DirtSurfer

I realize some of you may have never seen a onewheel before, much less seen one in action on a trail! Here is a link to a video my good friend made - I was recording, and he is the rider. The video is of us doing a run through the inner log loop. I hope you enjoy it, and it puts the stoke in your Friday!

I agree completely - thanks for the tip with the forum - I am certainly out of my element here, and passionate about OWs. Sometimes when you believe in something so much, its hard to see how others could think differently. I want to win everyone over, despite knowing its unrealistic. I'll keep doing what I do - thanks - BTW - do you know what time and where to meet tomorrow for the Brush Creek work? I agree with part of that. But for a second just pretend I was riding a Segway instead of a OW. Would anything be different? Despite the law being clear that Segways are allowed, AB would still be "telling" me "no motorized vehicles" as he rode by, and he may never stick around long enough to know why he is wrong. He may just keep doing it. I think the anus is on the person who tries to enforce the law- before they try to enforce laws, they need to know what law it is they think they are enforcing.

You make a great point - No, I don't expect them to change their beliefs from just a short yell, so why would they expect me to change my belief with just a yell?

Thanks for pointing that out - and I appreciate the good words you said about AB. I have read many of his posts, and like I said in another post, had we bumped into each other on bikes, we would have probably hit it off. I see his passion and respect all the work he does for the community. Who knows, maybe one day we will be friends? Let me try to clear this up - I was going to edit my post above, but its probably best to leave it and explain myself here. AB said this in his first post of this thread: "I encountered one and when I said "I don't think you are supposed to have electric vehicles on the trail" he let loose with a hell of a lot of expletives about bikers, and YES HE COULD ride anywhere he damn well pleased." The timing of AB's post was amazing - I had just had an encounter with a biker at Walnut where a biker had yelled at us as he rode by and I thought - I bet this is him! The first thing I did was look at his pictures on here to see if he was the guy that we were confronted by. I have to say he has a striking resemblance. I thought it was him. I was sad to see that AB's description of the encounter was not the same as mine. I felt like he wasn't being completely honest. In my encounter, the biker yelled at us "your not allowed on the trails with those things" or something similar as he rode by, and I yelled back "Oh yes we are, your wrong" or something like that. No profanity, that's not my style. It is certainly possible that AB and I have not come across each other, and we did not share that experience that I thought we shared. Maybe we were with different people. I should give him the benefit of the doubt. It is possible I guess that maybe it was someone else, but the timing of his post and his picture had me convinced. So for that AB, I say I'm sorry. Sorry for assuming you were telling a tall-tale about our interaction - maybe we didn't interact at all; you deserve the benefit of the doubt. I thought at this point in the conversation, AB would recognize that the law is not as clear as he thought, and even if he was just "telling" people they are not allowed, he is stepping out of bounds. Nothing good is coming from him telling us we are not allowed. It creates resentment in the OW community towards bikers, and makes it more difficult to recruit OWs for trail maintenance. The thought of having to work next to someone that doesn't want you there isn't a real motivator.

Sorry - I was trying to be funny and it didn't come across that way I don't think it was AustinBike who ran my friend off the road at all - I was jokingly asking him if he was down south, but I didn't really think he was. I mentioned the incident with my friend to show how behavior can escalate. AB has admitted to "telling" people they are not allowed....but from our view it was yelling. He didn't stop to talk, he just vented and rode off. I probably should have just let it go and not addressed him about it again. I feel frustrated that he still feels justified in his behavior, after pouring so much effort in to explaining our side of the story. We get yelled at by bikers all the time - its almost daily that one of us gets grief from a biker. Here we have one of those bikers that yells at OWs, and I was hoping he might say he would stop doing it.

Not exactly - his version of the story is a little different than mine. In his version of the story, he rolled by and said something harmless, and the OW rider yelled profanities at him. In my version of the story, he yelled at us that we were not allowed. And I yelled back that we were. Yelling at someone that they are not allowed is an intimidating way of saying "get out of here" and to scare people off. Maybe you see it as harmless? Edit to add - the female rider with us was not impressed. She said that had she been alone during this encounter, she would have just left.

That's cool! Riding in grass is a good step towards trails - your legs need some muscle memory to get through the bumps and grass is more forgiving. I'd be happy to help teach him a few things if he is interested - It's good to get with a group and learn from others mistakes :)

Unfortunately your interpretation does matter because you are acting out and yelling at us when you see us. Hopefully your behavior doesn't escalate as you find people not responding in the way you want. This is a post below from a friend in my group from yesterday - were you down south yesterday? " I just had my most aggressive encounter yet. On the Boardwalk on the South side of Lade Bird Lake. A cyclist traveled from his side to come at me headfirst and run me into the railing and shouted “No motorized vehicles” at me. He didn’t stop to have a dialogue and instead road off without looking and nearly crashed into another cyclist who screamed out loud as she swerved to avoid him. " Same story - a biker thinks they know the law, and tries to act as the judge and jury and take it straight to sentencing! The trail mentioned above actually allows even scooters, yet this biker thought he was so justified and righteous that he could threaten my friends safety and those around him. You claim that I am interpreting the law to my benefit, but isn't that exactly what you are doing and then getting aggressive trying to scare people off? Who is causing more harm for the community, you or I?

