Petition for law change - Ebike Assist Limit

[Pat "5mph"]

What you have now is companies supplying equipment that allows ebikers to break the law as the arbitrary figure of 15.6mph isn’t fast enough for club rides and road ride commutes, so they find illegal means of doing so. That causes even more danger than just a simple legal increase of the max speed assist limit.

In that case, we should have a petition to make the supply of such equipment illegal, not a petition to increase the max speed assist limit.

 

[Hacienda71]

Sorry but that is not what you said. I am just pointing out the correct meaning of the phrase in relation to "normal bikers".

It’s what normal bikers call free wheeling as they have no requirement to pedal as they already going as fast as they require......most non ebikers assume that you don’t require any rider input to propel an ebike, they just go by the power of magic. They forget they are pedal assist and therefore have sensors within them to up or decrease assistance if no input via the cranks is sensed

In this instance glass cranking as stated in a previous post is invariably limiting the assist level of the ebike and therefore would be detrimental to the ability of the bike reaching 25mph......as the poster assumed the bike was illegally de-restricted allowing next to no input from the rider. Crank based motors with cadence sensors require input from the rider and the lower the cadence/input the lower the level of assist ( again that’s on the new style of Ebikes now available) some may have older tech Ebikes without cadence sensors and with throttle control

I don’t believe the cube E road bike is of the old style as e road bikes are new to the market

 

[classic33]

Sorry but that is not what you said. I am just pointing out the correct meaning of the phrase in relation to "normal bikers".

I'm as normal as the next cyclist.

 

[jowwy]

Sorry but that is not what you said. I am just pointing out the correct meaning of the phrase in relation to "normal bikers".

I do stand corrected on what you class as the meaning of glass cranking.....

 

[Rusty Nails]

As e-bikes get faster and more popular I believe it is inevitable they will become subject to more regulation, including compulsory insurance and some form of licence fee, and inevitably as they get faster they will become more popular. It is too good an opportunity for revenue for any government.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Venod]

But if 20 mph is still too slow, are you now asking for 25mph? What next 30mph?

I think 20mph is reasonable a lot of group rides are between 16 to 20, I wouldn't advocate anything above that, we don't want ebikes on the chain gang, our local one sometimes averages 24 to 25mph for 40mile, not with me on it I hasten to add.

 

[Smudge]

I've noticed there does seem to be a culture of wanting ebikes to be motorbikes, but not wanting none of the legislation of motorbikes. Its almost like people want a motorcycle, but dont want the hassle of licence & running costs of one. So ebikes are seen as fair game now. I've honestly lost count of the amount of people that have asked 'Can you make em faster ?' Often followed by 'Does it charge as you're riding along ?' So they expect perpetual motion into the bargain.
On various forums i use, whenever ebikes come up, the thread always gets around to making them faster.
If ever i meet younger people on ebikes, who are often so young & fit they wouldn't need an ebike anyway, they are perfectly open about the fact their ebike is illegal... 'Dongled innit bruv'
Sometimes i feel like the whole ebike scene has been hijacked.

 

[booze and cake]

I think 20mph is reasonable a lot of group rides are between 16 to 20, I wouldn't advocate anything above that, we don't want ebikes on the chain gang, our local one sometimes averages 24 to 25mph for 40mile, not with me on it I hasten to add.

But I agree with @stoatsngroats point above, and what @Pat "5mph" has said. I don't see a few people not being able to keep up on a club run as being enough to justify changing the law, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

 

[jowwy]

I've noticed there does seem to be a culture of wanting ebikes to be motorbikes, but not wanting none of the legislation of motorbikes. Its almost like people want a motorcycle, but dont want the hassle of licence & running costs of one. So ebikes are seen as fair game now. I've honestly lost count of the amount of people that have asked 'Can you make em faster ?' Often followed by 'Does it charge as you're riding along ?' So they expect perpetual motion into the bargain.
On various forums i use, whenever ebikes come up, the thread always gets around to making them faster.
If ever i meet younger people on ebikes, who are often so young & fit they wouldn't need an ebike anyway, they are perfectly open about the fact their ebike is illegal... 'Dongled innit bruv'
Sometimes i feel like the whole ebike scene has been hijacked.

Again tarring all ebike users with the same brush.........

 

[Smudge]

Again tarring all ebike users with the same brush.........

Not really, otherwise i'd be tarring myself as well.
But we know many non road legal ebikes are out there.

 

[Hacienda71]

I do stand corrected on what you class as the meaning of glass cranking.....

It is not what I class as the meaning, it is the meaning...................

 

[jowwy]

Not really, otherwise i'd be tarring myself as well.
But we know many non road legal ebikes are out there.

We do, but there are also many many legal ones.......

 

[Smudge]

About this petition..... Does anyone on here think there's any possibility of it giving ebikes a higher motor cut off speed ?
I highly doubt there's any chance of it. Its been an interesting topic though.

 

[jowwy]

About this petition..... Does anyone on here think there's any possibility of it giving ebikes a higher motor cut off speed ?
I highly doubt there's any chance of it. Its been an interesting topic though.

It may not.....but I have tweeted the minister for transport about the increase in e bike cut offs inline with his increase in c2w allowance for e bikes....

With current rhetoric around climate change, pollution and congestion. I can only see a plus side for the use of e bikes to help with these issues.

 

[NickWi]

Again tarring all ebike users with the same brush.........

I've got to agree with Smudge on this on. There are a lot of people out there who want to ride what is in effect an electric motorbike. All the speed, none of the responsibility. You have to draw a line at some point between a power assited bicycle and a powered bicycle. IMHO the current laws reflect this balance nicely and I therefore won't be signing the partition. I also think that ebike are sitting nice and quietly under the radar. Increase the speed and it's just another bit of ammunition for the tax, insurance etc brigade (and if you read the press last week there was a somewhat biased survey calling for just that).