So what exactly do you want.......As an industry we are looking for best practice from our retailers and at least honestly about the products use.
Adding a dongle to an Ebike means it is no longer legally classed as a bicycle and no longer CE certified, so can't be sold by a responsible seller and can't be used by a responsible user.
It's not like buying a fast motorbike, because a shop can legally sell a fast motorbike and you can legally use a fast motorbike. An Ebike sold with a dongle does not conform to trading standards law and we've found no where in Europe they can really be legally used.
Compare it to a racing motorbike that's for tracks only, ie one you can't use on the road, with no tax, no mot and no insurance. That's what they are like.
So proper bike shops should not be selling them if they want the Ebike industry in the uk to survive.
The good news is Cube have called me and back this 100%, and the director of Scott Uk is calling me on Monday, so it's really just haibike left.
There are close to 50 Ebike shops who are currently chatting via email about a joint letter / agreement to support a professional stance on this matter and try to make sure customers are given the correct information.
Hopefully progress is being made.
None of those 3 options as 1 and 2 aren't possible and 3 isn't acceptable or even true.So what exactly do you want.......
Dealers to voluntarily stop selling dongles ?
The selling of dongles to be made illegal ?
Or dealers to just make it clear that dongles should only be used on private land ?
Why isn't 3 acceptable or true ?None of those 3 options as 1 and 2 aren't possible and 3 isn't acceptable or even true.
The selling of dongles isn't illegal and we can't and don't expert that to stop.
What we are looking for is for the brands of bike that sell proper offroad mountain bikes, ie KTM, Cube, Scott, Trek, Haibike etc etc to require our dealers to stick to a simple code of best practice that is honest with customers and creates a level legal playing field in which they can all trade, and doesn't jeopardise future eMTB access rights.
Professionally run Ebike shops do not sell ebikes equipped with dongles for a whole host of reasons. There are a small number of ebikes shops that do, and these are misleading customers on a number of levels and putting you as customers at risk whilst also potentially killing the industry in the uk with their actions.
So what we want is a network of uk dealers that don't sell dongle'd bikes and offer clear reasons why they don't, so that end consumers are informed clearly.
I can't see any logic in that statement. So he stops selling dongles, 70% (a wild guess) of his customers then go elsewhere for their bike. Oh yes the growth is elsewhere doh.The remainder is up to Martin, but if he has any sense, then he will see that by stopping the promoting of dongles for e-mtb use and the selling of, he would actually be encouraging growth, not destroying it. Something that I'm sure that everyone would love to see.
Doesn’t meet the requirements of a vociferous minority of customers. Most users are content with the speed limits and the compromises which had to be made to allow us to ride pedelecs free of regulation anywhere an unpowered bicycle can be ridden.I can't see any logic in that statement. So he stops selling dongles, 70% (a wild guess) of his customers then go elsewhere for their bike. Oh yes the growth is elsewhere doh.
But seriously how can there be growth when the then standard product doesn't meet the requirements of the customer?
Is it a minority though? and those who oppose seem pretty vociferous to me.Doesn’t meet the requirements of a vociferous minority of customers. Most users are content with the speed limits and the compromises which had to be made to allow us to ride pedelecs free of regulation anywhere an unpowered bicycle can be ridden.
Sorry to sound naive. A "dongled" bike has the restriction of 25kph removed. A Spedelec (which most manufacturers - including KTM) has a larger motor but is restricted to a higher limit. Spedelec needs to be registered plated and insured.
So my question is why are Spedelec sold in the UK as surely not plating them is as bad as dongling a pedelec. How does one test ride a Spedelec? Does it have "trade plates"? Why can I buy one in a shop and ride it home? I know a car dealer won't let me drive a car home unless it's taxed first.
Or am I completely riding up the wrong path here?
Since I think everyone would agree that dongles are fitted to a fairly small minority of bikes that could have them then I would say it’s a minority interest really.Is it a minority though? and those who oppose seem pretty vociferous to me.
It’s only a big deal for the makers and users of legal eMBs which is what this thread is all about. As usual many people half read these threads and jump in thinking that it’s about all pedelec derestriction.If its such a small minority that are fitting them, then its not really a big deal then. On one hand some are saying thats a small minority fitting dongles and on the other some are saying its a threat to the way of life of EMTB's.
But i dont believe it is a minority, because its not just dongles, its soldering the shunt in controllers and resetting the max speed in digital displays along with dongles.
The fact is many people want more speed than the legal 15.5 mph.... If they want it, they are going to do it in whatever way they can.
Whenever someone talks to me about my Ebike, they almost always ask how fast is it and can you make them faster.