Thank you very much for this reply! I really appreciate it. We make a conscious effort to engage with most everyone on the trails and leave them with a positive image. It feels good knowing that it is being well received. Riding a OW gives us a few advantages with trail awareness. 1. The OW is almost silent, it's amazingly quiet. In my adventures outside of Walnut, I've snuck up on deer, fox, rabbits, birds, squirrels, opossums, geese, snakes, turtles, all kinds of things! We usually hear others before they know we are there. 2. When we ride, we stand sideways. This lets us look backwards almost as easy as looking forwards. We look back when we hear a noise, the last rider will yell "biker" to the group, and we all find our own place to pull over before the biker catches up to us -in most cases, the biker doesn't even need to slow down. That's the experience we strive for, because it lets the bikers know we respect them. Thanks you for welcoming us to the community!

It just says self balancing, I think Ridenfool is pretty accurate with his definition below. I would think it also applies both at rest and in motion. That joke was right on time

good questions - The distinction between a OW and a scooter according to the law is determined by what vehicle classification each fits under. There is a huge list of vehicle definitions at TXDOT, I think I linked to them in my first post on the first page. All vehicles must be defined under the law, so the definitions describe them, and list requirements for that classification like - light truck must be under 2500 pounds...just making those numbers up, but you get the idea. Everything from trailers, scooters, UTVs, to mobile homes has a definition. Departments of the State like PARD do not have a separate list of their own vehicle definitions,, it uses the States official list created by TXDOT. If you look through the list, you won't find an exact description under Texas Law of a OW. But you will find an EPAMD. The OW was created after the list was made. BUT, It was created by the manufacturer Future Motion, to be an EPAMD, and fit under the laws the govern them, It meets both requirements 1) self balancing 2) 750 watts or less power Electric scooters are defined as their own type of vehicle, and they are not exempt from being classified as a "motorized vehicle" like an EPAMD is. Onewheels have been officially recognized and are classified as EPAMDs in Arizona, California, and a few other states. As far as I know, Texas has never had a case come to court to determine if the law needs to be adjusted to add the term "one wheel" like Arizona did. A lime scooter isn't an EPAMD because it doesn't fit the definition of an EPAMD. #1 Requirement for an EPAMD is that it must be self balancing An EPAMD has a specific definition under the law with 2 requirements 1) self balancing 2) 750 watts or less power If you have a privately owned scooter, I support you riding anywhere but on the dirt trails, I should have been clearer, I don't like the current scooter rental model, where scooters are left all over the place, and I don't like scooters of any kind on dirt trails. Segways tires are as fat as a mountain bike, and they require constant traction - you cant peel out on a EPAMD since it is self-balancing, once you lose traction you fall. So, I think a Segway would be comparable to a mountain bike in the size ruts it left behind. The problem is, the ruts are not in line with the regular racing line, they would be on each side of it, so the ruts wouldn't be in the normal place. I'd prefer not to see them on the trails though, they would have a hard time being so wide, but yet they are legal, so I wouldn't stop them or hassle them for riding it.

Seth, thanks for the invite! It is very tempting - I know you would have more respect for us if you saw me trying to get around those difficult trails. It sounds like the trails you are speaking of wouldn't be much fun for us - same as the greenbelt - with a wheel size of only 11 inches, it really limits the size of objects you can climb or get over, so it would probably be a lot of carrying. I don't mind carrying if there are some good spots to ride, but if the terrain is Expert for a MTB, then it's really not OW territory. An intermediate MTB trail is an Expert OW trail. If its difficult for a biker, then it is much more difficult for us. 11 inch wheel vs. 29 inch wheel. Don't we all interpret the rules to our benefit? Whether they stick on not is the decision of a judge, and I feel confident I would prevail in court. If you feel right and lawful about something, would you just roll over and turn around because someone said you don't belong, or would you stand up for yourself and what you thought was right? I'm almost begging to get a ticket, so I can fight it and set the record straight once and for all, so people like yourself can have the proof you need. Also - to address one of your concerns - there is no flood gate opening - the law doesn't need to change for OWs to ride. As the law stands now, EPAMDs can ride on all the trails, and all the other electric contraptions cannot. I understand why you are protective of the trails - you have invested a lot of time and effort, and you don't want to see them over-run with "electric contraptions". I support you in that - I don't want that either. Where there was once only bikers to take care of the trails, there is now a new group to share the work load. Just like Skiiers and snowboarders, there are now MTBs and OWs. Segways too, but who wants to ride one of those?

ASSume much? I never said I was going, I said you make me want to go. I think you got the point though - you don't get to tell me where to go or what to do - you have no authority over me or the trails, despite your ego saying otherwise. I'm happy to hear that you are such a big supporter of the trails, yet surprised that you don't appreciate the work we have done so far. Are the trails you made private trails or are they available to the whole community? Which ones are they, I can't wait to try them out. :)

