Nanaimo eBike Trails 2026: Where You Can Ride, Rule by Rule
Zeus with the Samebike CY20 on the E&N Trail in Nanaimo: a Playcut.ai rendering made from Samebike’s own photograph of the CY20.
An e-bike that meets B.C.’s rules (pedals, motors of 500 W or less in total, no assistance past 32 km/h, 2 or 3 wheels) counts as a cycle in Nanaimo’s parks bylaw and may ride City trails designated or signed for cycling, including the paved Parkway Trail and E&N Trail, which stay open 24 hours, and the Westwood Lake loop. Sidewalks are off-limits unless a sign allows riding. Riders are 16 or older on a standard e-bike, with a helmet.
On Regional District of Nanaimo trails, the bylaw’s e-bike definition leaves throttle bikes in two readings, and on the stricter one they keep to roads and parking areas. BC Parks bars e-bikes from the trails at Newcastle Island (Saysutshun), Morden Colliery and Petroglyph. A provincial rule closes Buttertubs Marsh to e-bikes all year and the South Nanaimo River area from 1 September to 31 December.
Where to buy: the folding e-bikes, step-through e-bikes and electric trikes below, 18 bikes whose makers list them inside B.C.’s limits, from the $999 Samebike CY20 Pro folder to the $3,699 DWMEIGI Silverado HD.
Last updated: 6 November 2026. Every trail rule, bylaw section, closure and bike spec below was read at its source on 4 November 2026, including each bike’s owner’s manual and the text in its maker’s photos, and on 5 November 2026 we read every maker’s page and checked every link again. On 6 November 2026 we corrected four points against those same sources: Westwood Lake Park’s winter closing time in the parks bylaw, what the RDN bylaw’s stricter reading means for a throttle bike, the mountain-bike club’s wording, and the Parkway Trail’s length in the City’s brochure.
In this guide
- Can you ride an e-bike on Nanaimo’s trails?
- City trails: the Parkway, the E&N and Westwood Lake
- Regional trails and the RDN’s two readings
- Newcastle Island, Morden Colliery and Petroglyph
- Buttertubs Marsh and the South Nanaimo River
- Doumont, Westwood Ridges and Mount Benson
- Is it an e-bike? The test behind every rule
- BC Ferries, Hullo, BC Transit and the bike share
- 18 e-bikes listed inside B.C.’s limits
- Riding south: Haslam Creek and the Cowichan Valley
- Theft, speed and sharing the trail
- Frequently asked questions
- References
Can you ride an e-bike on Nanaimo’s trails?
Yes, on the City’s multi-use trails, but not everywhere. In April 2026 the City added 1.2 km to the E&N Trail, and a provincial closure keeps e-bikes out of the South Nanaimo River area from 1 September to 31 December, including this November (City of Nanaimo; B.C. Reg. 18/2024). Ride the wrong trail and you risk a $200 regional park fine. This guide maps each trail to its land manager’s own rule and lists 18 bikes we sell whose makers list them inside B.C.’s limits.
Five kinds of land manager decide almost everything. The City of Nanaimo runs its parks and streets; the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) runs the regional parks and its section of the Trans Canada Trail; BC Parks runs Newcastle Island, Morden Colliery and Petroglyph; the Province’s wildlife regulation closes a few conservation areas to motor vehicles; and the mountain-bike networks sit largely on private forest land. The Province decides what counts as an e-bike in the first place, through B.C. Reg. 64/2024. For the province-wide rules on roads, ages and fines, see our B.C. e-bike laws guide.
(On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see all four columns.)
| Where | E-bike that meets B.C.’s test | Who decides | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkway Trail, E&N Trail, Harbourfront Walkway, Walley Creek Trail | Allowed as a cycle | City of Nanaimo | Bylaw 7340 s. 4.5; City trails page |
| Westwood Lake main trail | Allowed (“Bikes are permitted”) | City of Nanaimo | City park page |
| Neck Point, Cable Bay Trail and other natural-surface City trails | Only where a sign allows cycling | City of Nanaimo | Bylaw 7340 s. 4.5 |
| Sidewalks | No, unless a sign allows riding | Province and City | MVA s. 183(2)(a); Bylaw 5000 s. 3(1) |
| RDN regional parks and trails, including its Trans Canada Trail section | Two readings for throttle e-bikes | RDN | Bylaw 1801 |
| Saysutshun (Newcastle Island), Morden Colliery Historic Park, Petroglyph Park | Not on the trails | BC Parks | BC Parks |
| Buttertubs Marsh and Nanaimo River Estuary conservation areas | Closed all year | Province (Wildlife Act) | B.C. Reg. 18/2024 |
| South Nanaimo River area | Closed 1 September to 31 December | Province (Wildlife Act) | B.C. Reg. 18/2024 |
| Doumont and Westwood mountain-bike networks | Sanctioned for non-motorized use | Landowners and the club | NMBC |
City trails: the Parkway, the E&N and Westwood Lake
On City land an e-bike is a cycle, and a cycle rides where the City designates or signs it. Nanaimo’s parks bylaw defines a cycle as a device “propelled by human power or electric power”, and section 4.5 allows cycling on a City trail only “within an area of a park designated for such purpose, or where permitted to do so by a traffic control device or signs” (Bylaw 7340).
