Twist and go ebike for someone with limited mobility?

[The Brewer]

Hello, long time no post
Due to health issues and general life crap, the Mrs and I want to get out for short rides. Problem is Mrs has fibromyalgia and turning peddles to assist her ride is a no no. Maybe we should be looking at mobility scooters, but to quote her " Not in this lifetime".
She used to have a very heavy twist and go bike, but looking for something as light as possible, cheap and foldable. I know twist and go have legal issues, but theoretically could you, easily, buy a peddle assist and convert to a twist and go......Sorry if I'm over stepping rules here

Cheers
Sean

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Nope.

 

[HMS_Dave]

It would be much easier to convert an already existing bike to a twist and go using an aftermarket ebike kit as the generally come with them with more open software. In terms of legality I believe they are legal but only upto 6mph or kph I can't remember exactly.... The idea is to assist you with walking with the bike and not to ride on it.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Probably not relevant but 'twist and go' were legal before 2016 - any bike originally made before then is still legal under the old regs - i.e. twist and go throttle allowed but max power is 200w rather than 250W
so potentially you might find and old one - but that has its own problems!!!

I do know that some LBS's will attach a throttle to some ebikes - as long as you promise that you are only going to use it on private land.
I did read somewhere that there may be a loophole for people with genuine mobility issues - after all it would be rather difficult to define the exact crossing point between a mobility scooter and an ebike
You might try looking around for some mobilty scootery type things that are a bit more exciting - that might help

and bear in mind - legal ebike motors (at least here in the UK) are not powerful enough to get you up a hill without the rider pedalling - and pedalling with some effort in most case - so you need to work out whether this is acceptable??

I search for 'ebikes for disabled' and it came up with a few things - including this
https://www.vanraam.com/en-gb/advice-inspiration/news/bike-for-disabled-people
you could always try ringing them??

 

[Drago]

It needs to cut put at 3.7 mph to be legal, the idea being that it gives a little solo assistance just to get moving, and no more. Above that it can only operate on a legal bike while the pedals are being assisted.

It's not easy to add to an existing bike. Most brands of e driver controller are deliberately designed to be bloody difficult to play with to prevent people illegally modifiying them.

The other issue is one of battery capacity. Ebikes are designed to assist, not provide the sole means of grunt, and people don't appreciate that batteries won't last very long at all when suddenly asked to provide 3 or 4 times the effort. Finding an illegal high power kit from a foreign manufacturer is physically the easist means of achieving this.

I do have great sympathy with your plight - Mrs D walks with a stick or is wheelchair bound, depending on the day, so can no longer ride either - but illegally modifying ebikes only serves to hasten the day where all us legal ebikers will be punished for it by having to have livence, insurance, etc.

 

[CXRAndy]

There are aftermarket kits which have a thumb throttle, so if you're practical, have a threaded bottom bracket bike, you can convert it to an ebike. If your lady ha mobility issues, Id suggest Bafang BBS02 kit

 

[Pale Rider]

A pedal sensor only motor will activate just by turning the pedals - known as glass pedalling or cranking.

However, you will still have the problem of a legal motor on its own being unable to get the rider up much of a hill.

Bafang is a reasonable make, and they do offer some illegal in the UK higher power motors which would probably do the job.

You could easily flatten an average sized battery in under 10 miles which you may, or may not, find acceptable.

 

[welsh dragon]

I thought they had been made illegal in the UK. Mine has a twist throttle but I never use it and my bike is 5 years old this year so was made before the new rules.

 

[numbnuts]

Probably not relevant but 'twist and go' were legal before 2016 - any bike originally made before then is still legal under the old regs - i.e. twist and go throttle allowed but max power is 200w rather than 250W
so potentially you might find and old one - but that has its own problems!!!

Crap

 

[Pale Rider]

Crap

Known as 'grandfather rights'.

So it is true to say that any twist and go bike which was legal at the time remains legal for as long as it lasts.

 

[welsh dragon]

Known as 'grandfather rights'.

So it is true to say that any twist and go bike which was legal at the time remains legal for as long as it lasts.

That was my understanding as well.

 

[Pale Rider]

That was my understanding as well.

You could maybe try your throttle to see if the motor will get you up a hill.

I've boldly asserted a legal motor won't, but it might for a much lighter rider than me.

 

[welsh dragon]

You could maybe try your throttle to see if the motor will get you up a hill.

I've boldly asserted a legal motor won't, but it might for a much lighter rider than me.

I used it once when I first got it and sure enough it will get you up quite a steep hill albeit very slowly. On a flat surface I should think it would take off quite fast and take you by surprise.

 

[numbnuts]

Known as 'grandfather rights'.

So it is true to say that any twist and go bike which was legal at the time remains legal for as long as it lasts.

I was refiring to the 200w power

 

[Pale Rider]

I used it once when I first got it and sure enough it will get you up quite a steep hill albeit very slowly. On a flat surface I should think it would take off quite fast and take you by surprise.

Looks like rider weight does play a large part, so a legal motor with a throttle might do the OP.

I was refiring to the 200w power

He's largely right about that as well, although it is slightly more complicated.

Ebikes were governed by an EU directive which stipulated 200w, however at some point the UK negotiated an easement, allowing 250w.

I'm not sure of the dates and the sequence, but the few surviving bikes from the late 90s are often 200w, particularly those with the Panasonic crank drive motor which was one of the first motors of that type to come to market.