Things To Do on an eBike in Bay County, MI

Where to ride in Bay County

Think of Bay County riding as a connected rail-trail network, not a set of loops. The Bay County Riverwalk is the long route through the county. The Bay-Zil Rail Trail lies in Bay and Saginaw counties, and it is the link toward Saginaw County. Beyond that, the Great Lakes Bay Regional Trail is planned as nearly 100 miles connecting Midland, Bay, and Saginaw counties, and more than 60 miles of that system are open now, according to TrailLink's Bay-Zil page.

The network is still being finished. The Bay-Zil page says the trail links to the Zilwaukee Pathway at its southern end and will link to the Bay County Riverwalk at its northern end. A Second Wave Media feature describes construction of a new Riverwalk section connecting the Hotchkiss Road trailhead to Salzburg Avenue. That work began in summer and was slated to open that fall, with a kiosk near Ray's Bike Shop and Ideal Party Store on Salzburg carrying maps of the Rail Trail. The article's date is not shown in our notes, so check with the trail manager whether that section is open before you plan a ride that depends on it.

One more limit is worth knowing. The Bay City outdoor guide we reviewed lists no e-bike class limits, path speed limits, or sidewalk riding rules specific to Bay County or Bay City trails. That is not the same as saying none exist. It means we found no local rule, so the Michigan default applies and posted signs on the day win.

Shop hubs

Use the city directories for addresses, phone numbers, detail pages, and claim links. A city page is a contact list. It does not confirm what a shop has in stock or whether it can service your bike this week.

• eBike shops in Bay City
• eBike shops in Pinconning

If you want repair help before a long ride, start with the Bay City directory and call ahead. Ray's Bike Shop is listed at 303 Salzburg Ave, Bay City, MI 48706, phone (989) 892-7516. That address is on Salzburg Avenue, the street named in the Riverwalk construction article above. For a wider search, the Bay County directory keeps every card in one place.

Rental shops

Named eBike routes

Each route below gives the published distance and surface from the sources we checked. Trailheads are listed only where a source named one. Where we found no trail-specific e-bike rule, the Michigan state default applies, and the posted sign at the trailhead wins.

1. Bay-Zil Rail Trail (7 miles)

This is the best documented route in the county. TrailLink lists it at 7 miles, asphalt, in Bay and Saginaw counties, with endpoints near Melbourne Rd., north of Zilwaukee, and at East Hotchkiss Road and Brooks Street in Frankenlust Township. Parking is at the Bay-Zil Trailhead at the intersection of Hotchkiss Road and Brooks Street in Bay City. The trail follows the former Detroit and Mackinac Railway, which hauled timber and passengers in the early half of the 20th century, and it is part of the Iron Belle Trail, a project meant to stretch more than 1,200 contiguous miles from Detroit to the Michigan/Wisconsin border. No trail-specific e-bike rule was found, so the state default for rail trails applies: Class 1 is allowed unless the authority restricts it, and Class 2 and Class 3 only where the authority allows them. Etiquette is the usual shared-trail kind. Slow down for walkers and other riders, pass on the left with a call, and keep your speed low at the trailhead where people park and load bikes.

2. Saginaw County to Bay County Connector (7 miles)

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy describes this connector as 7 miles, asphalt, with an easy difficulty rating. It runs north from the Zilwaukee Pathway to the intersection of East Hotchkiss Road and Brooks Street in Frankenlust Township, near Bay County's southern border, and it joins the Bay County Riverwalk to Saginaw County. That Hotchkiss and Brooks end is the same one TrailLink gives for the Bay-Zil Rail Trail, and both sources give 7 miles, so do not plan these as two separate 7-mile rides. Confirm with the trail manager how the names relate. The surface is asphalt, and the same state default applies: no trail-specific e-bike rule was found, so check the sign. Etiquette matters most at the road-crossing and trailhead ends. Come to a full stop if the crossing asks for one, and do not assume traffic will yield to you.

