Why is the UK at war with e-Bikes?
Discussion
I don't know what you mean by cycling infrastructure. They tried creating little channels for bikes to use in a lot of urban areas of London and the cyclists use the roads instead. What they did was all BS we didn't want to get involved with like special crossing places for bikes which force you to stop rather than just carrying on straight with normal traffic.
hidetheelephants said:
It's a great example because they have cycling infrastructure worth a damn, unlike here. The UK is at war with bicycles in general, e-bikes are just in the wash.
More importantly the Netherlands has a culture of respect for the cyclist, very unlike the roads in this country. As a cyclist in this country you are unlikely to cover more than a mile without a car either cutting you up or trying to force you out of the way.ingenieur said:
Supposedly the 4th flattest country in the world. That's pretty flat.
Poland is flat but I haven't seen any cycling infrastructure yet; Germany (and Spain) has really quite a lot, neither are flat.I have 2x legal e-bikes, I think they're absolutely fine as they are and I'm fine with current regs. My emtb gets my fat self up huge hills, my city ebike doesn't, but so far the only hill that stopped it was a pass in the lake District, so hardly representative.
- I've just remembered that I've seen great cycling infrastructure in Switzerland, including buses built to carry bikes, and I've seen the bike path up on the Brenner Pass.
ingenieur said:
If the government wants growth it is things like relaxing the regulations to allow someone to start producing cargo bikes with a decent payload using the cheap far east components. That wouldn't do it in itself but many things like that would get the wheels turning again.
If you're talking about growth in cycling, I just don't agree. It's proper, decent infrastructure that's needed, and I think that's been widely proven where it's been provided. I'm thinking of the women, children and families I've seen cycling in Germany, I think the essential difference was that they felt safe to cycle, and weren't having to mix it with motor traffic.
Zaichik said:
I’m large and heavy so a 750w e-bike would give me the same performance as my small and light wife gets on a 250w one. So why can’t I ride one?
Is that a serious question?A 250w Bosch mid drive bike will whip you up to its 25kmh limit before you can draw breath, unless it’s massively steep.
If we want to talk about whether the assistance cut-off for these uninsured, unregistered pedelecs should be over 25kmh, ok, let’s have at it. Pros and cons.
Otherwise it’s all a bit pointless.
I had one around 2018, 250w peddle assist but also had a bar mounted throttle which I think is illegal now.
Great fun. Allowed me to go much further than I would otherwise. It was only ever used for cardio not commuting. I'd try and get as far as possible on a single charge and that distance increased a lot over time as I got fitter and used my legs more with a lower assistance setting.
I imagine the tech is much better now, though the batteries will be the limiting factor.
Great fun. Allowed me to go much further than I would otherwise. It was only ever used for cardio not commuting. I'd try and get as far as possible on a single charge and that distance increased a lot over time as I got fitter and used my legs more with a lower assistance setting.
I imagine the tech is much better now, though the batteries will be the limiting factor.
Sporky said:
ingenieur said:
They can't be that unsafe as I used mine for 1000s of miles and didn't die.
I'm not sure one is a representative sample. We have a group of Surron riders who regularly ride through taking up the whole road doing various stunts. I've seen them 2 or 3 times in the last month.
OP makes a valid point... but people being idiots are the problem.
Perhaps an ideal commuting ebike would have a limited top speed of 20mph and have plenty of power to get up steep hills at 20mph with a heavy rider; whilst the rider is not pedalling.
This would get people to work, without them becoming sweaty, which I think is a major requirement from "non cyclist" ebike commuters.
Perhaps an ideal commuting ebike would have a limited top speed of 20mph and have plenty of power to get up steep hills at 20mph with a heavy rider; whilst the rider is not pedalling.
This would get people to work, without them becoming sweaty, which I think is a major requirement from "non cyclist" ebike commuters.
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
OP makes a valid point... but people being idiots are the problem.
Perhaps an ideal commuting ebike would have a limited top speed of 20mph and have plenty of power to get up steep hills at 20mph with a heavy rider; whilst the rider is not pedalling.
This would get people to work, without them becoming sweaty, which I think is a major requirement from "non cyclist" ebike commuters.
I'm all for this.Perhaps an ideal commuting ebike would have a limited top speed of 20mph and have plenty of power to get up steep hills at 20mph with a heavy rider; whilst the rider is not pedalling.
This would get people to work, without them becoming sweaty, which I think is a major requirement from "non cyclist" ebike commuters.
ingenieur said:
sjg said:
250W (which is averaged over a time period, peak can be more) is plenty to get up hills, especially the London ones.
Did you try it? ingenieur said:
They can't. 15.5mph with 250w is not enough power or speed to stay amongst a pack of MAMIL.
