Ash Lovell Archives - Outspoken Cyclist Podcast

April 18, 2026

Show #689 – April 18, 2026

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Guests: Ash Lovell & Matt Moore – Ebikes Part III

As we wrap up our third and final episode on eBikes, Ash Lovell and Matt Moore from People for Bikes take us into some of the legal issues and possible remedies to defining and separating an eBicycle from an eMotorcycle.

When absolutely no state in the country makes it legal to ride an eMoto – because they exceed the attainable speed limit ascribed to an eBicycle – and parents are unwittingly buying them for their kids – we find ourselves in a no-win situation.

Many of these non-bicycle bikes are getting through customs without any scrutiny – and no one seems to know how or why that is happening.

As Ash and Matt explain, People for Bikes is working feverishly to craft legislation to take to D.C. as well as for individual States, and to find a way to inform the public. All daunting tasks.

On a positive note, there is finally a bill that was introduced on the House Floor – The Safe Speeds Act. HR7839 – that will define an eBike as well as get the CPSC involved – which is paramount to seeing safety standards enforced.

You can always find out what is happening with legislation, policy, infrastructure, and more at peopleforbikes.org. And please consider contacting your Congressperson and letting him/her know that you want to see House bill 7839 fast-tracked.

On our next episode, we’ll begin a series on upcoming events around the U.S. this spring and summer including the annual Tour des Trees, a bike-to-work event in the D.C. area, the Lung Association’s 43^rd annual Trek Across Maine, and a review of a great new book, TRANSAM by Paul Dunt.

Transcript_April 18

April 9, 2026April 9, 2026

Show #688 – April 9, 2026

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Guest: Larry Pizzi – eBikes Part II

Before we get to our guest, I want to give a HUGE shoutout to our very own Bike Cleveland Executive Director, Jacob VanSickle. Jacob was named Professional Advocate of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists at the National Bike Summit a couple of weeks ago.

Jacob has taken what was the fledgling Bike Cleveland organization and put it on the national stage in many ways. Our cycling experiences here in NE Ohio have been immensely enhanced by his leadership. Congratulations Jacob!!!

In this, the second in our series on eBikes, I speak with Larry Pizzi,. Larry is the president of Pedego, a long-time senior executive in the e‑bike industry, and an active participant in national policy and advocacy efforts, collaborating with brands, dealers, and organizations like PeopleForBikes.

While Larry’s views don’t particularly contradict those of Hans Rey, who was my guest in the first of this series, they do bring up important aspects of the conversation that Hans and I didn’t cover.

Larry and I have known each other for a long time, and he too offers his

opinions about eBikes and what we – specifically the industry – need to be thinking and doing so that access to eBikes remains viable for everyone – not just riding on trails.

Larry has laid out his “call to action” plan for us around three points: safety, access, and innovation.

Here is the link to Larry’s letter in Bicycle Retailer and the Mineta study.

Coming up in our third and final eBike conversation, People for Bikes’ Matt Moore and Ash Lovell will lay out the strategies that the organization is exploring and implementing for taking on many of these issues around eBikes – legislation, enforcement, definitions, and more.

In a final note of passing, I want to offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and express a profound sadness everyone in our bicycle world is feeling at the passing of Tim Blumenthal. Tim was a pioneering voice in our bicycle world for his journalism, broadcasting, and advocacy. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed. Here is the link to the obituary.

Transcript_April 9

January 22, 2022January 22, 2022

Show #590 – January 22, 2022

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Guests: Ash Lovell; Craig Calfee

We begin today with Ash Lovell from People for Bikes. Her official title is Electric Bicycle Policy and Campaign Director and our topic is important and timely. If you ride an eBike or are considering purchasing one, you will eventually need to consider the disposal of your used-up battery. The estimated lifespan is about 5 years – although I don’t have a good translation of that in hours and/or miles. During the Consumer Electronics Show a couple of weeks ago, Ash was a presenter at CES and the topic was about a new program for recycling eBike batteries. Partnering with manufacturers and bike shops, People For Bikes is leading the campaign to make sure these batteries are appropriately recycled so they don’t end up in landfills.

Then, we check in with one of my favorite industry people – Craig Calfee. Craig and I have known each other for a very long time and I have a heap-o-respect for his work, the way he looks at our industry, and the efforts he puts in to share his knowledge and expertise across the globe.

While carbon fiber has become the “material of choice” among virtually every manufacturer, Craig still pushes the envelope with his ideas and designs.

Today, we talk about the Calfee Nautilus carbon wheelsets, what’s selling at his manufacturing facility, eBike conversion kits, his carbon repair business, and more