Bicycle store in Massachusetts won't sell e-bikes to minors due to safety concerns
A small business in Marblehead, Massachusetts decided the dollars aren't worth the safety risk. That's why they refuse to sell e-bikes to anyone 17 years old or younger because of the rising statistics on deadly or dangerous crashes.
Dan Schuman, the store president of Marblehead Cycle, said e-bikes can go over 20 miles an hour, and most teens don't know the rules of the road in order to operate a bike at that speed with that much power.
In addition, many children aren't wearing helmets and Schuman said a lot are on their cellphones. Vehicle drivers on the road are also often using their cellphones or distracted, and the store president pointed to recent deaths involving the bikes as part of his reasoning.
"I have people all of the time asking me will I sell them a bike for their 14-, 15-year-old that's motorized, and I won't," Schuman said. "The bikes are too heavy, they're too fast."
Schuman posted online saying that he wouldn't be selling the bikes to minors.
According to AAA, e-bikes and scooter crashes rose 33% from 2024 to 2026.
Their policy raises the question – when should a child ride an e-bike?
"Probably 12. Get them out there exercising, ride the bikes, understand the roads," said Patrick Smith, who just rode one on a distance trip, but added that it only assisted his pedaling. "There are e-bikes that once you stop pedaling it doesn't do anything, those I would prefer."