The City names four paved multi-use trails that allow biking: the E&N, the Parkway, the Harbourfront Walkway and Walley Creek (City trails page). Most other City trails are a different matter. The City groups Neck Point Park, Westwood Lake Park and the Cable Bay Trail as softer trails “suitable for walking and jogging, but access is more limited” (City trails page), so outside the paved trails, ride only where a park page or a sign allows bikes. The City’s Nanaimo Cycling Map shows the types of cycling facilities across Nanaimo.
(On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see all four columns.)
| Trail | What the City says | Length | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkway Trail | Paved multi-use trail; biking allowed | Over 20 km end to end (City brochure); about 19 km of path carries the name on OpenStreetMap (our measurement) | 24 hours a day |
| E&N Trail | Paved and soft-surface sections | About 9 km (City, April 2026); about 10 km once the Junction Avenue section opens | 24 hours a day |
| Westwood Lake loop | “Bikes are permitted on the main trail” | 5.51 km (park page); 5.6 km (City brochure) | Bylaw: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. from 1 November to 1 March, to 11 p.m. the rest of the year; park page: gates locked at 11 p.m. |
Hours: Bylaw 7340, Schedule A, and the City’s Westwood Lake page. Schedule A keeps the E&N and the Parkway open 24 hours a day and does not name Westwood Lake Park, which falls under the hours it sets for all other parks: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. from 1 November to 1 March, and to 11 p.m. the rest of the year. Those hours apply “unless changed at the discretion of the General Manager for operational purposes”, and the park page says the gates are locked at 11 p.m.; from November to February, leave by 9 p.m.
The Parkway Trail
The Parkway Trail is one of the City’s paved multi-use trails, and Trails BC’s 2019 route notes describe a 4 km stretch of it running parallel to Highway 19 (Trails BC). The City’s parks and trails brochure calls it a trail “of over 20 kilometres from end to end” and says the “entire trail is paved” (City brochure). About 19 km of path carries the name Parkway Trail on OpenStreetMap, our measurement on 4 November 2026. Bylaw 7340’s Schedule A keeps it open 24 hours a day, so a commute home after dark is lawful.
The E&N Trail
The E&N Trail runs beside the E&N railway on land the Island Corridor Foundation owns and the City manages, and it has “both paved and soft surface sections” (City news release). On 18 April 2026 the City opened 1.2 km of soft-surface trail between Hecate Street and Seventh Street, which it said brought the trail to about 9 km.
It is building about 900 m more between Junction Avenue and Extension Road, which it says will make about 10 km, with construction expected to finish by the end of 2026 (City project page). The City’s park page still gives about 8 km, from Junction Avenue and Extension Road to Dunster Road (E&N park page).
Westwood Lake
The City’s Westwood Lake Park page says “Bikes are permitted on the main trail and the mountain bike trails in the area”, on a 5.51 km loop that is well groomed apart from a steep knoll at the west end (City park page); the City’s brochure gives 5.6 km (City brochure). It is popular with walkers and runners, so ride it slowly. The park page says the gates open at about 6 a.m. and are locked at 11 p.m., but the parks bylaw closes the park at 9 p.m. from 1 November to 1 March, so plan a winter ride to finish by then.
Sidewalks and helmets
Off the trails, stay off sidewalks. The Motor Vehicle Act counts a motor assisted cycle as a cycle (s. 1), and a person operating a cycle “must not ride on a sidewalk unless authorized by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign” (s. 183(2)(a)) (Motor Vehicle Act). Nanaimo’s traffic bylaw also bars driving a motor vehicle or a cycle along “sidewalks, walkways or boulevards” unless a traffic control device permits it (s. 3(1)) (Bylaw 5000). A helmet is required on a highway (MVA s. 184) and, under Bylaw 7340 s. 4.4, on a cycle in any City park.
Need a bike for the Parkway and the E&N?
Every bike on our list is listed inside B.C.’s limits on its maker’s Canadian site, from $999. Free shipping across Canada, and a real person on 1-866-938-7580.
See the 18 bikes →Regional trails: the Trans Canada Trail and the RDN’s two readings
On RDN land an e-bike may ride roads and trails as signed, at walking pace near other people, and whether a throttle bike counts as an e-bike reads two ways. Bylaw 1801 lets an “EBike” ride only “on a road or trail and in conformity with traffic control devices” (s. 13(1)(a)), never along a beach or through water except at a designated ford (s. 13(1)(b)), and no faster than walking pace within sight of a park user who is not riding (s. 13(2)) (Bylaw 1801).
The bylaw’s fines schedule sets $200 for a breach of section 13, or $175 paid early, and the same for “Unauthorized vehicle operation” under section 9.
The RDN defines an EBike as “a cycle with an electric motor not exceeding 500 watts which is not capable of speeds greater than 32 kilometres per hour on level ground or of operating with pedals removed, and which looks like a bicycle and not a motor scooter” (Bylaw 1801).
Reading one: “operating with pedals removed” is aimed at devices built without working pedals, like the scooters the same sentence excludes, so a pedal bike with a throttle is an EBike and may ride RDN trails as signed.
Reading two: a throttle can move the bike with its pedals taken off, so it is not an EBike. Nor is it a “cycle”, which the bylaw limits to a device “propelled by human power only”. Its “vehicle” takes in devices such as a “motorbike, motor scooter” and leaves out ORVs, cycles, EBikes, mobility aids and any device “designed to be moved by human or animal power”. Read strictly, that makes a throttle bike a vehicle, and section 9 lets a vehicle run only “on designated roadways or in designated parking areas”.
