I think (just from reading the article) that bikes had been allowed there the whole time, but that the geography and the distribution of settlements pushed ride

I think (just from reading the article) that bikes had been allowed there the whole time, but that the geography and the distribution of settlements pushed rides just above the threshold of attractivity. One implication of this interpretation is that even before ebikes, it would have been entirely possible (even if extremely unlikely) for someone to go ahead and explore the limits in lifestyle compatibility of lycra, Japanese/Italian groupsets and narrow tires, discover that those would have a huge impact on the practicability threshold on cycling and caused a conversion from buggies to bikes without electricity. (the difference between a proper go-fast-bike and a lowly "comfortable" commuter are huge, it's not only the fitness. Most roadbike enthusiasts have the distance threshold they consider acceptable on a "slow bike" just as low as Joe Average, if they do a longer cycling commute it's on a bike that's closer to the ones they use to go three digit miles in a day than to the common commuter bike)