John and I discussed the EPAMD law. We discussed that Segways are just one type of EPAMD, and not the only one. He explained that the law cannot name brands or products, as that would discriminate against other companies or products. We went over the wording of the law, and he agreed that a onewheel fits the description of an EPAMD as described by the law. He said it was a "reasonable interpretation" as well as his interpretation and agreed that despite the OW having only one wheel, it still fit the requirements under the law. He expected that if someone were to write me a ticket for operating one, that I would have a great case in court. He can't say anything definitively - after all, its a judge who lays down the law based on his interpretation. John could only say whether he agrees with my interpretation of the law, but since he is not a judge, he cannot tell me what the exact ruling would be. Only in a court of law will we every truly know what a judge would say. We can get a good idea of the ruling based on precedence. Judges rule based on precedence, and precedence has been established in many states including Arizona, where the wording of the law was changed to say "one wheel or two no-tandem wheels" He said that the pilot program is to allow some vehicles that are classified as motor vehicles ( like scooters) to see if they can co-exist on the trails. The EPAMD law is separate and already exists, , and is not a part of the pilot program. EPAMDs are already allowed on trails by the law. The pilot is to see if other vehicles should be allowed or not. The pilot is a chance to see if scooters should be allowed. Personally I don't think they should. I think Scooters rut up the trails, and for that reason alone, they should not be allowed. I have a lot more reasons, but I don't support the use of scooters, especially rentals and the scooter litter they create. I would have been at Brushy Creek Saturday too, but I had family in town that needed entertaining. I'm glad you can appreciate how the OW can help with trail maintenance and berm building, Work smarter not harder! It's also great to shuttle things back and forth, like water to soften the dirt, moving logs from place to place, or just hauling a wheel barrow down the trail. I'm going to try to be out there this Saturday at Brushy Creek to see where I can lend a hand. Maybe I'll see you there?

That was good, and I get it, and I wish I could tell John at PARD to write you all a letter- but I think you are asking for the impossible - Who is THE authoritative source? Ultimately it's a judge and jury. A policeman can write a ticket, but that doesn't mean it will stick. John at PARD says yes - does everyone at PARD have the same opinion? If you asked 2 policemen, you might get 2 different answers. The problem is that the signs existed before Segways existed. When the law changed, they realized they didn't want to incur the cost of making another 1 million signs that says "no motorized vehicles except EPAMDs" So they just changed the definition of a "motorized vehicle" and no signs needed to be replaced. It also discourages those who don't know the law from bringing anything in the park with a motor, instead of trying to use the exception on the sign and claim they are an EPAMD. If I was on a Segway, OldSchool would still be asking me for a permission slip - but no one has the authority to give me a permission slip - All they can do is give a recommendation, but ultimately its the courts who decide. I can't make anyone prove its OK for me to ride there. But I am ready to go to court and fight, based on the precedence set around the country for EPAMDs. Until a OW is written a ticket for operating as a motorized vehicle, we will all just be waiting. If OldSchool wants a definitive answer, then they just need to get a cop to write me a ticket, and we will go from there. I won't be offended for sending the cops after me. If that is what it takes, then that's what it takes.

I understand the signage is misleading, but I think that is to your benefit - follow me on this - even if you take OWs out of the equation, Segways are allowed, and the sign says "no motorized vehicles" So the signage as it exists is confusing, because you have to go back to the definition of a motorized vehicle under the law - most people think that if it has a motor, then it is a motorized vehicle. I get that, and its a normal assumption. So the sign is misleading, but it helps keep out things that you don't like. Heck, it has probably kept out a number of Segway owners, because they don't know the law, and that they are not a "motorized vehicle" under the law. You could add verbiage to the sign that says "except EPAMDs" but that would open the slippery slope for people to say "I thought I was an EPAMD" when riding a scooter, and you would probably end up with more things on the trail that you don't want. If you can accept that Segways are allowed with the existing signage, then its not a stretch to accept that onewheels are too. If they didn't change the signs for Segways who pushed the law into existence, then I doubt they will change them for Onewheels. Keeping the signage keeps more things you don't like out of the park, including Onewheel owners and Segway owners who don't know the law. Thanks for recognizing the work we are doing, I've read a lot of your posts - and I think had I rolled up on my bike sometime, we would probably have hit it off.

What part of the law do you not agree with, and why do I need to get over myself? Do you understand that a Segway is allowed to go on the greenbelt, and it has a motor? Read that again Segways have a motor and are allowed to go on trails that say "no motorized vehicles" because they are an EPAMD I'm sorry if you do not like that - go talk to your representative, but ther eis no need to be insulting to others just because you don't agree with the law. If I was on a Segway, you would still be telling me "no motorized vehicles allowed" "read the sign". The sign is not the law - the sign represents the law. There is currently a law that allows Segways - right now - to go wherever they want - they go places that say "no motorized vehicles" Do you understand that? The greenbelt is a bit rough for my liking, but by telling me to stay away, you only make me want to show up. You have no authority, so why should I listen to you, and not listen to John at PARD?

The law does not say Segway in it. It reads "no motorized vehicles" You need to go a step further and look up the definition of a motorized vehicle. It does not mean "anything with a motor". An EPAMD is not a motorized vehicle as defined by TXDOT definitions. PARD uses TXDOT definitions. A onewheel and a Segway are both EPAMDs, and EPAMDs are allowed anywhere a bike is allowed. I agree that its pretty black and white, but we don't seem to be on the same page.