Mine does not a smidge over 30mph (I wondered if that was a software limit) and I found most high intensity cyclists would cruise around the 22mph mark but could get up to 28mph in a sprint.
The problem with peddling above 15.5mph is both the weight of the bike and dimensions of it. Most hybrid conversions are on mountain bikes with smaller wheels and shorter cranks (I've not seen any racing bike conversions) and with the best will in the world you ain't sustaining a speed of more than 15.5mph after the bike has become so compromised. Without the battery and motor working it is almost impossible to ride.
I beginning to think that you have never actually ridden a bike, electric or otherwise...Mine does not a smidge over 30mph (I wondered if that was a software limit) and I found most high intensity cyclists would cruise around the 22mph mark but could get up to 28mph in a sprint.
The problem with peddling above 15.5mph is both the weight of the bike and dimensions of it. Most hybrid conversions are on mountain bikes with smaller wheels and shorter cranks (I've not seen any racing bike conversions) and with the best will in the world you ain't sustaining a speed of more than 15.5mph after the bike has become so compromised. Without the battery and motor working it is almost impossible to ride.
An electric bike is not limited to 15.5mph. That is the speed at which the electrical assistance stops. If you want to pedal faster, or are going downhill, then it will do whatever speed you are capable of.
It won't have any issues keeping up with "Mamils" either. I go on 40-50 miles rides each week with a group of "lycra clad road warriors" and a couple of the older guys ride eBikes which help them keep up on the steeper climbs. On the flat, they can keep a steady, and unassisted, 20mph+ with the rest of us.
There are three types of "e-bikes" as I see it.
1) the legal version: motor to assist pedalling, <15.5mph etc etc.
2) Deliveroo riders on converted MTBs with additional battery packs, usually chipped so they can do 30mph, usually clad from head to toe in black, no lights, very little observation of the rules of the road. No licence/tax/insurance.
3) Su-Ron off road bikes. Almost always ridden by feral ratboy drug dealing skanks, riding illegally wherever they go, wheelie-ing in traffic and actively causing confrontations with other road users, going off road with not a single f
k given towards pedestrians and/or young kids in park areas, or using them to commit widespread mobile phone snatching. A total cancer on society.
The UK isn't "at war" with e-bikes, it's just that 2 and 3 have been taking the absolute piss and need to be stopped before they get (even more) out of hand.
1) the legal version: motor to assist pedalling, <15.5mph etc etc.
2) Deliveroo riders on converted MTBs with additional battery packs, usually chipped so they can do 30mph, usually clad from head to toe in black, no lights, very little observation of the rules of the road. No licence/tax/insurance.
3) Su-Ron off road bikes. Almost always ridden by feral ratboy drug dealing skanks, riding illegally wherever they go, wheelie-ing in traffic and actively causing confrontations with other road users, going off road with not a single f
k given towards pedestrians and/or young kids in park areas, or using them to commit widespread mobile phone snatching. A total cancer on society.The UK isn't "at war" with e-bikes, it's just that 2 and 3 have been taking the absolute piss and need to be stopped before they get (even more) out of hand.
Evanivitch said:
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
OP makes a valid point... but people being idiots are the problem.
Perhaps an ideal commuting ebike would have a limited top speed of 20mph and have plenty of power to get up steep hills at 20mph with a heavy rider; whilst the rider is not pedalling.
This would get people to work, without them becoming sweaty, which I think is a major requirement from "non cyclist" ebike commuters.
I'm all for this.Perhaps an ideal commuting ebike would have a limited top speed of 20mph and have plenty of power to get up steep hills at 20mph with a heavy rider; whilst the rider is not pedalling.
This would get people to work, without them becoming sweaty, which I think is a major requirement from "non cyclist" ebike commuters.
Therefore sweat is not a problem (in fact the problem is staying warm this time of year).
As someone who commutes on a legal ebike, using "new town" infrastructure (largely dedicated grade separated cycle ways) - its impossible to maintain 15 mph for a lot of it - there are reasonably sharp blind corners, and frankly other people do not expect you to be riding at that speed.
All another 4 mph would do is make the roads more appealing over the bike infrastructure, leading to conflict with cars and lorries. Not ideal for anyone.
Also, try stopping a 20kilo bike from 20 mph in a hurry (when someone steps out in front of you) - it won't stop half as quickly as you think it will.
The speed limit is about right; maybe low to the tune of 1-2 mph, considering all other variables.
As for the OP - good. Hope the bikes are crushed when they're seized; its only a matter of time before an innocent party is hurt through no fault of their own - there is no place for motorbikes in the limited cycle infrastructure we have.
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