7 eBike Shops in Richland County, SC

Where to ride in Richland County

The National Park Service says bicycles, including eBikes, are allowed at Congaree only on paved roads and parking lots open to vehicles, and are prohibited on trails and the boardwalk. Its compendium defines an eBike as pedals plus a motor under 750 watts and says eBikes are allowed where traditional bicycles are, and prohibited where they are not.

Three Rivers Greenway lists a 3-mile paved and boardwalk Saluda Riverwalk behind Riverbanks Zoo, parking at 650 Candi Ln, a half-mile loop at Boyd Island, and a 3-mile levee trail at Riverfront Parks, with some parts closed for construction. Its FAQ says eBikes are permitted, and the Riverfront Parks rules say motorized vehicles are not permitted on park trails.

Sesquicentennial State Park lists a 6.1-mile mountain bike trail, 13 miles from downtown Columbia. Admission is $6 for adults.

eBike rules in South Carolina

South Carolina has no Class 1, 2, 3 system. S.C. Code § 56-1-10(29) defines "electric-assist bicycles" and "bicycles with helper motors" as low-speed electrically assisted bicycles with two or three wheels, fully operable pedals, a motor of no more than 750 watts (one horsepower), and a top motor-powered speed of less than 20 miles an hour for a 170-pound rider on a paved level surface. They must meet 16 C.F.R. Part 1512, and the motor must disengage or stop when the brakes are applied or the rider stops pedaling. The statute says these bikes are not mopeds.

The maker or distributor must permanently label each bike with its wattage and maximum assisted speed, and an owner may not remove or tamper with the label. If a user modifies the bike to change its speed, the user must replace the label. Under § 56-5-3520, added by Act 114 of 2020, a rider of a bicycle with a helper motor is subject to every statute that applies to bicyclists, and § 56-5-3420 gives a bicyclist the rights and duties of a vehicle driver on the roadway. The statute defines no class and gives no rule for a bike that assists above 20 miles an hour, such as a 28 mph "Class 3" model, so we can say only that it falls outside the quoted definition.

As bicyclists, riders keep right as practicable and ride no more than two abreast on a roadway (§ 56-5-3430), and at night need a white front lamp visible 500 feet and a red rear reflector (§ 56-5-3470). We found no statewide eBike age minimum and no eBike-specific helmet statute. The only state helmet section we found, § 56-5-3660, sits in the motorcycle article and requires anyone under 21 to wear an approved helmet on a "two-wheeled motorized vehicle", and it does not name electric-assist bicycles. The text does not say whether it reaches them, so riders under 21 are safest in a helmet. Each city, county, park, and trail manager can add its own rules. Read our South Carolina eBike laws guide, then the sign at the trailhead.

Cities in Richland County

Only Columbia appears in this county's directory, and the eBike shops in Columbia page covers every card.

Frequently asked questions