AustinBiker, I joined this group with the intention to share information about Onewheels, understand the concerns of the biking community, and see how the Onewheel community can fit in with the existing groups that are on the trails. I figured the best way to do this would be to get with the people who are actually doing the work, and start contributing to the work being done to maintain the trails. For the first week I came alone. Everyone was very super cool, and it was fun to learn more about trail maintenance. It was great to make a new berm and then help flatten and pack it down with my wheel. Nothing feels better than riding on a berm that you helped create. The second weekend was Easter, and we had a total of 4 OW riders out of 12 workers. We were 33% of the trail maintenance crew! Considering that probably as little as 30 OW riders have ever ridden at Walnut Creek, that’s a turnout from the OW community of over 10% on Easter Sunday. Can you imagine how much work would get done if 10% of the biker community showed up to help? Last Sunday, there were 2 of us out of a total of 7, so we had 29% of the work crew! We made a new hill, fixed up a berm, moved a lot of dirt and logs, as well as cleared some limbs that hit you in the face. Over the past 3 weeks we have already contributed an additional 20 hours of labor as volunteers for the AustinRidgeRiders. We are showing that we can be good team players, and many bikers are noticing. First I want to say, I took your advice and talked to the Austin Parks and Rec Department. I was directed to talk to John at PARD who is in enforcement. Here are a few things that came from that conversation: PARD uses Texas department of transportation definitions in all its code enforcement. This means that an EPAMD is NOT a motor vehicle according to State law, and according to PARD codes and ordinances since they use TXDOT definitions. Motorized vehicle does not mean “anything with a motor” according to the law. John agreed that the EMPAD law was written before Onewheels existed, and also agreed that a Onewheel fits the definition of an EPAMD as it is written in the law. He specifically said that it was a “reasonable interpretation of the law.” Since Onewheels are an EPAMD, they are not considered a motor vehicle according to PARD and are allowed wherever EPAMDs are allowed – which if not specified, includes anywhere a bike is allowed. If you don't mind, I'd like to go through a few of your comments, you may want to grab a chair. “Because they are electric powered, they fall into the "not allowed on the trails" in my book.“ Your book and the law differ, and what the law says is what matters. Motorized vehicle does not mean “anything with a motor” according to the law. Please try to wrap your head around that fact. “While everyone says these guys are cool, I encountered one and when I said "I don't think you are supposed to have electric vehicles on the trail" he let loose with a hell of a lot of expletives about bikers, and YES HE COULD ride anywhere he damn well pleased. “ When you yell at people you ride by, shouting that they don’t belong there, then don’t expect a thank you. I think your version of this story is a stretch of the truth because I believe that I was the person you yelled at in this particular instance. My version of the story is that you yelled at me as you rode by “No motorized vehicles on the trails!”, and my reply was “You don’t know what you are talking about!” Now that I’ve explained above how we are legal on the trails, do you feel a little bit like a bully? Maybe an apology is in order? “So, instead of asking all of us what we think, we should probably be asking the city what the ruling is on these (yeah, slippery slope...)” I have asked PARD as you suggested, and they agree that we have a right to be there, so please stop yelling at us to leave when you see us. “I am fine with them as long as they are following the rules,” But you shouted at us to leave on multiple occasions, and told us we are not allowed. Aren’t you really just saying that you are fine with us as long as we stay away? “ but my experience has been that encountering one on the trail is WAY different than coming up on another bike - harder to get around, harder for them to maneuver and highly likely to end up spilling the rider when trying to pass. “ Not a single biker I have spoken to has had a similar experience, and the Onewheelers I shared this with think you are completely making this up. We have never seen any biker ever take a spill while trying to pass us, so we wonder how it can be highly likely, if in our combined experience with bikers, we have never seen it happen once. This seems to be dishonest scare tactics being used to try to get more people against onewheels. “Actually, there is a very explicit rule: no motorized vehicles.” At this point you seem to still believe that “if it has a motor then it isn’t allowed” which is not correct. The law clearly states that an EPAMD is not a motorized vehicle under the law, and an EPAMD can have an electric motor up to 750 watts. “Every engagement I have had has been awkward, they had little ability to react to riders and end up causing both to stop. This makes no sense, almost impossible for a bike and a one wheel to pass each other on UCD of the trail because it is too narrow for them to maintain control (but 2 bikes pass each other all day long.)” Do you really expect people to believe that a 12 inch wide rider is harder to pass than a 30 inch wide rider? We get lots of thank you’s from bikers and walkers. We pull over and get out of bikers way before they catch up to us. I have shared your story with a number of bikers and they also don’t understand how you came up with this. We are polite, courteous, and respectful, which is more than I can say for someone