Things To Do on an eBike in Gila County
Globe sits at the base of the Pinal Mountains, and it is the town where the directory's three Gila County listings do business.
They are on the eBike shops in Globe page. The ride list below is short, because the area's best known trails are non-motorized Forest Service trails and we found no eBike policy that opens them.
Where to ride in Gila County
Gila County rides we could document are the Pinal Mountain trail system, the Gila-Pinal Scenic Road, and Payson's path network. The first is non-motorized, the second is a highway, and the third is still being built.
Riding the Pinal Mountain foothills near Globe, Arizona.
Compared with the Phoenix valley, the county has no canal or greenway network, so a ride here is either a highway, a forest road, or a trail whose rules you check first.
1. Pinal Mountain trails from Icehouse CCC, Globe
The Forest Service lists the Icehouse CCC site as a trailhead for the Pinal Mountain Trail System, with the Sixshooter and Telephone trails. The county's mountain biking page describes the Check Dam Trail 190 as a connector between Sixshooter 197 and Tollroad 200, one of several trails crossing the northern foothills of the Pinal Mountains south of Globe.
Distance: Several trails of varying length; the Forest Service page gives no single mileage; start: Icehouse CCC, 2 miles south of Globe by Jess Hayes Road and Forest Roads 112 and 222; surface: Natural surface singletrack and forest road.
eBike access: The Forest Service page says Sixshooter and Telephone link to non-motorized trail opportunities. The national Forest Service eBike page allows eBikes on motorized trails and roads and lets local officials consider eBike use on non-motorized trails through a designation process. We found no Tonto-specific eBike page, so ask the Globe Ranger District before riding a singletrack. Etiquette and planning: Ride the trails downhill from a car shuttle if you can, bring extra water, and avoid wet trails. Managing source: Tonto National Forest, Icehouse CCC.
2. Gila-Pinal Scenic Road, US 60 from Superior to Miami
The Forest Service describes the scenic road as 35 miles of US 60 past Picketpost Mountain, through Superior, and on to Miami. It crosses four biotic communities, from Sonoran Desert up to Ponderosa Pine, with riparian areas along Arnett Creek and Pinto Creek.
Distance: 35 miles, per the Forest Service; start: Picketpost Mountain near Superior, or Miami at the Gila County end; surface: Paved state highway.
eBike access: US 60 is a state highway, so an eBike rider has the rights and duties of a bicycle rider under ARS 28-819(A). The scenic road page is a driving description, and we found no ADOT bicycle guidance for it. Etiquette and planning: Treat it as a highway ride with traffic and long grades, carry water, and turn back well before dark. Managing source: Tonto National Forest, Gila-Pinal Scenic Road.
3. Payson Area Trails System, Payson
The county tourism page calls PATS an in-progress, interconnecting trail system using detached pathways, existing sidewalks, and bike lanes in Payson, planned to connect with Forest Service roads and trails on the town's edge. It lists the 2.4 mile Boulders Loop Trail and the 2 mile Cypress Trail from Granite Dells Road to the Boulders Loop.
Distance: Boulders Loop is 2.4 miles and Cypress Trail is 2 miles, per Discover Gila County; start: Trail access off Granite Dells Road for the Cypress Trail; the town trail map shows other access points; surface: Pathways, sidewalks, bike lanes, and dirt trails.
eBike access: We found no Payson ordinance on eBikes, so ARS 28-819(D) applies to bicycle and multiuse paths and the town can prohibit Class 1 and Class 2 on a path. The dirt trails may be non-motorized, so check the sign, and see the Payson trails page. Etiquette and planning: Expect a mix of sidewalk and trail, slow for walkers, and ask the town about the trails still under construction. Managing source: Discover Gila County, Payson Area Trails System.
Planning a Gila County ride
Start at a Globe rental or shop, decide whether you want road or trail, and call the Globe Ranger District before taking an eBike onto the Pinal trails.
Rental listings are in the section below, and a rental shop can tell you which routes it allows its bikes on.
Half-day and full-day eBike plans
Half day: Ride Forest Road 112 and the paved roads near Icehouse CCC south of Globe, leaving the singletracks until the district confirms eBike use.
Full day: Drive to Superior and ride a section of the Gila-Pinal Scenic Road toward Miami, treating it as a highway ride with traffic.
What not to ride
Non-motorized Pinal Mountain trails: The Forest Service calls the Sixshooter and Telephone trails links to non-motorized trail opportunities, and the national eBike page lets local officials consider eBike use on non-motorized trails through a designation process. We found no designation that allows eBikes, so confirm one before riding.
