Apparently the same spec Orbeas are sold in the US with a 20mph cut off. All of these lightweight e-road bikes have a 15.5mph cut off - it's the law isn't it?
D
Deleted member 25121
Guest
Thank you, I'm sorry if I seemed a bit impatient but the very frequent need for answers on the same subject can get rather tiresome after 13 years of it! ( I was member number one joining here in October 2006 when the forum opened)
I hope you are able to resolve a solution, but you may not be able to get enough extra speed on your present bike.
Many do ride speed e-bikes here without registering and insuring, but of course there is a risk if you ever have an accident and someone gets hurt.
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So? Do I detect a hint of sarcasm? I don't think I'm asking too much - after all I've got the drop handlebars, and speed up hill is depends on me ...
Thank you - of course the real answer for me would be to fix my legs, but the surgery required is quite risky - 4 operations with loss of limb being a major risk, so for now a more conservative approach has been adopted - hence the e-bike.
Indeed it is the law here for "no bureaucracy" pedelecs, but there are also speed road bikes on the market. The motor for the US Orbea Gains may have a different winding for that market, but it's more likely the controller setup is different for them. In which case a US controller and restrictor setup would do the trick.
.
D
Deleted member 25121
Guest
I guess alternative ways to look at it, are:
1. You buy an assisted bike because you haven't given up on exercising! Modifying your bike to go faster - defeats this objective - no?
2. Modifying a standard Ebike, changes its purpose and from an insurance perspective, voids any cover you may have, if you are involved in an incident where you are partially/wholly to blame for that incident and it is determined that speed played a part. Even if you have/had no third party insurance cover, you would still be liable for damages.
3. Two years ago, a young lad (18+) modified his pushbike. He removed all superfluous parts and also the front brakes.
He hit a woman crossing in front of him and she died from her injuries. The lad is now doing time for manslaughter.
push bike modified
Modifying anything from standard - comes at a price.
1. You buy an assisted bike because you haven't given up on exercising! Modifying your bike to go faster - defeats this objective - no?
2. Modifying a standard Ebike, changes its purpose and from an insurance perspective, voids any cover you may have, if you are involved in an incident where you are partially/wholly to blame for that incident and it is determined that speed played a part. Even if you have/had no third party insurance cover, you would still be liable for damages.
3. Two years ago, a young lad (18+) modified his pushbike. He removed all superfluous parts and also the front brakes.
He hit a woman crossing in front of him and she died from her injuries. The lad is now doing time for manslaughter.
push bike modified
Modifying anything from standard - comes at a price.
Most thieves have much longer histories than that without getting caught, but it doesn't make it legal or even sensible.i have had a dongle on my bike for the last 5 years and nothing has happend so there you go
D
Deleted member 25121
Guest
The police might get interested if somebody misjudged your speed, walked out in front of you and you knocked them down while doing >15mph.
Or you bike got stolen and they recovered it
Or somebody knocked you off your bike
Or........
Did I miss something in the summary?
"and speed up hill is depends on me ...:"
Or rather peer pressure from what you wrote earlier.
"People I ride with are very understanding - as long as I don't ride like an a***hole up the hills"
Why don't you let your friends know you struggle on the flat and for them to give you the benefit of shooting ahead up the hills - and it should all equal out in the end. You can with your leccy assistance take the lead on the flat into headwinds to help win them over.
Peer pressure? We try to ride as a group. That makes life easier for all. As I said they are understanding. The usual practice is to wait for stragglers at the top of hills, or if anyone drops behind.
Youngoldbloke, I'm afraid that you are wasting your breath. Like you I would like the legal assisted speed limit to be increased to around 20mph while still allowing me to cycle on tow paths and bridleways. I'm not disputing that at the moment it is legally 15.5mph and am unhappily complying with that. Also, all five of the friends with whom I regularly cycle are of the same opinion as me and you.
Unfortunately some people on this forum seem to think that it is illegal to have such thoughts often quoting alternatives that range from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Unfortunately some people on this forum seem to think that it is illegal to have such thoughts often quoting alternatives that range from the sublime to the ridiculous.
It's all very well thinking about yourself ghosting along at 20 mph down deserted open roads, but you have to also think about the busy narrow cycle paths during London rush hour, where people will be passing within inches of each other with a closing speed of 40 mph. The 25km/h is a concession to give some motor assistance to bicycles so that people can use them without getting tired considering what I just wrote. If they want to go faster, there are other choices.
Nobody is judging you for your opinions. they're only stating their interpretation of why it's like it is. A fair proportion of guys on this forum don't seem to care about speed limits. Nobody has died and nobody has been prosecuted. Let's hope everything stays the same, eh.
You don't have to ride at the assistance cut off speed, but equally you are not restricted to it. That depends on your legs. I don't ride in the London rush hour. If I did I would take account of the conditions and ride accordingly. Your comments apply to any bike, assisted or otherwise.
The law applies to everyone not just you, so they have to cover the worst case scenario. They have to prevent idiots from doing stupid things, not allow everyone to use their discretion on what they think is a suitable speed for the conditions they're riding in. That's why we have rules and limits. If all cyclists had an IQ of 140 plus and they only rode on not busy open roads on well-maintained bikes, I'm sure that we'd get a few more concessions, but the average IQ is 100, there is no MOT test for electric bikes and people want to ride their bikes through busy parks where kids are playing out of control. I've seen people ride their bike into the shop with no working brakes at all to ask about a new battery!
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