Boris Johnson plans to give police electric bikes that 'can climb stairs'

[wheels]

Just came across this interesting article on the telegraph website...Boris is looking for sponsorship to allow police to trial the HaiBike eQ Xduro FS.

Boris Johnson plans to give police electric bikes that 'can climb stairs' - Telegraph

 

[50 Hertz]

Just came across this interesting article on the telegraph website...Boris is looking for sponsorship to allow police to trial the HaiBike eQ Xduro FS.

Boris Johnson plans to give police electric bikes that 'can climb stairs' - Telegraph

Good news. Anything which encourages the take up of cycling can't be mocked. It's just a pity that the man promoting the idea looks like a well nourished blow dried dandelion.

 

[flecc]

Impractical idea, dreamed up by someone who simply doesn't appreciate the essential load content that properly equipped police bikes have to carry. By the time that bike is fully equipped with mudguards, a strong enough carrier, all the pannier contents and additional electrics including lighting, blue warning lights and siren gear, plus the bulk of many PC Plods, the rear suspension will probably begin to bottom out and the bike would lose it's agility.

The reason for these impractical political ideas from Boris like his unfunded new cycleways proposal is that he's run out of completing all of previous mayor Ken Livingstones projects, so he's now trying to be original, something obviously beyond him.
.

 

[DavePat]

Was Boris inspired by this?

Justebikes | UP Aldeburgh Town Steps | HAiBiKE X Duro FS electric mountain bike - YouTube

Very impressive, not!

Laboured and not that successful really.

Not that I would say no to one one of those, or one of the lower specced Haibikes.

 

[AlMel]

Flecc: are there no longer any police on 'dry' bicycles? There are loads of them in Paris. Quite smart they look. E-bikes are being used in some other towns.

 

[flecc]

Flecc: are there no longer any police on 'dry' bicycles? There are loads of them in Paris. Quite smart they look. E-bikes are being used in some other towns.

There are a few in various places, in the West End of London for example there's a squad of cycle police on unpowered and fully equipped bikes. From their own accounts they are mainly a problem for drivers not wearing seatbelts etc, since in Central London's jams the bikes easily catch up with any passing motorist. There's also cycling paramedics there, quickly able to get to the scene of medical incidents. Neither have tried e-bikes.

One problem with e-bikes on routine duties is that they cannot complete a busy 8 hour day shift on a battery. On a busy day the police and paramedics could easily be using the power for six hours or more, often at maximum power. e-Pedicabs had the same problem if they didn't use very large batteries. Similar objections apply to using e-bikes on postal duties.

 

[Martin@e-bikeshop]

Boris obviously has good taste!

Martin

 

[james@justebikes.co.uk]

I... By the time that bike is fully equipped with mudguards, a strong enough carrier, all the pannier contents and additional electrics including lighting, blue warning lights and siren gear, plus the bulk of many PC Plods, the rear suspension will probably begin to bottom out...
.

Flecc our heaviest full suspension Haibike customer weighs 32 stone. The bike copes very well - with 260psi in the rear air spring (15 below max) it does not bottom out.

 

[flecc]

Flecc our heaviest full suspension Haibike customer weighs 32 stone.

That just makes me feel sorry for the NHS who will have to cope with the inevitable consequences.

The bike copes very well - with 260psi in the rear air spring (15 below max) it does not bottom out.

That's good to hear James, but I still think a non-rear suspension bike would be more suited for long term reliability in police work on Central London's streets. They aren't exactly strewn with boulders and potholes. But ultimately as remarked earlier, e-bikes are not really able to do a whole shift work without at least one battery swap and the police of the two forces are managing fine at present on their unpowered ones in the mostly flat centres of the West End and City of London.

 

[james@justebikes.co.uk]

That just makes me feel sorry for the NHS who will have to cope with the inevitable consequences.



That's good to hear James, but I still think a non-rear suspension bike would be more suited for long term reliability in police work on Central London's streets. They aren't exactly strewn with boulders and potholes. But ultimately as remarked earlier, e-bikes are not really able to do a whole shift work without at least one battery swap and the police of the two forces are managing fine at present on their unpowered ones in the mostly flat centres of the West End and City of London.

Yes, I agree Flecc hard-tail was my initial advice but the rationale behind the FS machine is that it can travel flat out over any terrain in hot pursuit (high curbs, steps, drops, protesters, etc), and whilst younger riders might happy standing on the pedals all day long, most police would not I'm sure. Your might be right re range, lets see. 2 400wh batteries should allow for 100 odd hard miles.

 

[flecc]

the rationale behind the FS machine is that it can travel flat out over any terrain in hot pursuit (high curbs, steps, drops, protesters, etc),

I hope they wouldn't ride over protesters prone on the roads, but knowing the Met Police it could happen!!!

 

[billadie]

I assume that they would also dismount and wheel the bike through the side gate.