who doesn’t know the law and is shouting at people to leave. “You suffer from the same thing that we bikers suffer from - there are some in our midst that create problems for everyone and give all of us a bad name. “ The bikers who yell at people as they ride by are the bikers who are giving bikers a bad name. “Also, if there is a lack of clarity about what is or is not allowed in parks, I would focus on getting clarity from the city, not us “ There is no lack of clarity – it is clear to the Onewheel community that we fit under the EPAMD law, and I have verified this with an enforcement agent at PARD. “(we don’t own the park, even though sometimes we act like it.)” When you act like you own the park, and yell at people to leave, you are doing a disservice to the biking community, of which I am also a part. I was raised to treat people with respect and not rush to judgement. If you want to be a leader of the bike community, you should consider that advice. “And yeah, I’ve come across ahole one wheelers just like I’ve come across ahole bikers. “ The first one to yell at someone is usually the A-hole. Especially if what they are yelling is not true. “I agree with Antonio that we should be looking at the city code as this is a city park. Signage says “no motorized vehicles” so it if somehow a one wheel is not considered a motorized vehicle then it is incumbent on the OW community to get this clarified by the city. Until then, the motor rule seems to be pretty straightforward. “ Already done – yes PARD officials think that a Onewheel is an EPAMD, and it is pretty straight forward – EPAMDs (onewheels and segways as examples) are allowed anywhere a bike is allowed unless specifically stated that EPAMD are not allowed. Again, by the definition of a motorized vehicle, an EPAMD is not a motorized vehicle. The “motorized vehicle” definition is not as straight forward as you thought. “This is similar to what happened with skiing and snowboarding. When snowboarding first started there were arguments about rules. Then they were comprehended in rules, specifically, and everyone got along. “ I agree it is very similar. And it seems you have taken the approach of “Snowboarders stay out! You are not allowed! You are not welcome!” In the end, you may be harming the relationship between bikers and onewheelers, just as some of the skiers did. You are probably not the best representative for the biking community on this front, especially since you seem to be in the minority. “Actually, not to get all legal on you (I am not a lawyer), but that page spells it out pretty clearly. No motorized vehicles.” You still have not grasped how the law works and that there is a legal definition under the law of a “motorized vehicle”. When you do, you will understand why your comment above is irrelevant. “And then it spells out, specifically, the exceptions. None of which represents one wheels. You are not a Segway and you are definitely not an ADA appliance. “ At least now you are recognizing that a Segway has a motor, and is allowed, despite the sign that says “no motorized vehicles” I think this is progress….. The law does not give specific rights to the company Segway. The law doesn’t actually say “Segway” in it. The law gives specific access to Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices and a “Segway” is just one example of an EPAMD, as is a Onewheel. “This is why I go back to my original statement: You need to get a city of Austin or PARD statement that one wheels are allowed.” I’ll show you my permission slip if you show me yours? That’s not how the law works. No one gives out “permission slips”. If you don’t think I belong on the trails, and you want to try to keep us out, then you can call for enforcement and see what happens. I am here to share information; it’s your decision on what you do with it. Just remember though, enforcement is for all. I don’t expect any onewheels to get a ticket, but I would expect a few bikers to get tickets for speeding, failure to yield, riding on the trails when they are wet, and possibly a few bikers on Tuesday night could get a DUI. So as the saying goes “be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.” “Instead of running on your interpretation, please take the time to get the opinion of the city, the folks that make the rules. “ Laws are made for the people - by the people, which is why I have reached out to the people who matter most – the hikers and bikers. But I did follow your suggestion and I talked to PARD. “Also, I neglected to say earlier that the mountain unicycle guys are very familiar to the mountain biking community, we see them as "brothers on wheels" and are pretty amazed at the things that they can do. “ I’m guess you are able to see that the definition of a bicycle under the law includes unicycles, even though it states clearly “two tandem wheels”? I hope you are now able to see why a onewheel is classified as an EPAMD. “Quite frankly, watching them do things that I cannot is humbling, but they also do it without an engine, it is all individual skills. That, sadly, is where our groups part ways; you won't find us very excited about e-bikes either, for that reason.