In yet another sign that e-bikes are gaining traction in the U.S. market, the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association (BPSA) created an Electric Bicycle Committee last week.



The committee is chaired by Larry Pizzi, president of Currie Technologies Inc., which was acquired by the world’s largest e-bike maker Accell Group of The Netherlands in 2012. In addition to offering its own line of eFlow and IZip e-bikes, Currie Tech is running an Electric Bike Competence Center Accell North America is establishing to support its first ever e-bike launch in the United States.

 

The BPSA’s Electric Bike Committee will meet by teleconference the week before the Interbike show to set priorities in the three areas of BPSA expertise and influence: Statistics, Safety, and Legal/Legislative.
“Our main goal is to establish a common and unified ‘electric bicycle’ voice amongst the supplier community,” Pizzi noted. “Now that we have a representative group of suppliers and manufacturers, we can set specific goals and take action.”

 

Other members of the committee include Darren Snyder from Trek; Chad Price from Specialized, John Munhall from Giant, Zach Kraphl from Felt, Don DiCostanzo from Pedego, Jeffrey Young from Shimano, Claudia Wasko from Bosch and Rob Cappucci from SRAM,

 

One of the committee’s first challenges will be to stake out the industry’s position on the potentially divisive subject of e-bike access to mountain biking trails. While many of the industry’s most important brands are convinced electric-assisted mountain bikes will grow participation, they are banned by many U.S. mountain biking clubs that build and maintain many of the country’s mountain biking trails. On Friday, Pizzi and IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel will participate in a panel discussion on e-bike access at the IMBA World Summit. The panel will also include representatives from SRAM, Specialized Bicycles and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, which is helping launch mountain bike racing leagues at high schools nationwide.