Can you legally ride a faster ebike?
Discussion
So In the UK ebikes are limited to 25kph, right? Can you legally ride a faster one, can your road register them and insure them?
Is there a market for that kind of “vehicle”
I currently cycle to work once a week when the going is good, other times i go ages without cycling. The main reason is it’s a 100km round trip which means between 4 and 4 1/2 hours cycling a day, which is time I cannot alway afford. As I average between 25 and 28kph on most trips, an ebike wouldn’t actually save me time and therefore couldn’t replace a car.
But if the ebike could do say, 50kph or just over 30mph, I could be at work in an hour, which is what it takes for me to drive some days. I’m never doing that on a normal bike, and if I’m going flat out I’d still get a lot of the benefits of cycling and it could realistically replace the car for most of my commute.
Could that be the future? Would tax and insurance make it impossible / unattractive, can you even tax and insure an ebike?
Is there a market for that kind of “vehicle”
I currently cycle to work once a week when the going is good, other times i go ages without cycling. The main reason is it’s a 100km round trip which means between 4 and 4 1/2 hours cycling a day, which is time I cannot alway afford. As I average between 25 and 28kph on most trips, an ebike wouldn’t actually save me time and therefore couldn’t replace a car.
But if the ebike could do say, 50kph or just over 30mph, I could be at work in an hour, which is what it takes for me to drive some days. I’m never doing that on a normal bike, and if I’m going flat out I’d still get a lot of the benefits of cycling and it could realistically replace the car for most of my commute.
Could that be the future? Would tax and insurance make it impossible / unattractive, can you even tax and insure an ebike?
Bacon Is Proof said:
Just get a petrol scooter.
Even better, get the Seat Mo eScooter https://www.seat.co.uk/mo/seat-mo-125.html60 mph, removable 3 pin briefcase size battery pack, 87 mile range, zero emission…. If I had a commute to do, I’d be on it in a shot
Bacon Is Proof said:
Just get a petrol scooter.
Nowhere to put it ( doesn’t fit in the shed), would mean I have to get a “motorbike” past the wife, and it’s not cycling. Whereas an hour flat out on a ebike is the same workout as an hour flat out on a normal bike, you’ve just gone further and faster.I have just started commuting on an E bike.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/el...
This article explains it quite simply.
Must admit I would be tempted to go quicker on my commute. But even now, drivers don't anticipate you going so quickly and I dread to think how I would fare in an accident going quicker for longer times/ distances. I know I regularly go quicker than 15mph on my bike, but with the assistance up the hills you suddenly have more energy to go quicker on the flat and downhill.
I used to use the downhill stretches to 'recover' after a climb - now I 'attack' downhill even more.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/product-news/el...
This article explains it quite simply.
Must admit I would be tempted to go quicker on my commute. But even now, drivers don't anticipate you going so quickly and I dread to think how I would fare in an accident going quicker for longer times/ distances. I know I regularly go quicker than 15mph on my bike, but with the assistance up the hills you suddenly have more energy to go quicker on the flat and downhill.
I used to use the downhill stretches to 'recover' after a climb - now I 'attack' downhill even more.
How much time is spent sub 25 kph?
I found that my average increased but it’s terrain dependant.
Flats are at the same speed but the hills don’t slow me as much as they used to and recovery is quicker so I can make better use of the flats.
Can’t see that you would get much more than around another 5/7 kph.
I found that my average increased but it’s terrain dependant.
Flats are at the same speed but the hills don’t slow me as much as they used to and recovery is quicker so I can make better use of the flats.
Can’t see that you would get much more than around another 5/7 kph.
Yes you can get faster e-bikes.
They are generally referred to as "Speed Pedalecs" or "S-Pedalecs". They'll do 28mph, and need to be registered and insured. They aren't that popular due to the extra legalities involved, but there are specialist e-bike dealers out there that sell them and can help with getting them registered etc.
They are generally referred to as "Speed Pedalecs" or "S-Pedalecs". They'll do 28mph, and need to be registered and insured. They aren't that popular due to the extra legalities involved, but there are specialist e-bike dealers out there that sell them and can help with getting them registered etc.
I've seen people get the higher output ebikes through an MSVA and road registered. Andy Kirby on youtube did at the start of 2020 if you want to see the process. But then you're talking about an electric motorbike, with the driving licence, numberplate, speedo, helmet and insurance requirements that go with it.
Sustained higher power output for longer distances means a bigger motor and batteries which then compromise how they are as a pedal bike.
See if you can get your hands on a legal road / dropbar ebike to try, although the pedal assist drops off at higher speeds, they'll still go faster with your legs so you may find a worthwhile speed boost. Assistance to blast up the hills, fresher legs to go quicker on the flat, and normal speeds down hills.
Sustained higher power output for longer distances means a bigger motor and batteries which then compromise how they are as a pedal bike.
See if you can get your hands on a legal road / dropbar ebike to try, although the pedal assist drops off at higher speeds, they'll still go faster with your legs so you may find a worthwhile speed boost. Assistance to blast up the hills, fresher legs to go quicker on the flat, and normal speeds down hills.
This article might be worth a read:
https://www.google.de/amp/s/ebiketips.road.cc/cont...
I see plenty of these ‘speed Pedelecs’ in Germany.
It is annoying when they blast past you at 45kmh on the cycle paths. They’re not allowed on them here; they should stick to the roads, by law.
https://www.google.de/amp/s/ebiketips.road.cc/cont...