3. Pere Marquette Rail Trail (30 miles)

GoGreat lists the 30-mile Pere Marquette Rail Trail as part of the Great Lakes Bay Regional Trail system. Our Michigan state guide describes it as 30 paved miles from Midland westward. That puts it outside the Bay County routes above, so this is a day trip from Bay City, not a local ride. We have no trailhead from the sources we checked, so look up the manager's current trailhead and parking before you drive. Because it is a rail-trail, the Michigan default applies: Class 1 is allowed unless the authority restricts it, and Class 2 and Class 3 only where the authority allows them. At 30 miles, the real planning question is battery. Use the full out-and-back distance, not the one-way figure, when you size your range.

4. Saginaw Valley Rail Trail (11 miles)

GoGreat lists the 11-mile Saginaw Valley Rail Trail in the same regional system. The sources we checked give no surface, trailhead, or e-bike rule for it, and they do not place it in Bay County. Treat it as a neighboring-county day trip, confirm its rules with the manager, and apply the state default for rail trails until you see a sign that says otherwise. If you stitch it into a longer day, do not assume it connects to the other routes on this page. The sources describe the regional system as a project that is still being completed, so a gap on the ground is possible.

Half-day and full-day eBike plans

For any of these plans, carry water, a charged phone with the trail manager's information open, and the tools you know how to use. Budget the whole return before you start. Surface, wind, temperature, rider weight, assist level, and tire pressure all change how far a battery goes. If the information for a route is incomplete, shorten the ride, not the margin.

What not to ride in Bay County

A natural-surface nonmotorized trail without a sign allowing e-bikes: Michigan natural-surface nonmotorized trails are closed to e-bikes unless the trail's authority opens them. If you cannot find a sign or a manager notice, skip it.

Class 2 or Class 3 on a rail-trail where nobody has said yes: On Michigan paved, crushed-limestone and rail trails, Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes are allowed only where the authority allows them. Look for the sign or the manager's page first.

A Class 3 on a state-managed trail: The Michigan DNR does not allow Class 3 e-bikes on any state-managed trail. If your ride touches a state park, recreation area, or state forest trail, check the class rule before you roll.

An unfinished or closed connection: The new Riverwalk section described by Second Wave Media was under construction. Do not assume any link between trails is open because a map shows it. Ask the manager.

A neighboring-county trail as a local loop: The Pere Marquette and Saginaw Valley trails are not described in our sources as Bay County routes. Drive to them, check their rules, and ride them as separate days.

When to ride Bay County

Our Michigan state guide gives May through October as the best time to ride in the state, and says the terrain is flat to rolling. Bay County weather and trail conditions are not covered in the sources we checked, so use that as a general window, not a promise. Ride in daylight, avoid ice and standing water, and look at the manager's notice the same day. Heat, cold, and wind all change range, and cold weather in particular reduces what a battery will deliver, so bring a bigger margin on a cold morning than on a warm afternoon. If you are riding the Riverwalk, check whether any section is under construction before you leave. In late fall and winter, expect the possibility of closed or unmaintained sections and plan shorter outings.

Michigan eBike rules snapshot

Class rules and age limits for Michigan are in our Michigan eBike laws guide.

On paved, crushed-limestone and rail trails, Class 1 e-bikes are allowed unless the trail's authority restricts it, and Class 2 and Class 3 are allowed only where that authority allows them (MCL 257.662a(8), (9)). Natural-surface nonmotorized trails are closed to e-bikes unless the authority opens them (MCL 257.662a(10)). A local authority or state agency that runs a trail must hold a public hearing before it bans, opens, or regulates e-bikes on that trail (MCL 257.662a(12)).

The Michigan DNR allows Class 1 e-bikes on state park, recreation area, and state forest trails that permit traditional bicycles, with exceptions for state game and wildlife areas, congressionally authorized trails such as the North Country Trail, and three Pigeon River Country pathways. It does not allow Class 3 e-bikes on any state-managed trail. These details come from a Michigan e-bike shop roundup. For the plain-language version with the official statute link, read our Michigan eBike laws guide. Signs and manager notices beat this page.

Frequently asked questions

Bay County shop cards

These cards are preserved from the directory for repair, sales, or general service enquiries. Call before you go and confirm exactly what each shop offers.

All eBike shops in Bay County

The complete local directory is the Bay County eBike shops and repair contacts page. This guide covers route planning, and the county hub holds the full shop list.