Electric Bikes - How Fast?

[TrickyDickie 10]

Speed limits apply to all vehicles on a public road, motorised or not. If there is a speed restriction applied to a specific type of vehicle, that takes precedence. There is also another offence of fast and furious riding, an old offence originally applied to horse riding.

[Ghozer 112]

For Electric bikes and such, it's more based on the motor power, has to be UNDER 250 Watts... (yes, they also use 25km/h or 15.5mph)

but for ease of remembering, and checking, any electric bike/EAPC that has a motor larger than 250 watts is illegal!

[TimmyR 10]

 

19 hours ago, Ghozer said:

For Electric bikes and such, it's more based on the motor power, has to be UNDER 250 Watts... (yes, they also use 25km/h or 15.5mph)

but for ease of remembering, and checking, any electric bike/EAPC that has a motor larger than 250 watts is illegal!

is that true?  I thought it would only be illegal if ridden on a road.

Edited April 25, 2020 by TimmyR

[Ghozer 112]

8 hours ago, TimmyR said:

 

is that true?  I thought it would only be illegal if ridden on a road.

the info I have bookmarked says

"The cycles that meet these requirements (which affect two-wheeled bikes but also tandems and tricycles) can be ridden on any cycle paths and anywhere else that bikes are normally allowed."

so I would assume it covers all, going over these levels needs a license etc...

Source: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/electric-bikes-uk-law-234973
 

[biotechpete 10]

On 24/04/2020 at 09:24, TrickyDickie said:

Speed limits apply to all vehicles on a public road, motorised or not. If there is a speed restriction applied to a specific type of vehicle, that takes precedence. There is also another offence of fast and furious riding, an old offence originally applied to horse riding.

This is a common misconception. The road traffic act 1984 and rule 124 of the highway code through which speed limits are enforced refer and apply to motor vehicles only. There is no offence of travelling in excess of the speed limit on a bicycle or other  form of non-motorised travel. 

 

The offence of wanton and furious cycling makes no mention of speed and in any case can only be applied in the case of an accident where serious injury or death has ooccurred. It is an offence against the person and not a highway law therefore a cyclist cannot even be legally stopped by police simply for being over the motor vehicle speed limit. 

 

The other offence police use is careless and inconsiderate riding but speed by itself has never been prosecuted in this way.

 

[Ghozer 112]

On 26/04/2020 at 13:31, biotechpete said:

This is a common misconception. The road traffic act 1984 and rule 124 of the highway code through which speed limits are enforced refer and apply to motor vehicles only. There is no offence of travelling in excess of the speed limit on a bicycle or other  form of non-motorised travel. 

 

The offence of wanton and furious cycling makes no mention of speed and in any case can only be applied in the case of an accident where serious injury or death has ooccurred. It is an offence against the person and not a highway law therefore a cyclist cannot even be legally stopped by police simply for being over the motor vehicle speed limit. 

 

The other offence police use is careless and inconsiderate riding but speed by itself has never been prosecuted in this way.

 

I can say myself that you are wrong, I got stopped at the bottom of a hill by police for going 'too fast down the hill, causing a potential hazard to myself and others" or something along those lines...

Was on a push-bike (hybrid mountain/road bike) - no motors or assists.... (was about 10 years ago now too)

Unless they just had a slow day...

Edited April 27, 2020 by Ghozer

[Lockjaw 11]

Mine cuts out at about 16.7 mph.  No idea why it's a bit higher than it should be.

 

 

You can, I believe, buy a dongle which overides the limiter but, even putting aside the illegality, it seems rather pointless because it'll flatten your battery in no time.

 

 

 

[biotechpete 10]

3 hours ago, Ghozer said:

I can say myself that you are wrong, I got stopped at the bottom of a hill by police for going 'too fast down the hill, causing a potential hazard to myself and others" or something along those lines...

Was on a push-bike (hybrid mountain/road bike) - no motors or assists.... (was about 10 years ago now too)

Unless they just had a slow day...

Give you a ticket for that "causing a hazard to yourself and others" law breaking did they?  

 

Just because they stopped you doesn't mean they did so lawfully. As I can too attest to after having been stopped and breathalysed without due cause.

Edited April 27, 2020 by biotechpete

[Ghozer 112]

4 hours ago, biotechpete said:

Give you a ticket for that "causing a hazard to yourself and others" law breaking did they?  

 

Just because they stopped you doesn't mean they did so lawfully. As I can too attest to after having been stopped and breathalysed without due cause.

I wasn't breathalyzed, they simply stopped me, warned me for going to fast, said I was causing a hazard to others and risk to myself etc, and told me to be careful and not do it again... 

i'm sure if I did, and they saw me they would have stopped me again, and potentially ticketed or something...

[WalkleyIan 10]

E-bikes are great if you have a longish commute over 5 miles say, or need to carry a load. 

 

I try to ride mine with the assist turned down as much as possible. They are not quick at all on the flat just steady. If you go out with a mate who is on a conventional bike and is keeping a steady 17MPH you'll be riding a very heavy bike with no assistance at all till you drop back down to 15mph.  30 ebikes have gone out to Key workers in  Sheffield  and there is the well known doctor on an ebike over in Meersbrook . Seek him on twitter

 

They are brilliant at utility stuff and flattening the hills, eg Blake St .

 

Before the lockdown, as I'm now not going out due to asthma, I could do the run from Walkley to Hillsborough to get the dog food, then back up the hill in turbo mode in 20 minute for the trip and a couple of minutes in the pet shop whole trip. Try doing that in a car. You cant be done for speeding on a bicycle or breathalysed but you can be charged with cycling furiously. The drinking thing only comes in if you appear to be under the influence so it would be drunk and disorderly. 

 

And here is the great Danny McCaskill on a downhill  run  on an ebike  pre lockdown

 

https://youtu.be/ogFRcWso7-Q

[ads36 214]

i've got an ebike, i use it for commuting, i still use my 'normal' bikes at the weekend.

 

downhill : i'm much faster on my road bike, it's not even close. 

 

on the flat : i'm faster on my road bike. the assist cuts out at 16mph, and above that it's just hard work,  so i back off and enjoy the assistance.

 

uphill : is where the e-bike makes so much sense, i can choose quiet, direct, hilly routes, rather than flat, busy routes.

 

The idea that e-bikes are dangerous is just daft. they're only faster up hill, and then it's the difference between 7mph and 12. 

 

Other benefits: 

 

A) my e-bike is a more or less a mountain bike (it's a hybrid), with an upright position, and so a good view of what's going on around me

B) the bigger tyres mean i don't have to swerve around so many potholes, and i can take quieter, rougher lanes/tracks.

C) i'm not tired after a week of cycling to work, so i can get out for a run/ride/etc. at the weekend.

 

i have no desire to de-restrict it, to increase the assisted speed, it would just cane the battery too fast to be helpful. And i can already get around faster than driving.

Edited April 29, 2020 by ads36

[El Cid 213]

On 24/04/2020 at 13:15, Ghozer said:

For Electric bikes and such, it's more based on the motor power, has to be UNDER 250 Watts... (yes, they also use 25km/h or 15.5mph)
but for ease of remembering, and checking, any electric bike/EAPC that has a motor larger than 250 watts is illegal!

I bike with a larger motor would no longer be in the same class as a bicycle, it would need insurance because it would be in a similar class to a motor bike.