I see plenty of these ‘speed Pedelecs’ in Germany.
It is annoying when they blast past you at 45kmh on the cycle paths. They’re not allowed on them here; they should stick to the roads, by law.
Based on my experience...
You can buy a road legal mid drive bike, chip it and it will do 30mph.
You can buy a road legal rear hub/250w motor, derestrict it and it will do about 20mph.
If you're pedalling a road legal ebike on the road and doing 20 to 25mph, the rozzers will usually turn a blind eye. The rozzers will likely not turn a blind eye if you meet any of these;
You're doing 20+ on the pavement
Your ebike has a massive battery and hugh rear motor wheel
It looks like a DIY disaster with wires everywhere
You're going fast and not pedalling as your using a throttle
The thing is though, you don't want to go fast on a pedal bike regardless because...
Lycra is not very good at preventing serious injury when you crash at 20+ MPG and hit something harder than you are. On a moped/motorbike you have armour and a decent helmet.
Other road users don't expect pedal bike to be going that fast and will pull out on you.
Roads bike are bloody uncomfortable to ride at 30mph consistently as they are fully rigid with skinny tyres
Suspension MTBs are just as stupid at those speeds as they are just too big and heavy, under geared for it and have the aerodynamics of a brick.
You can buy a road legal mid drive bike, chip it and it will do 30mph.
You can buy a road legal rear hub/250w motor, derestrict it and it will do about 20mph.
If you're pedalling a road legal ebike on the road and doing 20 to 25mph, the rozzers will usually turn a blind eye. The rozzers will likely not turn a blind eye if you meet any of these;
You're doing 20+ on the pavement
Your ebike has a massive battery and hugh rear motor wheel
It looks like a DIY disaster with wires everywhere
You're going fast and not pedalling as your using a throttle
The thing is though, you don't want to go fast on a pedal bike regardless because...
Lycra is not very good at preventing serious injury when you crash at 20+ MPG and hit something harder than you are. On a moped/motorbike you have armour and a decent helmet.
Other road users don't expect pedal bike to be going that fast and will pull out on you.
Roads bike are bloody uncomfortable to ride at 30mph consistently as they are fully rigid with skinny tyres
Suspension MTBs are just as stupid at those speeds as they are just too big and heavy, under geared for it and have the aerodynamics of a brick.
pablo said:
Bacon Is Proof said:
Just get a petrol scooter.
Even better, get the Seat Mo eScooter https://www.seat.co.uk/mo/seat-mo-125.html60 mph, removable 3 pin briefcase size battery pack, 87 mile range, zero emission…. If I had a commute to do, I’d be on it in a shot
I have discussed this a few times with a friend of mine who has numerous e-bikes. What has been said already is correct:
Anything that is electrically assisted above 15.5mph is classed as motorised vehicle and requires tax, insurance, DVLA registration, proper motorcycle helmet, etc.
A 'Speed Pedelec' bicycle is the same category as a petrol engine Moped. As above, needs DVLA Registration, tax, insurance, proper helmet etc etc.
Get caught with something that goes above 15.5mph via electric power and you might as well be riding a Yamaha R1 without a licence, insurance, MOT, or helmet as far as the law is concerned.
It all comes down to your appetite for risk. For me personally, it isn't worth it riding an illegal ebike. Going slightly faster on a bicycle by a few mph isn't worth the severe penalties if you get caught.
For my friend who I was talking to about it, he feels the risk of getting caught is almost zero. He built his own e-bike that does 50mph, yet looks like a ordinary and inexpensive bicycle. He has a decent size hub motor on the rear, and the batteries are in a shoebox sized pannier bag on a rack above the back wheel. Looks like the sort of bicycle a retired person would use to go shopping, yet it wheelies off the throttle.
He's ridden it daily (goes to work on it) for over 2 years and said the police have never even looked at him.
I was looking at 'fast' electric bikes, but since I have a full motorcycle licence, if I did go down that route, I would simply buy one that could be registered and ride it legally. Something like this:
https://powerbikes.uk/electric-motorbikes-mopeds/p...
Anything that is electrically assisted above 15.5mph is classed as motorised vehicle and requires tax, insurance, DVLA registration, proper motorcycle helmet, etc.
A 'Speed Pedelec' bicycle is the same category as a petrol engine Moped. As above, needs DVLA Registration, tax, insurance, proper helmet etc etc.
Get caught with something that goes above 15.5mph via electric power and you might as well be riding a Yamaha R1 without a licence, insurance, MOT, or helmet as far as the law is concerned.
It all comes down to your appetite for risk. For me personally, it isn't worth it riding an illegal ebike. Going slightly faster on a bicycle by a few mph isn't worth the severe penalties if you get caught.
For my friend who I was talking to about it, he feels the risk of getting caught is almost zero. He built his own e-bike that does 50mph, yet looks like a ordinary and inexpensive bicycle. He has a decent size hub motor on the rear, and the batteries are in a shoebox sized pannier bag on a rack above the back wheel. Looks like the sort of bicycle a retired person would use to go shopping, yet it wheelies off the throttle.
He's ridden it daily (goes to work on it) for over 2 years and said the police have never even looked at him.
I was looking at 'fast' electric bikes, but since I have a full motorcycle licence, if I did go down that route, I would simply buy one that could be registered and ride it legally. Something like this:
https://powerbikes.uk/electric-motorbikes-mopeds/p...
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