Every bike on our list has a throttle. Until RDN Parks (recparks@rdn.bc.ca) tells you which reading it applies, a designated road is the only place every reading lets you ride one.
The Trans Canada Trail south of the city
The RDN calls its 22 km section of the Trans Canada Trail “rugged”, a backcountry route on both sides of the Nanaimo River that crosses private forest land and the 48-metre-high Haslam Creek suspension bridge (RDN Trans Canada Trail page). Trails BC’s route notes, last updated in 2019, say the stretch from Cassidy to the edge of Nanaimo “is considered primarily to be a hiking-oriented route” and send touring cyclists around it by highway (Trails BC). With a heavy e-bike, treat it as a hike.
(On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see all four columns.)
| RDN section (north to south) | One way | From and to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extension Ridge Trail | 5 km | Harewood Mines Road to Virostko Road | Passes the earthquake fissure called the Abyss |
| Roadside Connector | 1.3 km | Low-traffic rural roads | Links Extension Ridge to the Pipeline Trail |
| Pipeline Trail | 5.3 km | Bramley Road to the north bank of the Nanaimo River | No note |
| Darryl’s Way | 1.6 km | South bank of the Nanaimo River to the Spruston Road trailhead | “There is no bridge crossing Nanaimo River, so the trail dead-ends there.” |
| White Pine Trail | 3 km | Spruston Road trailhead to Timberland Lake | No note |
| Haslam Trail | 6.5 km | Timberland Lake to the Timberlands Road trailhead | Haslam Creek suspension bridge; links to the Cowichan Valley Trail at Ninatti Road |
Sections, lengths and notes: the RDN’s Trans Canada Trail page.
Morden Colliery, Nanaimo River and Mount Benson
The Morden Colliery Regional Trail is the gentler regional ride: its section between Cedar and Hemer Provincial Park is “popular with walkers, cyclists and equestrians”, and a second short section runs from Morden Colliery Historic Park to the Nanaimo River (RDN Morden Colliery page). The historic park itself is BC Parks land, where e-bikes stay off the trails. Nanaimo River Regional Park, 56 hectares of forest, has a trail network the RDN describes for “walkers, cyclists and nature lovers” (RDN park page).
Mount Benson and Ammonite Falls are hiking country: the RDN rates the Ammonite Falls trail “Difficult”, with stairs, and gives the most direct Mount Benson summit route as 3.5 km with 700 m of climbing (RDN Benson Creek Falls page; RDN Mount Benson page).
Newcastle Island, Morden Colliery and Petroglyph: the provincial parks say no
BC Parks draws its line at the throttle, and at three parks near Nanaimo it keeps e-bikes off the trails entirely. Its cycling page allows Class 1 e-bikes (pedal-assist only) “where cycling is already permitted”, and says Class 2 and 3 e-bikes “are usually allowed where motor vehicles are permitted, such as on roads and off-roading tracks” (BC Parks cycling page). BC Parks’ class table lists Class 2 as pedal-assist or throttle, so every bike on our list is a Class 2 e-bike in a provincial park.
At Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine Park), Morden Colliery Historic Park and Petroglyph Park, BC Parks says the same three things: “Bicycles must keep to roadways”, “bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails”, and e-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted (Saysutshun; Morden Colliery; Petroglyph).
Getting an e-bike to Newcastle Island is the other problem. When we read the Saysutshun ferry’s page on 4 November 2026, it said “We do not transport electric bikes” and that its 2026 schedule ran until 15 October; its rules, in the copy archived in March, say “motorized bikes, cargo bikes, trikes, or tandem bikes are not allowed” (Saysutshun ferry, archived copy). On 5 November the ferry’s own website was offline. The City says the park is managed by the Snuneymuxw First Nation in partnership with the Province and the City (City of Nanaimo).
Buttertubs Marsh and the South Nanaimo River: two provincial closures that count e-bikes
Two kinds of provincial closure reach e-bikes around Nanaimo, and neither appears on the City or RDN trail pages we read. B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation, made under the Wildlife Act, defines a motor vehicle to include “an electric bicycle” (s. 1) and closes the Nanaimo River Estuary and Buttertubs Marsh conservation areas to motor vehicles all year (Schedule 1, ss. 95 and 96).
It closes the South Nanaimo River area to “ATVs, electric bicycles and snowmobiles” from 1 September to 31 December (s. 4; Schedule 3, s. 2). For a rider, the exemption that matters is a highway: a motor vehicle may still use one inside these areas (s. 10(1)) (B.C. Reg. 18/2024).
The City’s 2016 to 2021 management plan for the marsh says its provincially managed east marsh “is subject to Provincial Wildlife Act Conservation Land Regulations (no dogs, no camping, no motorized vehicles no fires)” (City management plan). The conservation area covers 55 hectares held by The Nature Trust of British Columbia, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the City (City of Nanaimo).
The regulation names areas by map, not by trail. On 4 November 2026 we laid the Province’s own closure maps (open data) over OpenStreetMap’s trail lines (OpenStreetMap). The Province’s data give the Buttertubs closure an area of 22.8 hectares, and it takes in the footpaths around the marsh.
