On my way back to the office, I followed an electric bike flying down the road at nearly 30 mph. No helmet. No stopping at stop signs. Just a perfectly coordinated black outfit on a black bike, and zero regard for the rules.

At this point, can we really call these things “bicycles”? E-bikes move as fast as small motorcycles, yet riders face none of the requirements: no license, no training, no protective gear, and apparently no obligation to stop at basic traffic signals.

We’ve created a new class of vehicle without the responsibility to match. As E-bikes keep getting faster, the real question is whether the law and common sense can keep up.