Cycle Surgery to close . . . . ?

[Smokin Joe]

Specifically e-bikes. That is one very bright light on the horizon. We’ve seen people going from despising them, to taking an interest, to becoming enthusiasts. I’ve seen a forecast of something like 130 million sales in the EU over the next 5 years.

E bikes are the future of utility cycling. Most people regard cycling as too much hard work, which it is unless you are interested in it for it's own sake. Those of us who are form a small minority and the person who just wants to get to work or around town quickly and cheaply are in the main body of cyclists.

Halfords E bikes start at less than £400 for a small wheel adult bike and they have five models with standard wheels at under five.

 

[NorthernDave]

E bikes are the future of utility cycling. Most people regard cycling as too much hard work, which it is unless you are interested in it for it's own sake. Those of us who are form a small minority and the person who just wants to get to work or around town quickly and cheaply are in the main body of cyclists.

Halfords E bikes start at less than £400 for a small wheel adult bike and they have five models with standard wheels at under five.

On a related note, the Halfords nearest me now has a sizeable display of ebikes on the main shop floor, away from the cycle section that is up a steep stair case at the back of the shop.

They also appear to have cut back on the "better" bikes stocked, focussed more on the cheaper end of ordinary bikes.

 

[roley poley]

lots of product placement goes on and it has been said it is a "science" . I partly understand but notice that exit through the gift shop applies in many places I go to "He knows too much...BANG !"

 

[Smokin Joe]

On a related note, the Halfords nearest me now has a sizeable display of ebikes on the main shop floor, away from the cycle section that is up a steep stair case at the back of the shop.

They also appear to have cut back on the "better" bikes stocked, focussed more on the cheaper end of ordinary bikes.

A long standing LBS in Cardigan has now taken to specialising in e bikes, stocking only a small range of conventional cycles. Last time I was in there he told me that his e bikes had become by far the biggest sellers which made him decide to switch.

 

[ozboz]

The C9 cycle highway is on the go now, so with the high volume of ebikes that are possibly going to used commuting on it , as with other cycle paths etc, I am thinking on the lines that speeding could cause problems, I witnessed a bloke who looked to be as old as me blasting through walkers in Richmond Park on the shared pathways, it looked like a Kawasaki dirt bike with the size of the wheel as on it, I am going to an LCC meeting in
February, there is a Dr Will Gorden in attendance , he has a position within the TfL I think , I will ask
A few questions if there are to be limits on speed and behaviours regarding ebiker’s

 

[Smokin Joe]

E bikes are limited to 15mph. Hardly a problem when people here quote their average speed as 17-18mph and a blast at 30+ is no problem for most of us.

 

[Pale Rider]

Road legal ebikes are no problem, apart from the extra weight possibly adding to injury in the event of a collision.

Lots of people have a story about being greased by an illegal bike, but the numbers of those are tiny.

Virtually every complete ebike sold in the UK is legal.

Halfords, as with all things cycling, dominate.

All their ebikes are legal.

 

[robgul]

Road legal ebikes are no problem, apart from the extra weight possibly adding to injury in the event of a collision.

Lots of people have a story about being greased by an illegal bike, but the numbers of those are tiny.

Virtually every complete ebike sold in the UK is legal.

Halfords, as with all things cycling, dominate.

All their ebikes are legal.

Yebbut, for lots ebikes, even the big brands, bootleg software is available quite readily to tweak the controls to double the speed limiter threshold - chap I know has an ebike that he rides at 25+mph (idiot in my view)

Rob

 

[Pale Rider]

Yebbut, for lots ebikes, even the big brands, bootleg software is available quite readily to tweak the controls to double the speed limiter threshold - chap I know has an ebike that he rides at 25+mph (idiot in my view)

Rob

It is a matter of how many people tinker with their bike, but that is not always easy.

The most popular motor system is probably Bosch.

It was possible to 'dongle' a Bosch bike.

However, Bosch has designed the latest motors to prevent that.

They are, of course, routinely criticised for being too locked down - the Apple of ebikes.

The Halfords Carrera with the Suntour hub motor is probably the next most popular.

That's another one which is very difficult to derestrict.

Ebikes have become more popular.

When I bought my first ebike eight years ago it was the only one I ever saw.

Now I have several cycling acquaintances with ebikes.

None of them have any idea of or interest in derestriction.

Kits are the best option for those who want to ignore the law.

I know what stuff to buy to build a contraption that would pull up to 30mph.

But I also know that such a bike would be all but useless, using essentially low quality Chinese electrics which, even when it worked, would have a tiny range and be rubbish at climbing.

 

[ianrauk]

On my daily commute through the wastelands of SE London, the majority of EBikes I do see have obviously been chipped.
I'm not saying this out of sour grapes, as @Pale Rider I hope would agree, i'm no slouch on a bike. But some of these EBikes in use are clearly chipped and can leave me standing when up to speed.

 

[Pale Rider]

On my daily commute through the wastelands of SE London, the majority of EBikes I do see have obviously been chipped.
I'm not saying this out of sour grapes, as @Pale Rider I hope would agree, i'm no slouch on a bike. But some of these EBikes in use are clearly chipped and can leave me standing when up to speed.

I would certainly agree that you are no slouch, and no legal ebike could leave you standing.

Quite the reverse, you would simply ease past 15mph and leave them standing.

A legal ebike might give you a good run for your money on a long climb, although if you recall you beat me up Ditchling Beacon.

 

[Dogtrousers]

In central London (Soho) I sometimes see people on e-bikes with enormous tyres that don't seem to require any pedalling at all. Surely they are naughty (the lack of need to pedal, not the big tyres, that is). They just look like very skinny scrambler motorbikes.

 

[Pale Rider]

In central London (Soho) I sometimes see people on e-bikes with enormous tyres that don't seem to require any pedalling at all. Surely they are naughty (the lack of need to pedal, not the big tyres, that is). They just look like very skinny scrambler motorbikes.

Almost certainly illegal, although the rules surrounding throttles are complex.

Grandfather rights apply, so some owners may have an older ebike with a throttle that is legal.

Start up throttles are legal, thus any bike is allowed to work on a throttle up to about 7mph.

To further complicate matters, the UK has an easement from the Euro regulations which ban full speed throttles.

Best interpretation of that is a throttle is legal if actuated by the cranks, thus the user would still have to at least 'glass' or shadow pedal.

Another point is that a legal nominal 250 watt motor wouldn't be capable of doing much more than propelling the bike at slow speed on level ground, depending on bike and rider weight and the usual factors that influence rolling resistance.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Thanks @Pale Rider TBH I don't think I've seen one of these bikes go at > 7mph. I've just seen someone hop on and tootle off down a busy street without pedalling. And come to think of it it's probably one bike singular, rather than plural, that I've seen several times.

 

[Pale Rider]

As a linked point, there is a court case coming up involving a pedestrian killed by an ebiker.

He legged it at the time - literally - leaving the bike at the scene.

Some speculation the bike is an illegal one.

That may or may not play much part in the court case.

In terms of legal responsibility for causing the death, the legality of the vehicle is largely irrelevant.

What matters is if the cyclist's riding was careless or dangerous, and if the manner of that riding caused the death.

The bike only matters in the sense that it has to be a 'mechanically propelled vehicle', which it is.

The law doesn't specify whether or not it has to be otherwise road legal.