About 180 m of the Trans Canada Trail’s route through the City, as OpenStreetMap maps it, crosses that closure. There the regulation says a person “must not use or operate a motor vehicle”: walking the bike with its motor off is the plain reading of not operating it, though “use” is the wider word. None of the RDN’s mapped Trans Canada Trail sections, and no part of the Parkway or E&N trails, falls inside any of the closures. The South Nanaimo River closure, 21,334 hectares in the Province’s data, lies wholly west of the RDN’s Trans Canada Trail, up the river valley.
Doumont, Westwood Ridges and Mount Benson: the mountain-bike trails
Nanaimo’s mountain-bike networks are mostly private forest land, and the club that builds them sanctions them for riding without a motor. The Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club says most trails it has authorized “have been built by mountain bikers, but sanctioned for non-motorized use” (NMBC trail etiquette), and that the networks sit largely on private forest land owned by TimberWest and managed by Mosaic Forest Management, with some on City or provincial land (NMBC third-party policy).
Mosaic’s 2024 mountain-biking fact sheet counts 63 managed trails, almost 48 kilometres, in the Doumont network, run with the club under a trail management agreement since 2017, and asks riders to use the trails in daylight and to check the clubs or Trailforks for closures (Mosaic fact sheet). From the Benson View Road lot at Mount Benson Regional Park, the RDN points mountain bikers along an Outer Bypass trail on Crown land to the Westwood network (RDN Mount Benson page).
The club’s pages and Mosaic’s fact sheet that we read say nothing about e-bikes, and an e-bike has a motor. City land reads differently: the Westwood Lake Park page says bikes are permitted on “the mountain bike trails in the area”, and the City’s parks bylaw counts an e-bike as a cycle. None of our 18 is sold here as a Doumont or Westwood Ridges bike; on any e-bike, ask the club before you ride its singletrack. For practice on City land, Beban Park has the Steve Smith Bike Park, a pump track and a skills park that opened in 2020 (City news release).
Is it an e-bike? The test behind every rule on this page
Every “yes” above depends on the bike being a motor assisted cycle under B.C. Reg. 64/2024. It needs motors rated 500 W or less “in total” (s. 3(1)), no assistance past 32 km/h on a clean, paved and level surface (s. 3(2)(a)), a motor that stops when you stop pedalling, release the throttle or brake (s. 3(2)(b)), a separate mechanism that controls the motor if it has a throttle (s. 3(2)(c)), “only 2 or 3 wheels” and wheels at least 350 mm across (s. 4).
A standard e-bike rider is 16 or older on a highway (s. 9); a light e-bike (250 W, 25 km/h, no throttle) rider is 14 or older (ss. 6 and 8).
Section 3(2)(a) says the motors “must not be capable of propelling the device at a speed exceeding 32 km/h” on a clean, paved and level surface (B.C. Reg. 64/2024). Read plainly, a bike set to stop assisting at 32 km/h meets it. Read most strictly, a motor that a speed setting can make go faster is capable of more than 32 km/h whatever it is set to, which would put the bike outside the definition.
The regulation does not say which reading applies. On either reading, a bike whose assistance is set above 32 km/h is not an e-bike under B.C. law.
A machine that fails the test is not an e-bike under B.C. law. The City’s parks bylaw bars off-road motorcycles and similar off-road vehicles from parks altogether (s. 4.24), and the RDN’s definition adds that an EBike “looks like a bicycle and not a motor scooter” (Bylaw 1801).
Getting there: BC Ferries, Hullo, BC Transit and the bike share
BC Ferries carries every bike on our list, Hullo carries none of them, and BC Transit’s racks take an e-bike only under 25 kg with the battery carried aboard. BC Ferries says “E-bikes are welcome on all our routes”, that “your bike always travels free with BC Ferries”, and that charging is not permitted at terminals or on board (BC Ferries).
BC Ferries
Its routes from Nanaimo leave from Departure Bay, Duke Point and, for Gabriola Island, Nanaimo Harbour (BC Ferries cyclists page; BC Ferries fleet page). BC Ferries adds that, per Transport Canada rules, passengers on enclosed lower decks must leave their bike during the sailing.
Hullo
Hullo takes “standard, non-electric pedal bicycles” up to 80 inches long and 50 lb, for $19.99 each way when booked online, and says “E-Bikes and e-scooters are not permitted at this time” (Hullo).
BC Transit
On BC Transit buses, “Electric bicycles are only allowed on the bike rack when they weigh less than 25kg (55 lb.) and the battery (lithium only) is removed from the bike and brought on board the bus with the customer”; scooter-style e-bikes are not allowed at all, racks on community buses work only in daylight, and some buses take tires up to 3 inches, others up to 2 inches (BC Transit).
The same page lets a folding bicycle ride inside in a case, but its e-bike rule says rack only. The lightest bike on our list, the Samebike 20LVXD30-II, is listed at 25 kg, which is not less than 25 kg.
The Evolve bike share
Nanaimo’s bike share is BCAA’s Evolve E-Bike Share: the City launched it as a pilot on 1 May 2024 with 16 parking zones, a helmet in each bike’s basket and payment by the minute or the hour in the Evo app (City news release), and its cycling page still points riders to the blue Evolve e-bikes parked around town (City cycling page).
