going over the 15.5 cut off point

[anotherkiwi]

I am also a car driver, so I can ride a 125 cc motor cycle without any training. Let me try again:

15 hp motorbike limited by road sign, capable of 120 km/h...

Point taken?

 

[LeighPing]

If that bothers you, it time to either get fit or get a motorbike

Nah, it doesn't bother me at all.

I rarely go on the road with my ebikes. I'm just airing a cycling suggestion for the OP's dilemma. I'm fit enough. However, with ebikes you don't need to be fit. It's quite the opposite in fact. Get rid of your slow ebike and get a regular push bike if achieving fitness is the aim. Otherwise have a look at getting a dongle or a software tweakable bike. They're superb.

I really don't see the point in having to constantly try and outgun your motor at such relatively low bicycle speeds.

 

[flecc]

I am also a car driver, so I can ride a 125 cc motor cycle without any training. Let me try again:

15 hp motorbike limited by road sign, capable of 120 km/h...

Point taken?

No, the road usage behaviour has been tested. The pedelec rider hasn't been tested in any way.

And I don't think that applies here in the UK either, CBT being necessary.
.

 

[signwave]

Here is a thought about private land...
I was reading about RBS being "owned " by the tax payer.. So does that apply to the roads? We are often told there is no such thing as road tax and road building and repairs come out of general taxation, so as a tax payer am I part owner of the roads? Are they privately owned by the public?

I'm struggling with that last sentence.

 

[Jowwy]

It's only the assist that's limited, the bike go whatever speed your legs can take it too............I see no reason for assist on flat or downhills. Even if I'll, disabled or old. 15.5mph is enough to get you around sensibly

 

[MikeS]

It's only the assist that's limited, the bike go whatever speed your legs can take it too............I see no reason for assist on flat or downhills. Even if I'll, disabled or old. 15.5mph is enough to get you around sensibly

The assist is a blessing even on the flat if you have 7 or 8 miles to ride home against a 20mph headwind
Mike

 

[Fat Rat]

No, the road usage behaviour has been tested. The pedelec rider hasn't been tested in any way.

And I don't think that applies here in the UK either, CBT being necessary.
.

Correct
Also you can’t ride your moped on cycle paths , shared footpaths or without tax and insurance
Any fool can get on a pedelec

 

[D C]

Just to throw mobility scooters into this, legally only 4 mph on pavements
or pedestrian areas and only 8 mph on roads.
I suppose 15.5 mph doesn't seem so bad.
Dave.

 

[Gubbins]

Correct
Also you can’t ride your moped on cycle paths , shared footpaths or without tax and insurance
Any fool can get on a pedelec

Well actually you can. It may be illegal but some don't bother about legal. The have to put up barriers to try and stop it.

 

[Fat Rat]

Well actually you can. It may be illegal but some don't bother about legal. The have to put up barriers to try and stop it.

To be fair we were talking about legal activities
The barriers we have here have a down side as I can’t get my mtb through without getting off and turning the bars at an angle

 

[John5001]

The assist is a blessing even on the flat if you have 7 or 8 miles to ride home against a 20mph headwind
Mike

I need to work hard to keep up with mu group which has predominantly unpowered light bikes. Seriously considering a dongle.

 

[Gubbins]

To be fair we were talking about legal activities
The barriers we have here have a down side as I can’t get my mtb through without getting off and turning the bars at an angle

Unfortunately the rule benders are on the rise.. my recent laugh of the day post incident is a frequent occurrence around here, and normally not a lot is done about it. So in the grand scheme of things I suppose a derestricted bicycle is small potatoes.

 

[Fat Rat]

Unfortunately the rule benders are on the rise.. my recent laugh of the day post incident is a frequent occurrence around here, and normally not a lot is done about it. So in the grand scheme of things I suppose a derestricted bicycle is small potatoes.

I did see your video before
Nice to see someone getting what they deserve for a change

 

[Danidl]

In my (humble) opinion, the 15.5 mph or 25 kmHR is a really good compromise. It allows one to go up steep hills at a fair lick, travel on the level or downhill at any speed you want, and provide support against headwinds up to a road speed of 15.5 . If it were higher, the brakes and suspension would need to be augmented,and battery duration would plummet.... So there are sports cyclists going faster, ?so what, the majority of commuting traffic is slower. It is as fast as a horse and cart...
What a few of the posters have omitted is that higher speed transport needs mandatory insurance..why because of the increased probability of accidents causing serious injury.

 

[flecc]

What a few of the posters have omitted is that higher speed transport needs mandatory insurance..why because of the increased probability of accidents causing serious injury.

And of course death. Those in favour of increasing assist speed to 20 mph are perhaps not considering the deaths caused by cyclists at that speed. A few months ago a woman was killed by a 20 mph cyclist, the case gaining notoriety because the bike had only one brake. Not long before that a man crossing the road from behind a parked car was hit and killed by a 20 mph cyclist, who a court ruled had no chance to avoid him. And also very recently a cyclist lost stability on some loose gravel in a 20 mph limited Royal Park and was killed when he fell off, despite wearing a helmet.

When do we ever hear of pedestrians killed by 15 mph cyclists, or cyclists killed by falling off at 15 mph or less? The fact is that stopping, slowing down sufficiently or saving oneself in a fall is so much easier at 15 mph than 20 mph, and the weight of bike and rider is far less damaging at the lower speed.

