Jody
Stubborn git
It's opening up an unwanted avenue if it's on throttle acceleration with a doubling of power.
It should assist the rider only.
Current e-bike wattage.
- Thread starter albion
- Start date
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It's opening up an unwanted avenue if it's on throttle acceleration with a doubling of power.
It should assist the rider only.
wiggydiggy
Guru
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Why should e-bikers feel that they 'need' to be able to ride much faster than me? I struggle to do 5 mph up steep hills and I can ride much faster than 15 mph on the flat!
I reckon that I can only sustain 225-250 W on a good day so an e-biker making any kind of reasonable effort can outpower me as it is. Most seem able to overtake me uphill even on what seem to be currently legal e-bikes.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
At my peak weight nudging 20 stones, both my humble and Carrera and more expensive Trek used to hoist me up some very steep inclines with aplomb within the current legal constraints.
The temporary boost above 250w is already allowed and on the bikes with a beefier motor like the 85nm Bosch on my eMTB , makes steep hills a breeze. 20% feels like nothing in turbo mode except you have to lean your weight forward a lot or the torque reaction will easily flip you backwards. Conversely on the Orbea e-road bike which has a genuine max 250w and a lowish torque, a long 15-20% means you have to put in a lot yourself and I do slow down a lot so it sounds like a similar scenario to yours.
If there had to be a change, I feel that upping the assist limit slightly (20mph or maybe just 30km/h - 18.6mph) while keeping everything else the same, 250w continuous, pedal assist would be most beneficial. I don't really need it but I think there would be quite a few people encouraged out of their cars. Those that build 1000w conversions and don't care about legality will do so regardless. With the current situation, many people feel that 15mph isn't enough for their commute to keep up with traffic and so they derestrict. If they take that leap then the logical progression is why bother with 20 or 25, as it's equally illegal. So I think it might actually reduce the derestrictions increase compliance, but it would need to be accompanied by better enforcement.
There is a case for throttle especially for the less able setting off up a steep hill, where you might need half a pedal rotation before the assist kicks in and some people can struggle to get going, but this in my view should only work to around maybe 8-10mph at which point it would only continue to work if pedalling as well. There is an existing provision for a walk assist throttle to about 4mph which can be effective in some cases but a slightly higher cutoff would be helpful for many.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Basically, I think that e-bikes should help people ride like cyclists. If they want to ride like motorcyclists then be motorcyclists!
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
They are always wanting more these lazy e-bikers, give then a watt, and they want megawatts.
SPOT the
before you all start getting upset. It's a joke. 
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
[MOD NOTE] Moved to Ebike forum
Agreed, with a minor amendment
I think I'm now a fair bit fitter than the average e-biker, and probably would not have bothered with one if my commute was flatter. Having got one though, I found they're grrrreeaattt! 🐅 So I got another for off road. Then realised neither were perfect for my commute and converted my hybrid too!
Depending how I feel, I might try @ColinJ 's entire Garforth ride unassisted, though I've a feeling I might cave towards the end.
Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
It would still only be assisting the rider if it was upped to 500W. If the cut-off is still 15mph then the only advantage over a conventinoal bicycle is up hills where you're not going to be going fast anyway. Cyclists can still do more than 15mph if they want, which many do
Exactly. This isn't about creating a new class of motorsied vehicle; it's about helping those who need it to get where they want to go a little quicker and with less effort. To oppose this just smacks of "why should they get to go faster than me?"
It doesn't have to be either or. There is an emerging need for something inbetween for those who can't or don't wat to get a motorcycle license. A 500W ebike would put out around 0.67bhp, whereas a moped is about 3bhp, vastly different.
- Location
- Inside my skull
Aka motorbikes
Not E-Motorbikes. Though I'm seeing more and more of those on my commute. Riders of these usually do stick to the HC and don't ride like dicks as apposed to de-restricted e-bike riders.
- Location
- Inside my skull
Ah but if they can go fast without pedalling it’s not an e-bike and if stopped I’d expect Police and courts to treat it as a e motorbike under the law.
wiggydiggy
Guru
I'm opposing that a 500w motor is supposed to solve the issue of some riders needing more assistance as I believe this can instead be achieved with better gearing on a 250w motor and no law change.
Over the past few years of commuting in SE London and seeing the rise of E-Bikles I have only ever seen the police do a stop and seize once. The likelyhood of them getting stopped is near zero methinks.