18 e-bikes listed inside B.C.’s limits, grouped by the Nanaimo ride they suit
These 18 are e-bikes we sell whose makers’ Canadian pages list a motor rated 500 W or less and a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph) or less, read again on 4 November 2026. None of those pages sells an unlockable mode or lists a top speed above 32 km/h in its specifications; the RS-A01 Pro-T’s page does show a video thumbnail printing “40 Km/h”, and its card says so. As listed, each is inside B.C.’s motor and speed limits and may ride Nanaimo’s paved City trails.
In the owner’s manuals we read, eleven of the 18 have a speed setting the owner can change: five Samebikes (the RS-A01 Pro-T, CY20, CY20 Pro, C05 Pro and RS-A02 Pro), three Taubiks (the Vista 26, Escape S and Monaco S), DWMEIGI’s Zeus fat-tire trike and Silverado HD, and Meet One’s Breeze 2.0. Their cards link the manual: keep the setting at 32 km/h or less in B.C. (see the strongest reading in the test section). The manuals for the Blackburn 275T, Westridge 29T, Tour S and Hera describe no such setting.
Taubik’s FAQ, written for all its bikes, does list “Whether the bike's top speed has been adjusted beyond the 32km/h limit” among the things that change a bike’s range (Taubik FAQ). Samebike Canada links no manual for the 20LVXD30-II, and we found none from Addmotor for the CityPro E-43 or the Citytri E-310, so for those three we cannot say.
Each has a throttle, so none is a pedal-only trail bike. On delivery, check that the motor stops when you brake (s. 3(2)(b)). The groups are our view of where each bike rides best.
Paved-trail commuters
For the paved Parkway Trail and E&N Trail, both open 24 hours a day: five bikes from $1,199.
Taubik Vista 26
$2,399 CAD
A low step-through frame and the narrowest tires in this group suit the paved Parkway Trail and the paved stretches of the E&N. Throttle: Thumb throttle, in Taubik’s manual and brochure. Specs from Taubik’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Taubik lists 500 W and 32 km/h. The owner can change the speed setting (Taubik’s Vista manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Samebike RS-A01 Pro-T
$1,199 CAD
A full-size step-through at $1,199 for a daily ride on the Parkway Trail or the E&N. Throttle: Samebike Canada quotes a “pure electric” range, meaning the motor moves it without pedalling. Specs from Samebike’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Samebike Canada prints 350 W in its specifications and 500 W in its description, and 32 km/h: both motor figures are inside B.C.’s 500 W limit. The owner can change the speed setting (Samebike’s RS-A01 Pro-T manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C. Its Canadian page also shows a video thumbnail printing “40 Km/h”.
Addmotor CityPro E-43
$1,399 CAD
A 26-inch commuter with 2.3-inch tires for daily rides on the Parkway and the E&N, soft-surface section included. Addmotor Canada’s page prints two batteries: 48V*15Ah in its spec table and a “48V*20Ah UL-certified Battery” in another line, so confirm the one you are buying. Throttle: Half-twist throttle. Specs from Addmotor’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Addmotor Canada lists a 500 W motor (907 W peak) and 32 km/h; B.C.’s 500 W limit applies to the continuous rating (s. 3(1)), not the peak.
Taubik Blackburn 275T
from $2,799 CAD
Bigger 27.5-inch wheels and 2.35-inch tires roll more calmly over the soft-surface section the City added to the E&N in April 2026. Throttle: Thumb throttle, in Taubik’s manual and brochure. Specs from Taubik’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Taubik lists 500 W and 32 km/h.
Taubik Westridge 29T
$2,999 CAD
The widest standard tires in this group and a front suspension fork, for unpaved paths that are open to bikes. It has a mountain-bike frame, but it is not sold here as a Doumont or Westwood Ridges bike (see the mountain-bike section). Throttle: Thumb throttle, in Taubik’s manual and brochure. Specs from Taubik’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Taubik lists 500 W and 32 km/h, and its manual says “The maximum speed of this E-Bike is 32 km/h.”
Folding bikes for the ferry, the car and the condo
Small wheels and a fold for riders who arrive at Departure Bay or Duke Point, park at a trailhead or carry the bike upstairs.
Samebike 20LVXD30-II
$1,000 CAD
Folds for a car trunk, a condo storage room or the ferry. At 25 kg it is the one bike here close to BC Transit’s rack limit, and Samebike’s 25 kg is not “less than 25kg” (see the getting-there section). Throttle: Half-twist throttle, in the handlebar photo on Samebike Canada’s page. Specs from Samebike’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Samebike Canada lists 350 W and 32 km/h.
Samebike CY20
$1,000 CAD
A folder with front and seat suspension for rougher paved stretches and short gravel links. Throttle: On the handlebar diagram in Samebike Canada’s CY20 manual, which gives a pure-electric range. Specs from Samebike’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Samebike Canada lists 350 W and 32 km/h. The owner can change the speed setting (Samebike’s CY20 manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Samebike CY20 Pro
$999 CAD
The only bike in this folding group listed at 500 W, with its biggest battery (624 Wh), for riders whose ride home ends with a climb. Throttle: Thumb throttle, per Samebike Canada’s page. Specs from Samebike’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Samebike Canada prints 500 W in its specifications and 250 W in one of its spec images, which also gives a 25 km/h default speed; both motor figures are inside B.C.’s 500 W limit. The owner can change the speed setting (Samebike’s CY20 Pro manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Fat and wide tires for soft surfaces
For the soft-surface section of the E&N and the unpaved paths in Nanaimo that are open to bikes.
