Motorized Bicycling - Living w/out a License in AZ
Hi everybody. After the long ordeal of of court, expensive lawyers and the frustration of losing my license, I wanted to share some GOOD NEWS. I have now been living without a license for 6 months and I have 6 more to go. Holding a job is important and needing to be on time is the only way to do that. Problem is that buses don't run at the times you need them to, and pedaling a bicycle in the desert heat is terrifying.
Recently, I ran across a local company, spookytoothcycles.com, that specializes in building affordable motorized bicycles. I was hesitant at first. But after talking it over with my lawyer, motorized bicycles are legal in my state without license, insurance or registration. Reading into the matter further, these guys were actually responsible for changing Arizona law last year regarding alternative transportation, A.R.S. 28-2516.
Now I have freedom, mobility, and a life again. And it turns out that there is a big community of these types of riders in Tucson, so it's kind of social networking also.
It looks like gas powered bicycles are legal in many states across the country. And for those states where they are not, the electric bikes are legal, defined simply as only a bicycle (I read this somewhere in Consumer Product Safety Act). I went with the gas because of the looks and feel, but I was almost sold when I heard that some electric bikes get 40 mile range.
I am not necessarily trying to hype up Spooky Tooth, the company that I bought this from, I just wanted to share a dignified solution to others that may be in my shoes.
Thanks, Casey.
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