Illegal electric bikes

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hi all
I have noticed recently that more illegal electric bike have been appearing - normally ridden by young (to me) people wearing a dark hoodie

Yesterday I stopped at a red light - a car stopped behind me in the one and only lane - and someone on an electric bike shot past - at speed - and went across the junction on red - doing a wheelie

no-one died - by luck

and I have seen several around in other areas

clearly we all know (on here anyway) that these are illegal in the UK unless specifically registered with the DVLA and has number plates, user wears a helmet etc etc

I was wondering if other people have seen an increase in the number on the road???

Thanks

 

[fossyant]

There are a number of MX bikes starting to appear, with the front triangle 'filled in' with battery. These are really motorbikes. Two lads had some on our caravan site - I reported them as the site have banned electric scooters too due to the risk to many elderly and young residents.

The MX bikes are quite expensive, but I've seen quite a few Chinese Fat bikes - they are about £1500, but will do in excess of 30mph. I've often seen a guy on a local shared use path with one of these. Fortunately he was only doing around 15 MPH, but given he was hardly pedaling, and I was killing myself on a full suspension MTB to catch him. The other issue is many of these have questionable components quality, especially brakes.

Going at speed on one of these, with dodgy brakes is a recipe.

About 18 months ago I saw two young lads at Llandegla on these MX bikes, with an older guy (probably their dad) was on a 'normal' eMTB. If the lads on the electric MX bikes caused an accident there would be loads of legal consequences. These aren't allowed on the trails.

 

[fossyant]

We also have an issue with 'real' MX bikes and young lads. I'm just waiting for one of them to get a wobble pulling a wheelie down a main road and end up under a truck, it would be the truck drivers fault ! Thing is, everyone knows which area they are coming from, but the cops don't give a stuff.

 

[ianrauk]

Cycle commuting in London everyday I see a heck of a lot of leccy bikes. Ownership seems to be growing at a very quick rate.
Most seem to be ridden by uber eat or just eat delivery or suchlike. Most if not all of those bikes are definitely unrestricted.

Of the few 'normal' cycle commuters riding leccy bike's I see, I would say that 2 out of every 3 I see are unrestricted.

Am I bothered about these unrestricted bikes? No. Not in the slightest. Any form of alternative transport that get's people out of cars is fine with, and as long as they don't bother me, then more power to their unrestricted elbows.

 

[DCLane]

Locally there's a big increase near me as I'm in a hilly area. Some have lights but there's others that have no lights, unrestricted and behaving badly. It looks like they've moved from mountain bikes to modified e-bikes.

 

[T4tomo]

saw a chap riding / driving one last night, his legs were just dangling, not pedalling, no lights on a unit stretch of 40mph road, dressed in a dark hoodie

 

[cyberknight]

An illegal conversation jobbie parked at work ,they even took the chain off so it's all electric power

 

[gbb]

Seen one or two a while back but havn't seen any for a while.
Personally, i have seen some what appears to be ridiculous conversions, massive motors, 48v batteries that claim 30mph plus but it seems a bit shortsighted if a buyer doesnt realise the drain that is going to have on the battery...or the time such a big battery is going to need to recharge...and the lifespan of said battery is surely going to be significantly shorter...and very expensive to replace.
Seems to me people just see the extra speed benefit, but the drawbacks look significant.

 

[matticus]

Remember: one person in the UK is injured
every 20 minutes

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I agree with a lot of the above - if they are behaving reasonably - like not speeding down a track at 30 or blasting around ignoring other road users and expecting them to get out of the way then I don't have a problem

Of course - if it is a normal bike that someone had slammed a big motor in - but left the brakes as 15 year old rim brakes - then that is also a problem

My main worry is that there will be an accident - or several of them - and the Daily Fail (and others) will start a campaign and normal legal ebikes will get caught up in it. I like the current situation where my legal ebike can help me when I want but is looked at as a normal bike in all legal respects - I don't want some idiot on something else producing a backlash that messes up people like me.

 

[kynikos]

Remember: one person in the UK is injured
every 20 minutes

Poor fellah, he must be very clumsy?

 

[Drago]

In the eyes of an aleady anti cycling public these illegal bikes are ridden by the illegitimate spawh of Satan and Bin Laden. Theyll get us either banned or regulated. Twits.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

In the eyes of an aleady anti cycling public these illegal bikes are ridden by the illegitimate spawh of Satan and Bin Laden. Theyll get us either banned or regulated. Twits.

Wasn‘t it Bike Laden?

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Wasn‘t it Bike Laden?

No that's his brother, he's a paid up CTC member. I think they both wore sandals though.

 

[Drago]

Indeed. Bin Laden himself wasn't hard enough to survive on the CUK forum.