Samebike C05 Pro
$1,399 CAD
A low step-through on 4-inch tires that also folds: steady on soft surfaces and easy to mount. Throttle: On the handlebar diagram in the C05 Pro manual, which lists a pure-electric mode. Specs from Samebike’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Samebike Canada prints 350 W in its specifications and 500 W in its description, and 32 km/h: both motor figures are inside B.C.’s 500 W limit. The owner can change the speed setting (Samebike’s C05 Pro manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Samebike RS-A02 Pro
$1,399 CAD
Front and rear suspension on 4-inch tires for the unpaved paths that are open to bikes. Throttle: Samebike Canada quotes a “pure electric” range (motor without pedalling). Specs from Samebike’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Samebike Canada prints 500 W in its spec list and 250 W in a feature line, and 32 km/h: both motor figures are inside B.C.’s 500 W limit. The owner can change the speed setting (Samebike’s RS-A02 Pro manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Taubik Escape S
$2,599 CAD
A folding fat tire with a 500 W motor, for soft surfaces and the trunk of a car. Throttle: Thumb throttle, in Taubik’s manual. Specs from Taubik’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Taubik lists 500 W and 32 km/h. The owner can change the speed setting (Taubik’s Escape S manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Taubik Monaco S
$2,899 CAD
Three-inch tires sit between a commuter and a fat tire: grip on gravel without the full width of a 4-inch tire. Throttle: Thumb throttle, in Taubik’s manual. Specs from Taubik’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Taubik lists 500 W and 32 km/h. The owner can change the speed setting (Taubik’s Monaco S manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Taubik Tour S
$2,899 CAD
Full-size 26-inch fat tires and the highest torque figure printed on this list (80 N·m), for Nanaimo’s hills and long days on soft surfaces. Throttle: Thumb throttle, in Taubik’s manual and brochure. Specs from Taubik’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Taubik lists 500 W and 32 km/h.
Trikes
B.C. Reg. 64/2024 s. 4(a) allows “only 2 or 3 wheels”, so a trike that meets the motor and speed limits is a motor assisted cycle like any two-wheeler.
DWMEIGI Hera
$1,799 CAD
Three wheels and a 15 mph top speed suit the paved trails at an easy pace. Throttle: DWMEIGI quotes a range “under pure electric mode”. Specs from DWMEIGI’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: DWMEIGI lists 350 W and a 15 mph (24 km/h) top speed.
Addmotor Citytri E-310
from $1,899 CAD
A trike that folds, rated by Addmotor for 127 kg plus 36 kg of cargo, for errands along the E&N and the Parkway. Throttle: Half-twist throttle. Specs from Addmotor’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Addmotor Canada lists a 500 W rear-drive motor and 32 km/h.
Meet One Breeze 2.0
from $2,599 CAD
Fat tires on a trike for soft surfaces, and cruise control and reverse for long flat runs and tight parking. Throttle: Riding modes per Meet One: throttle, pedal assist, cruise control, reverse. Specs from Meet One’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: Meet One lists 32 km/h on the Breeze 2.0 page and 500 W in the comparison table on its Breeze Pro 2.0 page. The owner can change the speed setting (Meet One’s Breeze 2.0 display manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
DWMEIGI Silverado HD
$3,699 CAD
A fat-tire trike with a 15 mph top speed for relaxed riding on unpaved paths that are open to bikes. Throttle: DWMEIGI quotes a range “under pure electric mode”. Specs from DWMEIGI’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: DWMEIGI lists 500 W and a 15 mph (24 km/h) top speed. The owner can change the speed setting (DWMEIGI’s MG2301 manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
DWMEIGI Zeus fat-tire trike
$2,928 CAD
The biggest battery among the DWMEIGI trikes here, for longer days on the Parkway Trail. Throttle: DWMEIGI quotes a range “(pure electric mode)”. Specs from DWMEIGI’s Canadian page, read 4 November 2026.
B.C. check: DWMEIGI lists 500 W and a 20 mph (about 32 km/h) top speed. The owner can change the speed setting (DWMEIGI’s MG1703 manual), so keep it at 32 km/h or less in B.C.
Not sure which of the 18 fits your ride?
Call 1-866-938-7580 and tell us where you start and how far you go. An unused, unopened bike can be returned within 15 days of delivery (15% restocking fee), and you can spread the cost with e-bike financing.
Browse Zeus’s e-bike collection →Riding south: the Haslam Creek bridge and the Cowichan Valley Trail
The Trans Canada Trail runs south from Nanaimo toward the Cowichan Valley, but the RDN’s section is a hiking-grade route with a gap at the Nanaimo River. The RDN’s Haslam Trail crosses the Haslam Creek suspension bridge and, where it meets Ninatti Road, connects with the Cowichan Valley Trail, while its Darryl’s Way section dead-ends at the river because no bridge crosses it (RDN Trans Canada Trail page).
Trails BC’s 2019 notes send cyclists around the Cassidy to Nanaimo stretch by highway, over the Haslam Creek and Nanaimo River bridges (Trails BC).
Further south, the Cowichan Valley Trail, the Kinsol Trestle and the Galloping Goose into Victoria are covered in our Victoria e-bike trails guide, and our Trans-Canada e-bike atlas follows the trail across the country.