If there was a change to 20 mph, the performance would be used, inevitably the number of deaths would rise, and the equally inevitable outcome would be more restrictions like registration and insurance, with use of shared pavements and cyclepaths etc. banned.
.

 

[Gubbins]

And of course death. Those in favour of increasing assist speed to 20 mph are perhaps not considering the deaths caused by cyclists at that speed. A few months ago a woman was killed by a 20 mph cyclist, the case gaining notoriety because the bike had only one brake. Not long before that a man crossing the road from behind a parked car was hit and killed by a 20 mph cyclist, who a court ruled had no chance to avoid him. And also very recently a cyclist lost stability on some loose gravel in a 20 mph limited Royal Park and was killed when he fell off, despite wearing a helmet.

When do we ever hear of pedestrians killed by 15 mph cyclists, or cyclists killed by falling off at 15 mph or less? The fact is that stopping, slowing down sufficiently or saving oneself in a fall is so much easier at 15 mph than 20 mph, and the weight of bike and rider is far less damaging at the lower speed.

If there was a change to 20 mph, the performance would be used, inevitably the number of deaths would rise, and the equally inevitable outcome would be more restrictions like registration and insurance, with use of shared pavements and cyclepaths etc. banned.
.

I saw an article recently discussing the proposed legislation to update or implement a new dangerous cycling law. The writer was in opposition and quoted some facts which were something like last year of the 1700 or so road deaths only three were caused by bike riders and all the fast bike riders don't ride e-bikes, in fact I think that even with a 20mph cutoff one would be hard pressed to keep up with the roadies.
From my point of view, excessive speed is the most likely cause of me getting badly hurt, but that's gravity induced speed, not dongle.

 

[flecc]

last year of the 1700 or so road deaths only three were caused by bike riders

The numbers don't count though, the publicity does. Just look at the huge publicity given to Charlie Alliston's single brake case, and there was also considerable adverse publicity over the death of the man crossing the road that I mentioned.

Most of the other 1697 or so deaths didn't get a mention, it's cycling that gets the bad press.

At the moment pedelecers enjoy a largely ignorant public, unaware of any extra risk due to the extra weight and on the rare occasion when they notice one it's usually travelling at what is seen to be a moderate speed.

Change the assist speed to 20 mph and get just one pedestrian death and all hell will be let loose in the media.

In any case a 20 mph assist limit will mean we will be confined to roads only, and few of us want that.
.

 

[Gubbins]

The numbers don't count though, the publicity does. Just look at the huge publicity given to Charlie Alliston's single brake case, and there was also considerable adverse publicity over the death of the man crossing the road that I mentioned.

Most of the other 1697 or so deaths didn't get a mention, it's cycling that gets the bad press.

At the moment pedelecers enjoy a largely ignorant public, unaware of any extra risk due to the extra weight and on the rare occasion when they notice one it's usually travelling at what is seen to be a moderate speed.

Change the assist speed to 20 mph and get just one pedestrian death and all hell will be let loose in the media.

In any case a 20 mph assist limit will mean we will be confined to roads only, and few of us want that.
.

I think there's something we are missing . At present the most noticeable aspect of electric bikes is the cheating. So called because we get noticed for going faster than we should when we shouldn't be able to. Normally on the road we are mostly slower than other cycle traffic so can blend in, but on the hills or other slow terain we stand out and get noticed...

 

[flecc]

Normally on the road we are mostly slower than other cycle traffic so can blend in, but on the hills or other slow terain we stand out and get noticed...

Probably not how and where the accidents occur though? The three deaths I mentioned were all in London and with normal unpowered bikes.

Our 15 mph pedelecs don't seem to be killing anyone at present, thank goodness.

On this whole assist speed issue I'd repeat the well known mantra, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The sensible thing is to continue to keep our heads below the parapet and enjoy the freedom we've got. It could all get spoilt so easily.
.

 

[anotherkiwi]

In any case a 20 mph assist limit will mean we will be confined to roads only, and few of us want that.
.

Some are confined to roads only already! On the open road I would like to be limited to the speed of my legal 250 W motor(s) which is about 32-33 km/h, I am already limited to 10 km/h on cycle paths I use regularly and I am one of the rare ones who knows how fast I am going.

How many cyclists know how fast they are going? I don't see many bikes with a speedo... I have tried the experiment of doing 10 km/h on that path and even little old ladies where whizzing past. The speed limit is not enforced but if ever a pedestrian was killed it would be used against the cyclist in court.

Yesterday at work I just happened to look out the window when a young woman went speeding by on the footpath on a pedelec:

- night time (yes she had lights)
- signs everywhere saying the footpath is forbidden for "2 roues"
- holiday season so despite the hour quite a lot of pedestrians (she was using the bell)
- from experience she was doing well in excess of 15 km/h, closer to 20.

Our 15 mph pedelecs don't seem to be killing anyone at present, thank goodness.
.

A pedelec has at least 10 kg of extra mass compared to a bike so would be much more deadly. There are more and more about it is inevitable that someone will be killed by one eventually. There are quite a few deaths of riders reported, most being put down to the age of the rider.