“ So this is what it all boils down to for you I think. Skills. You have no respect for us, because you think riding a onewheel requires no skills. You are inferring by that statement that having a motor means you have less skills, or being on a vehicle without a motor requires more skills. I guess you have no problem jumping a dirtbike 50 feet over a ravine, since the motor is doing all the work right? I think you are confusing the word “skills” with “energy”. You may burn more energy pedaling your bike around, but that doesn’t mean you automatically have skills. You are able to pedal a bike – but so can my child. I think your skills comment is nothing more than a cheap shot. Everyone else I have talked to agrees it takes more skill to ride a Onewheel down Powerline than a bike. “It's better to be legally recognized and ride without worry than be defensive every time you encounter someone that questions whether you should be there. “ Actually, how about you just stop being offensive? No one needs to be defensive, unless someone is yelling at them and being offensive. There is no need for defense without offense. So, if you believe what you wrote, then please stop yelling at us, and be a better leader for the biking community. “One wheels and scooters (lime, bird, etc.) share the same skills as well, much of it driven by the fact that they are self propelled. “ That is just silly. Scooters share the same skill as a bike, not a onewheel. You balance left or right both on a bike and a scooter. Yea, you have to pedal a bike, but that doesn’t take skill, it takes energy. Anyone can pedal a bike. The skill comes in when you take that bike down something gnarley. “I am not saying that OW don't have skills,” Actually that is exactly what you have inferred. You seem to think that riding a onewheel on trails is easier than riding a bike, yet in a previous comment you stated that we “have a harder time negotiating the same terrain” so which is it? “From a skills level, in my simplistic Venn diagram world, mountain bikes, road bikes and mountain unicycles are in one circle and one wheels, deckles scooters and motorcycles are in another circle. The intersection of the two is eBikes. The reason that eBikes sit in the middle is that there is some degree of self propulsion (i.e. pedaling) that happens for these vehicles, so they really sit in both worlds. “ Not sure why you want to keep trying to make a point of saying that onewheel riders don’t have as much skills as a biker. Even if it were true, why would it matter? Is this some sort of “who has the biggest _ick contest” to you? We have a single 11 inch wheel to balance on, and you have two 29 inch wheels holding you up. Somehow you think riding a bike is harder over the same rough terrain? Your math doesn’t add up. I respectfully disagree that riding a onewheel down Powerline takes less skill than a bike, and if you would just give it a try, I think your injuries would prove my point. “I do recognize that one wheels require skills (balance, etc.) that I don't necessarily have - I went to special gym as a kid so my coordination and motor skills are limited. I don't want to imply that they are not skilled. “ Well, that’s exactly what you have done, so this comment does nothing but smooth out your insult – but it was still an insult. “But, as the current laws are outlined, they don't all deserve a free pass on the trails. “ No one is asking for a free pass – we are asking you to respect the law as it is written. That doesn’t seem unreasonable. We are also asking for you to stop yelling at us on the trails. You don’t know the law, but you feel justified in trying to kick people out of the park, or intimidate them to leave. You have no authority to do anything about it anyway, but seeing as the law is on my side, your behavior is borderline harassment. All you are doing is giving bikers a bad name and making bikers look more like an elitist group. “The idea that they can just apply Segway rules is ludicrous at best and primarily self-serving” I’m sorry you feel the law is ludicrous – please talk to your representative about that. If you don’t like the law, then you can try to get it changed so EPAMDs are not allowed. Look – I get it – you want the trails to yourself. You don’t want to share them and you are hoping you can use the law against us to try to keep us out. I’m sorry you feel that way, I wish you hadn’t rushed to judgement, but I think with time you’ll probably come around. Unfortunately for you, we are here to stay, so grin and bare it, or gin and beer it – whatever it takes. As a recap: There is a definition under the law of a vehicle called an EPAMD. It REQUIRES by definition that the vehicle is 1)self balancing 2) 750 watts or less. This law was written before a onewheel existed. The onewheel was created for the specific purpose of fitting under the EPAMD laws which exist on the books in many states including Texas. Segways are a BRAND of EPAMD, and nowhere in the law is the word “Segway.” PARD enforcement agrees that the Onewheel is best described under the law as an EPAMD. I’d like for you to come around and respect us as a group for what we do, but I know we won’t win everyone over. You may choose to be the leader of the “Skiers” and try to fight to keep us from having fun at the park. You can continue to shout at us to generate negative interactions from OWs, while sowing the seed of fear amongst the bikers. You can call the police and try to get us ticketed, while bringing double the number of tickets down upon your own group. You can even push us to the point we don’t want to help take care of the trails, but yet we still ride them. For now, I’m going to keep showing up on Sunday and keep bringing friends. I’ll continue sharing the stoke of the Onewheel as well as riding my onewheel on all the trails I like to ride my bike. The onewheel is actually good for the trails – you would like them better if I rode them more often. It is perfect for smoothing out bike ruts and crushing lumps of dirt flung onto the trails by tires during wet times. It doesn’t harm the trails, it doesn’t harm anyone, and it’s legal. It is an amazing device, and I think that your opinion of the onewheel would change if you tried to ride one. It’s really not fair to judge when you have no experience riding one. “But we should all be enjoying our parks.” I couldn’t agree more. Now that we are cool, do you want to meetup for a ride? :)