Theft, speed and sharing the trail
Register the bike before you ride: the City’s cycling page points riders to 529 Garage, a website and app where you register your bike so that, if it is stolen, the details help authorities find and return it (City cycling page). Our e-bike theft protection guide covers locks and insurance.
On shared trails, the rules are about people: the RDN requires walking pace within sight of anyone who is not riding (Bylaw 1801 s. 13(2)), the City’s parks bylaw bars using any device in a way that disturbs, intimidates or obstructs other park users (Bylaw 7340 s. 4.1(a)), and the Province caps motor assistance at 32 km/h. For batteries in the cold and wet, see our e-bike battery guide.
Frequently asked questions
Are e-bikes allowed on the Nanaimo Parkway Trail?
Yes, as a cycle. The City of Nanaimo’s parks bylaw (Bylaw 7340) defines a cycle as a device propelled by human power or electric power, and section 4.5 allows cycling on a City trail where the area is designated for it or signs permit it. The City lists the Parkway Trail as a paved multi-use trail for biking, and the bylaw’s Schedule A keeps it open 24 hours a day.
Can you bike around Westwood Lake?
Yes. The City’s Westwood Lake Park page says “Bikes are permitted on the main trail and the mountain bike trails in the area.” The loop is shared with walkers and runners. Mind the hours: the parks bylaw closes Westwood Lake Park at 9 p.m. from 1 November to 1 March and at 11 p.m. the rest of the year, while the park page says its gates are locked at 11 p.m.
How long is the Westwood Lake trail?
The City’s Westwood Lake Park page gives 5.51 km for the trail around the lake, well groomed apart from a steep knoll towards the west end; the City’s parks and trails brochure gives 5.6 km.
How long is the E&N Trail in Nanaimo?
About 9 km, the City said when it opened a new 1.2 km soft-surface section between Hecate Street and Seventh Street in April 2026. A further section of about 900 m between Junction Avenue and Extension Road is under construction, with completion expected by the end of 2026, which the City says will make it about 10 km. The City’s park page still gives about 8 km.
Can I take an e-bike to Newcastle Island (Saysutshun)?
No. When we read its page on 4 November 2026, the Saysutshun ferry from Maffeo Sutton Park said “We do not transport electric bikes”, and BC Parks says e-bikes are not allowed on the island’s trails and are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. Pedal bikes may ride the ferry and must keep to the island’s roadways.
Are bikes allowed on the Hullo ferry?
Pedal bikes only. Hullo takes standard, non-electric pedal bicycles up to 80 inches long and 50 lb, for $19.99 each way when booked online, and says “E-Bikes and e-scooters are not permitted at this time.”
Can I take an e-bike on BC Ferries from Nanaimo?
Yes. BC Ferries says “E-bikes are welcome on all our routes”, which covers Departure Bay, Duke Point and the Gabriola Island ferry from Nanaimo Harbour, and that your bike travels free. You cannot charge it at the terminal or on board.
Can I put my e-bike on a Nanaimo bus?
Only on the front rack, and only if it weighs less than 25 kg (55 lb) with its lithium battery removed and carried on board, BC Transit says. Moped-style e-bikes are not allowed, and racks on community buses can be used only in daylight. The lightest bike on our list is listed at 25 kg, which is not less than 25 kg.
Are e-bikes allowed in Regional District of Nanaimo parks?
RDN Park Use Regulations Bylaw No. 1801 lets an “EBike” ride only on a road or trail, as signs direct, and at walking pace within sight of anyone who is not riding. Its definition leaves out a bike capable of “operating with pedals removed”, which reads two ways for a bike with a throttle. On the stricter reading a throttle bike is a “vehicle”, which section 9 keeps to designated roadways and parking areas, so ask RDN Parks which reading it applies before you ride an RDN trail.
Can you ride an e-bike on the Trans Canada Trail near Nanaimo?
On the paved City sections, yes, as a cycle. The RDN calls its 22 km section south of the city rugged and backcountry, its e-bike rule reads two ways for throttle bikes, and Trails BC calls the stretch from Cassidy to Nanaimo primarily a hiking route. By our measurement on OpenStreetMap’s map of the route, about 180 m of it passes through the Buttertubs Marsh closure, where an e-bike counts as a motor vehicle that no one may “use or operate”: walk that part with the motor off.
Can you ride an e-bike on the Doumont trails?
Not by the club’s own words. The Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club says most of the trails it has authorized were “sanctioned for non-motorized use”, and an e-bike has a motor; the club’s pages and Mosaic Forest Management’s 2024 fact sheet that we read on 4 November 2026 say nothing about e-bikes. The networks sit largely on private forest land owned by TimberWest and managed by Mosaic, so ask the club before you ride any e-bike there.
Can kids ride e-bikes in Nanaimo?
Not a standard e-bike under 16. B.C. Reg. 64/2024 s. 9 sets 16 as the minimum age to operate a standard e-bike on a highway, and s. 8 sets 14 for a light e-bike (250 W or less, 25 km/h or less, no throttle). Every bike on our list has a throttle, so every one is a standard e-bike. A rider under 16 may not carry or tow a passenger on any e-bike on a highway (s. 10).
Is there an e-bike share in Nanaimo?
Yes. The City launched BCAA’s Evolve E-Bike Share as a pilot on 1 May 2024 with 16 parking zones, and its cycling page still points riders to the blue Evolve e-bikes parked around town. You unlock one in the Evo app, and a helmet comes in each bike’s basket.
