follow all bicycle laws, such as having an audible device and working brake. The city also recommends keeping to the right side of pathways, riding single file and keeping the volume low on headphones so riders can hear others around them.
Longtime e-bike rider Rob Kattenburg said awareness is needed from both cyclists and pedestrians, as he often encounters Calgarians wearing headphones who cannot hear his signals while approaching. Kattenburg also noted speed as his number one concern, with some bikers even scaring him.
“I don’t think there’s a need to ban them. I just think that if your bike has the capability of going over a pathway speed, number one, it should not be allowed on the pathway,” Kattenburg said. “And if it is, none of these little small, ridiculous fines. It has to be a substantial fine.”
Mark Hayden, the president of the Northern Hills Community Association which includes Harvest Hills and Coventry Hills, said that while they’ve had issues in the community with kids speeding through green spaces, it isn’t a top concern. He added that enforcement alone will not solve the issue, pointing to a need for better city infrastructure and more public education. He also stressed that banning isn’t the answer.
“If we crack down on e-bikes, or make it harder to kids to use them safely, then they will gravitate towards something else destructive,” he said. “We’d rather have them have the option to use e-bikes, as long as they can do it safely for themselves and for other people.”