Thank you for that link. Again I think it comes down to the definition of a "motorized vehicle", and I believe CoA uses the same definitions as the state. Below is a link that backs up my position, and that PARD recognizes segways as allowed, which would in turn mean that onewheels are allowed based on my interpretation of the law, and how it has been interpreted in other states. https://thetrailfoundation.org/2018/06/29/austin-pard-reminds-public-that-motorized-vehicles-are-prohibited-on-parkland-and-hike-and-bike-trails/ The link above references PARD ordinance and specifically states that segways are allowed, and are the exception to the rule of "no motorized vehicles".

My first post! I knew I would mess it up! lol- I cut and pasted from a Word Document, and it looks normal on my PC - any tips why it looks so dark, or how I can make it better? I'll edit the post - thanks!

Hello everyone, my name is Fred Cunningham, my friends call me Freddy, and I am one of those guys that ride a Onewheel. I am as passionate about onewheels, as most of you are about bikes. I bought my first board, the Onewheel Plus, almost 2 years ago, and since then I have collected a total of 4 boards and over 4800 miles of riding! It’s most like riding a surfboard or snowboard, but the falls are a bit different ;) Gently riding along the cement doesn’t take too much effort once you learn, but shredding a good trail is always a workout! It’s like riding a black diamond on a snowboard! A biker at Walnut Creek yelled out once, “Hey! It’s the DirtSurfers! What’s up guys!” That really made my day, and it made me realize how important it is for us all to get along as a community. Some bikers have not been so friendly, yelling stuff at us as they go by like “Those are not allowed on the trails!” or “You’re not supposed to be here, those are against the law!” You would think they actually knew the law, seeing as they were ready to tell me to go home over it. I was starting to grow resentment against the community of which I was once a part, based on just a few bad attitudes. The guy who called us DirtSurfers did what I was hoping all the bikers would do – he had accepted us as OK in his book. He saw us for what we were, and didn’t need a sign to tell him if it was OK or not. He saw our passion, and who was he to stomp on it? The truth is, the law is confusing and the signs are misleading – as crazy as this sounds, “motorized vehicle” does not mean “any vehicle with a motor” as it is written in the law. All types of vehicles are clearly defined and each have their own set of rules. Follow me down this rabbit hole, and I will show you why Onewheels are legal and allowed anywhere a bicycle is allowed, including trails and places that have signs that say “No Motorized Vehicles Allowed” I’d like to start with a few thought-provoking questions. How would this group feel about a unicycle riding on Walnut Creek? Are unicycles allowed at Walnut Creek? Are unicycles considered a bicycle according to the law? I think most people will agree that a unicycle is just a one-wheeled bicycle, and should follow all the laws of a bicycle. However, unicycles are not mentioned in Texas law – the word doesn’t exist in Texas law if you search for it, and the definition of a bicycle describes it as having “two tandem wheels” as shown below: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.541.htm TRANSPORTATION CODE TITLE 7. VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC SUBTITLE C. RULES OF THE ROAD CHAPTER 541. DEFINITIONS SUBCHAPTER C. VEHICLES, RAIL TRANSPORTATION, AND EQUIPMENT (2) "Bicycle" means a device that a person may ride and that is propelled by human power and has two tandem wheels at least one of which is more than 14 inches in diameter. A unicycle does not have two wheels – it only has one – but if you ask a police officer, he will tell you that a unicycle gets treated just like a bicycle, and needs to follow the same laws. The reason unicycles are not named specifically in the law, is because they don’t have to be. The law allows for “reasonable accommodation”. When a law doesn’t fit a definition exactly, it allows for a reasonable interpretation based on the intent with which the law was written. A prudent person or judge will treat a unicycle like a bicycle under the law, because the definition of “bicycle” is the closest definition that defines a unicycle, despite having one wheel instead of two. Now, let’s look at the definition of “motor vehicle” under the law, or “motorized vehicle” as it is sometimes used on signs. A sign can’t fit the entire law on it; the sign itself is not the law; it is used to reference the actual law on the books. A strict interpretation of “no motorized vehicles” would mean that an electric wheelchair is not allowed, but I think we all know that if you dig down into the legalese, an electric wheelchair is certainly allowed in places that say “no motorized vehicles”. So let’s dig deeper into the law and the definition of “motor vehicle” under the law. https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.541.htm (11) "Motor vehicle" means a self-propelled vehicle or a vehicle that is propelled by electric power from overhead trolley wires. The term does not include an electric bicycle or an electric personal assistive mobility device, as defined by Section 551.201 Notice that the definition of a motor vehicle excludes two groups - Electric bicycles and Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices. This means that both of those groups, as described in Section 551.201 are NOT a motorized vehicle, but have their OWN set of laws regulating them. So let’s look at the definition of an Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices (EPAMD) under Section 551.201 – Also Known to many people as the Segway Law: TRANSPORTATION CODE TITLE 7. VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC SUBTITLE C. RULES OF THE ROAD CHAPTER 551. OPERATION OF BICYCLES, MOPEDS, AND PLAY VEHICLES SUBCHAPTER C. ELECTRIC PERSONAL ASSISTIVE MOBILITY DEVICES Sec. 551.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "electric personal assistive mobility device" means a two non-tandem wheeled device designed for transporting one person that is: (1) self-balancing; and (2) propelled by an electric propulsion system with an average power of 750 watts or one horsepower. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1318, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Sec. 551.202. OPERATION ON ROADWAY. (a) A person may operate an electric personal assistive mobility device on a residential street, roadway, or public highway with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less only: (1) while making a direct crossing of a highway in a marked or unmarked crosswalk; (2) where no sidewalk is available; or (3) when so directed by a traffic control device or by a law enforcement officer. (b) A person may operate an electric personal assistive mobility device on a path set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles. (c) Any person operating an electric personal assistive mobility device on a residential street, roadway, or public highway shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand edge. (d) Except as otherwise provided by this section, provisions of this title applicable to the operation of bicycles apply to the operation of electric personal assistive mobility devices. The definition of an EPAMD fits the Onewheel almost perfectly! The Onewheel meets both requirements: 1) The Onewheel is self balancing 2) The Onewheel has a motor of 750watts or under The only thing that stands out, is that an EPAMD is described as to have two non-tandem wheels, and a Onewheel only has one wheel. Do you see now why I started this discussion talking about the unicycle? This law was written for Segways before the onewheel was ever invented. Segways have two non-tandem wheels, and when the law was written, no one considered it could have only one wheel. Does the number of wheels make a difference? I don’t think it matters, and neither does the state of Arizona. Arizona is one of the first states that has modified its Segway law to recognize