Is there a bike route from Nanaimo to Victoria?
The Trans Canada Trail runs south from Nanaimo: the RDN’s Haslam Trail crosses the Haslam Creek suspension bridge and connects with the Cowichan Valley Trail at Ninatti Road. There is no bridge where its Darryl’s Way section meets the Nanaimo River, and Trails BC’s notes send cyclists around that stretch by highway. Our Victoria e-bike trails guide covers the Cowichan Valley Trail and the Galloping Goose.
Before your first ride
Check three things and Nanaimo’s paved trails are yours: the bike passes B.C.’s test, you are 16 or older with a helmet, and the trail is one its land manager opens to cycling. For a bike whose maker lists it inside B.C.’s limits, start with our 18 picks; our Nanaimo e-bike shop guide lists the stores in town.
Zeus ships free across Canada, from Canada. An unused, unopened bike can be returned within 15 days of delivery (15% restocking fee). Call 1-866-938-7580 to talk it through with a person.
References
Every source below was read on 4 November 2026, and every link was checked again on 5 November 2026; that day the Saysutshun ferry’s own site was offline, so its entry links an archived copy. Bike specifications come from each maker’s Canadian page, linked on its card, and each speed-setting line links the owner’s manual it comes from. The closure overlay uses the Province’s open data and OpenStreetMap.
- City of Nanaimo, Parks, Recreation and Culture Regulation Bylaw 2022 No. 7340 (consolidated 20 July 2026): definitions; ss. 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.23, 4.24; Schedule A. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, Traffic and Highways Regulation Bylaw 1993 No. 5000 (consolidated 28 July 2025): definitions; s. 3(1). Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, “Trails”. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, E&N Trail park page. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, “The E&N Trail continues to grow” (news release, 16 April 2026). Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, E&N Trail Expansion, Junction Avenue to Extension Road (project page). Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, Westwood Lake Park page. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, “Parks & Trails” brochure (PDF, file modified April 2026): Parkway Trail, Westwood and E&N trail distances. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, “Cycling”. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo Cycling Map. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, “Exciting new e-bike share program coming to Nanaimo” (news release, May 2024). Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area page. Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area Management Plan (2016 to 2021). Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, “New mountain bike skills park opens in Nanaimo” (news release, September 2020). Read 4 November 2026.
- City of Nanaimo, Saysutshun Marine Provincial Park page. Read 4 November 2026.
- Regional District of Nanaimo, Park Use Regulations Bylaw No. 1801, 2019 (consolidated to amendment 1801.01, May 2024): definitions; ss. 9, 13; fines schedule. Read 4 November 2026.
- Regional District of Nanaimo, Trans Canada Trail page. Read 4 November 2026.
- Regional District of Nanaimo, Morden Colliery Regional Trail page. Read 4 November 2026.
- Regional District of Nanaimo, Benson Creek Falls Regional Park and Ammonite Falls Regional Trail page. Read 4 November 2026.
- Regional District of Nanaimo, Mount Benson Regional Park page. Read 4 November 2026.
- Regional District of Nanaimo, Nanaimo River Regional Park page. Read 4 November 2026.
- BC Parks, “Cycling” (e-bike classes). Read 4 November 2026.
- BC Parks, Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park. Read 4 November 2026.
- BC Parks, Morden Colliery Historic Park. Read 4 November 2026.
- BC Parks, Petroglyph Park. Read 4 November 2026.
- B.C. Reg. 18/2024, Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation (Wildlife Act), consolidated to 27 October 2026: ss. 1, 2, 4, 10; Schedule 1, ss. 95 and 96; Schedule 3, s. 2. Read 4 November 2026.
- Province of British Columbia, Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation Areas (open data: closure maps used for our overlay). Read 4 November 2026.
- OpenStreetMap contributors, trail and route data used for our overlay (retrieved 4 November 2026). Read 4 November 2026.
- B.C. Reg. 64/2024, Motor Assisted Cycle (E-Bike) Regulation, consolidated to 27 October 2026: ss. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10. Read 4 November 2026.
- Motor Vehicle Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 318, s. 1 (definition of “cycle”). Read 4 November 2026.
- Motor Vehicle Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 318, ss. 183 and 184. Read 4 November 2026.
- BC Transit, “Bikes and Scooters”. Read 4 November 2026.
- BC Ferries, “Travelling with bicycles”. Read 4 November 2026.
- BC Ferries, “Our fleet” (Island Class vessels on the Gabriola Island route). Read 4 November 2026.
- Hullo, “Can I bring a bike onboard?”. Read 4 November 2026.
- Saysutshun ferry, “Ferry Info” (archived copy, 6 March 2026; the operator’s site was offline on 5 November 2026). Read 4 November 2026.
- Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club, “Trail Etiquette”. Read 4 November 2026.
- Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club, “Third-Party Use Policy”. Read 4 November 2026.
- Mosaic Forest Management, Mountain Biking fact sheet (2024). Read 4 November 2026.
- Trails BC, “Trans Canada Trail in the Nanaimo Area: Haslam Creek to Departure Bay” (notice last updated 1 September 2019). Read 4 November 2026.
- Meet One Canada, Breeze Pro 2.0 page (comparison table with the Breeze 2.0). Read 4 November 2026.
- Taubik, “FAQ” (“How far can I go?”). Read 4 November 2026.
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