Superstition Wilderness: The Globe Ranger District's page calls the eastern Superstition Wilderness a non-motorized opportunity, and the Forest Service manages eBikes as motorized use, so we would not bring one in.
State park hiking trails: Arizona State Parks restricts electrically assisted mountain bikes to park roadways and designated motorized trails in its trails FAQ.
When to ride Gila County
Fall is a good window around Gila, with cooler air than midsummer, but check land-manager closures first.
Shop hubs
The directory lists one town, Globe. The town page lists each business with its address and phone.
Rental and tour operators
The rental listings are below. Call each one about electric models, helmets, and return times, because a listing does not show today's fleet.
Topo Joes🚲 Rentals
E-Volve Adventure Rentals Globe AZ🚲 Rentals
Arizona eBike rules snapshot
Arizona defines an electric bicycle in ARS 28-101 as a bicycle or tricycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts, then sorts it into three classes. A Class 1 motor assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 20 miles an hour. A Class 2 motor may be used exclusively to propel the bike and is not capable of assisting at 20 miles an hour. A Class 3 motor assists only while you pedal and stops assisting at 28. The same section leaves an electric bicycle out of its definitions of motorcycle, moped, and motor driven cycle.
The operating rules are in ARS 28-819. A rider has the rights and duties of a bicycle rider, and the bike falls under the same provisions of Title 28 as a bicycle unless the section or a local authority says otherwise. It is not subject to the title, registration, vehicle license tax, driver license, or vehicle insurance provisions of Title 28. Since January 1, 2019, a permanent label must show the class number, top assisted speed, and motor wattage in at least nine-point type. A Class 1 or Class 2 may be used on bicycle and multiuse paths, but a local authority or state agency with jurisdiction over a path may prohibit it. A Class 3 may not be used on a bicycle or multiuse path unless the path is within or adjacent to a highway or roadway, or the authority that controls it allows that.
We found no statewide minimum age, helmet rule, or speed limit for electric bicycles in either section, so those details come from cities, counties, and land managers, and they differ from one town to the next. Private owners and tribal governments can restrict eBikes on their own land. Read our Arizona eBike laws guide, then check the posted sign and the local code.
Land managers add rules on top of the statute. Arizona State Parks says in its trails FAQ that electrically assisted mountain bikes are considered motorized and are allowed only on state park roadways and designated motorized trails. The Forest Service e-bike page says Class 1, 2, and 3 eBikes are allowed on National Forest motorized trails and roads, and that local officials may consider eBike use on non-motorized trails through a designation process. The Bureau of Land Management e-bike FAQ says its rule does not by itself open any non-motorized trail to eBikes and that site-specific decisions control, and the National Park Service e-bike page lets each park decide where eBikes may go, generally where bicycles are allowed.
Where a trail sign, a city ordinance, a land manager, or a tribal government says no eBikes, that rule controls. We name the managing source for each route below and mark what we could not confirm.
We found no Gila County, Globe, or Miami ordinance written for eBikes, and no Payson ordinance, so the state statute applies on roads and paths in town. Tribal land borders the Globe Ranger District, and the San Carlos and Fort Apache reservations set their own rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ride an eBike on the Pinal Mountain trails?
The Forest Service describes them as linking to non-motorized trail opportunities, and eBikes are allowed on motorized trails and roads under the national rule. Ask the Globe Ranger District, because we found no designation that opens them.
Where can I rent an eBike near Globe?
The directory lists two bicycle rental services in Globe, Topo Joes and E-Volve Adventure Rentals Globe AZ. Call about electric models and where each one allows them.
How long is the Gila-Pinal Scenic Road?
The Forest Service describes it as 35 miles of US 60 from Picketpost Mountain through Superior to Miami. It is a highway, so ride it with the rights and duties of a bicycle rider.
Does Payson have bike paths?
Payson is building an interior network of detached pathways, sidewalks, and bike lanes called the Payson Area Trails System, which the county calls in progress.
Is Eagle Eye Custom Cycles an eBike shop?
The directory files it as a motorcycle repair shop in Globe, so call before assuming it works on electric bicycles.
Can an adult ride an eBike without a helmet in Arizona?
That depends on where you ride. The state statutes are silent, Chandler requires one under 18, Lake Havasu City requires one under 16, and a town with no rule of its own falls back on the silent state law. See the Arizona eBike laws guide.
Does an eBike need a title or insurance in Arizona?
No title or insurance requirement applies under state law, because ARS 28-819(B) lists certificates of title and vehicle insurance among the provisions an electric bicycle is not subject to. A rental shop or a land manager can still set its own conditions.
All shops in Gila County
For the complete list (3 listings, 1 city), open the Gila County eBike shops page.