Onewheels. In Arizona law, the definition of EPAMD was modified recently. It once read almost exactly as our Texas law does: "Electric personal assistive mobility device" means a self-balancing two nontandem wheeled device The law in Arizona was modified to say: "a self‑balancing device with one wheel or two nontandem wheeled device ..." Just like a unicycle is to a bicycle, a onewheel is to a Segway. Arizona has confirmed this, and I believe Texas will follow suit, and change the wording of the law as soon as a case goes to court. Even if Texas doesn’t change the wording of the law, all vehicles need to be classified under the law as something. The Onewheel does not fit any vehicle described under the law exactly, just as a unicycle doesn’t fit exactly. A Onewheel is best defined under the law as an EPAMD, just as a unicycle is best described under the law as a bicycle. I understand this isn’t Arizona, but if I were to get a ticket for riding my onewheel tomorrow here in Texas, I would take it to court. I could just dangle a skateboard wheel off the side of my board, and I would be in full compliance of the Segway law by having two non-tandem wheels. I’d rather demonstrate to the court as was done in Arizona that the onewheel is most closely described in law under the EPAMD guidelines and then ask for “reasonable accommodation” under the law. They would then have to determine if having only one wheel instead of two wheels makes any difference, and like Arizona, I think they will agree it does not. I believe that Texas law allows for Onewheels to go any place that allows bicycles. However, I believe what is most important is how we affect those who came before us, as well as how we affect the trails. Who are we? We have a Facebook group called the Austin Onewheel Club. We mainly use it to share info about parts, techniques, pictures, and making meetups. We have about 200 members, of which I would guess 100 have a onewheel, 50 actually ride it, and 30 are part of our circle that get out and ride with others. I’d guess there are only about 30 Onewheel riders who are even interested in riding in the dirt. The biggest meetup we ever had was when we got them all together once to ride Walnut Creek and we invited the Dallas Onewheel crew down. We probably won’t do that again. It caused too much of a stir and is what brought us to everyone’s attentionJ How do Onewheels affect the trails? While I helped repair the trails on Sunday, I watched as a number of bikers road by, rutting up the trails while it was too wet. Right in front of my eyes, these bikers were destroying what I was helping to fix, at the same time I was trying to fix it! A Onewheel has less impact on the trail than a walker or a biker. Let’s test that statement with a challenge. I challenge you all to take a picture of a onewheel rut- I don’t think they exist. You can find footprints and holes made by hikers, and bike ruts are everywhere, but you will not find a single mark left behind by a onewheel. We are allowed on golf course fairways because we have less impact than a golf cart. Our wheel is 6.5 inches wide and is inflated to under 20 psi. Since we have to balance on a single wheel, loss of traction is not an option. If we lose traction, we fall off almost immediately. We cannot lock up our brakes like a bike and skid, causing ruts. We cannot overpower our tire and peel out like a bike, which is also harmful to the trail. We basically roll over stuff without moving it. On a wet trail, a hiker will leave footprints, a bike will leave ruts, but our Onewheels leave almost no mark at all. Please understand this though – we don’t ride when it is wet, we go somewhere else. We don’t like to fall off when it’s slippery, and mud cakes up our fender and wheel. When I was helping with the trails on Sunday, my tire got all caked up with mud but it was not from my tire digging up dirt and mud. I wasn’t leaving even a mark on the trail. As most of you know, when the trails are wet and bikers ride, there are lots of clumps of mud sitting on top of the trail. The mud was once on a bike tire, but then got flung off onto the trail. My onewheel tire rides down the trail and picks up all the clumps of mud that the bikers flung off, and that mud clogs up my wheel so it doesn’t want to rotate. I asked a few people to look at the trail behind my tire, and see if they could find any sign that I was there, and no one could. So, under conditions that we prefer NOT to ride in, we still do not rut up the trails, and as a matter of fact, we flatten out the ruts that the bikers make. We are like Trail Zambonis. We make the trails better, not worse. I flattened out the new dirt on the berm like a Zamboni on the ice rink. A onewheel could be a good tool for every trail maintenance team. I know some of you are concerned that we may move objects to make it easier to pass, but I assure you that is not the case. We take pride in achievements, and making it up or down a tough section is a badge of honor. We don’t change the trails, we don’t move anything, and we leave no footprint. How do Onewheels interact with hikers? Hikers love us in comparison to bikes – we are only 12 inches wide as compared to 24 inches or more for a bike. We don’t have any dangerous handlebars, spokes, gears or chains to hurt hikers or their dogs, and we don’t go blazing by them at crazy speeds. We can easily come to a complete stop or crawl. Hikers like us more than bikes because we are less intimidating – we don’t try to maintain speed hoping they get out of our way. We typically slow down, say hello have a nice day, pass them, and then speed up again. If a biker hits a hiker, the hiker usually loses that battle. If a onewheel would hit a hiker, it could go either way. The slightest brush of a hiker and the hiker would be fine while the onewheeler loses his balance and falls off his board. If we did accidently bump someone it would be with our soft bodies, not a handlebar or pedal. We don’t want to crash, so we stay away from hikers and don’t give them the chance to crash us. How do Onewheels interact with bikers? We get lots of great reactions from bikers – many are impressed, think we are crazy, or just want to know how it works. Most can appreciate the skill required, and the small footprint we leave behind. We are rarely in anyone’s way – and we get a lot of thank-you’s when we let bikes pass. When we take a break, bikers stop to talk with us and have questions, and we always try to share the stoke. After all, most of us were mountain bikers before we were onewheelers. We always let bikers pass, and since we are moving almost as fast as they are, we have plenty of time to get out of the way. We are easier to pass than a hiker that pops out of nowhere, or any dog walker. We are easier to pass than another bike as well. We are 12 inches wide, and can ride side by side on a single track – which is impossible on bikes. By having a 12 inch footprint, instead of 24 inch wide handlebars, it’s easy to see how we are easier to pass, when we take up half the room as a bike. We always yield to bikes, and can easily get out of the way. We can come to a complete stop and hop off in a second, whereas a biker typically doesn’t want to stop at all, and may not be able to get out of their pedals. Most important for this group is that we yield to bikes. Where does that leave us? Partners. We all have the same passion to ride and take care of the trails we love, but maybe we ride them a little bit different. I would like to join forces, and get our onewheel group more involved in trail maintenance. I think our group has a lot to contribute, and the more of us you meet, the more you will see yourselves in our passion for the trails. I’m sure a few bikers would like to try out a onewheel. I’d be glad to set up a time to bring a few out to demo if anyone is interested. I’ll be working at Walnut Creek again this Sunday; I’ll have a couple friends with me this time, and I hope to meet more of you. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I look forward to the feedback, both positive and negative, as well as a good discussion on where you agree or disagree with my logic or the law.