How many electric bikes do you see out on the roads?

[flecc]

Even at five years old it performs as well as the Easyglider, though not as quietly, it really had a very silent motor on it. Pity my old faithful won't last forever, and will have to be replaced at some point. Sigh.

Yes, the EasyGlider isn't a speed machine, more sedate than anything else, but good quality though.
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[drew -d]

electric bikes

i stay in glasgow and i have only seen i bike it was a giant, i have a powabyke which i am delighted with but would like 5mph more speed.
i wastold that there is another powabyke in my area but i haven't seen it i have been using the bike for 2years so that is not very good numbers drew

 

[Mumblefun]

Since 2000, I've seen only one other. An old fisherman on the canal now uses a cheapo £500 electric to get him down the towpath to his fishing pitch.

 

[Ian]

I've seen a couple more this week, a Powabyke and a rather neat looking unknown bike with very slim batteries mounted pannier style either side of the carrier.

Although I'm seeing increasing numbers of people riding electric bikes, it's very rare to see anyone pedaling one which does make me wonder how much appeal they'll have when only pedelecs are available.

 

[flecc]

Although I'm seeing increasing numbers of people riding electric bikes, it's very rare to see anyone pedaling one which does make me wonder how much appeal they'll have when only pedelecs are available.

That's my concern too Ian, the shopper bike market having figured quite a lot in e-bike sales in Britain. One of the largest sellers of these, Thompson, are quite emphatic in saying, "our customers don't pedal".
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[alex]

Carrera calling.

I am wondering if I should change my forum name to Carrera rather than just being Alex or would that just get confusing. Branwen refers to me as 'the guy on the Carrera' , it is always good to see her and her faithful Lafree. I saw her recently & heard how pleased she is to have the re-celled battery (as per flecc's expert guidance), then a moment later saw a little Urban Puma chained to a post, the owner turned out to be the local Minister who was sporting a helmet disconcertingly like a W.W.II. German Army helmet. A local family share an ancient Heinzmann Estelle, the man of the house is a decorator & regularly shifts ladders on a special bracket, & uses a trailer for pots of paint. I have spotted a plucky old gent on a Powerbyke but felt rather concerned for him as he wobbled up a hill. So that is the grand total of 4 electric bikers spotted in a city of 500,000. Alex (Carrera).

 

[UrbanPuma]

Pedelec only bikes may not be suitable for many people with leg injuries or knee conditions such as as arthritis, because pedalling all the time would make cycling very difficult for them.

EU legislators should be made aware of this fact, as I think the new rules would be rather unfair for those who would like to participate in cycling as a form of exercise.

The option to have a twist grip so that you can have a rest when needed would be helpful as I think some manufacturers have tarketed their marketing towards such customers.

What does everyone else think on this?

 

[flecc]

I agree Urban Puma, for the many older cyclists who suffer arthritic knees, using an e-bike aerobically to keep the joints moving and supple is very valuable, and the option of carrying on with throttle only when an arthritic knee seizes just as important as I know from my brother's experiences.

The regulators won't shift their position though. They will only permit a bike to be motorised if it's in a motor assist mode, not allowing it to be a motor vehicle.

They do allow motor only mode if it's treated as a motor vehicle with all that implies, so that gives them reason for not altering the e-bike regulations.
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[JohnInStockie]

With that in mind then, how do those electric 'mobility' wheelchair things comply. Are they required to be taxed, MOT'd, insured and registered?

 

[Ian]

With that in mind then, how do those electric 'mobility' wheelchair things comply. Are they required to be taxed, MOT'd, insured and registered?

They have their own regulations, one of them being 7mph maximum speed I believe, another being "specifically for the use of the physically handicapped persons". As far as I know, as long as they comply with their own legislation they are not treated as a motor vehicle.

 

[JohnInStockie]

Thanks Ian. I was just wondering if there could be some form of compromise between the legislation for those of us with injuries / disabilities.

 

[flecc]

And oddly enough, considering what e-bikers have got away with at times, there have been prosecutions of those mobility vehicle users for their conduct. I can't remember the exact charges, but I think "reckless" came into one of them.

There are three classes of these small mobility vehicles and speed limits are 8 mph on road and 4 mph on pavements and footpaths.

Fuller details on the regulations here
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[UrbanPuma]

The regulators won't shift their position though. They will only permit a bike to be motorised if it's in a motor assist mode, not allowing it to be a motor vehicle.

I think someone mentioned the possibility of the twist grip being permitted at low speeds for pulling away at lights and crawling etc - is this correct? Could the bike be set up to use throttle only at low speeds and revert to pedelec only once you reach 7 or 8mph?

Also, my powacyle puma allows the throttle to be used in pedelec mode - would this be classed as illegal once the rules are enforced?

 

[flecc]

I think very low speed throttle only is permitted, but not absolutely sure.

Your Urban Puma is ok under European pedelec law, throttles are permitted in combination with pedelec mode.
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[UrbanPuma]

Sounds cool then

The Ezee bikes seem very popular on this site, but due to them being e-bikes, won't they be illegal once EU law is enforced here?

 

[Ian]

Sounds cool then

The Ezee bikes seem very popular on this site, but due to them being e-bikes, won't they be illegal once EU law is enforced here?

New legislation won't affect existing bikes, only new sales. The Ezee bikes are all legal in the rest of the EU where the legislation has been enforced for some time now, presumably with the switchable pedelec mode being the only powered mode available.

 

[flecc]

I understand the EU eZee models are pedelec only with no brake cutouts, since the pedelec performs that function. Otherwise they are the same.

One effect of enforcing EU pedelec law here is that a number of us will stubbornly stick to our existing throttle bikes, renewing only by parts upgrades, With that done in rotation, it's possible to end up with a completely new bike which is still throttle only legal, even the frame having being changed at some point, since all will only be parts renewals.

No matter how clever the legislators, loopholes will always be found.
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[Beeping-Sleauty]

I understand the EU eZee models are pedelec only with no brake cutouts, since the pedelec performs that function. Otherwise they are the same.

One effect of enforcing EU pedelec law here is that a number of us will stubbornly stick to our existing throttle bikes, renewing only by parts upgrades, With that done in rotation, it's possible to end up with a completely new bike which is still throttle only legal, even the frame having being changed at some point, since all will only be parts renewals.

No matter how clever the legislators, loopholes will always be found.
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Ha - Ha, you are a card Mr Flecc, this reminds me of 'Grandads' Antique Broom' it's had three new handles and six new brush-heads in the last 50 years...

 

[flecc]

Ha - Ha, you are a card Mr Flecc, this reminds me of 'Grandads' Antique Broom' it's had three new handles and six new brush-heads in the last 50 years...

Yes, the broom one's good.

Of course there could be a reverse application of what I posted. If a car or motorbike was notified as written off at two years old, then stripped for parts, the parts could be subsequently used to build a new one which could be registered.

Decades could go past without an MOT certificate.
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[Jeremy]

Unfortunately they catch you out with this one, as the VIN is tied to the chassis.

I've built a couple of kit cars over the years (pre-SVA) and as far as I know the regulations have always tied the registration to the chassis or frame.

However, there does seem to be a way to use this to build an electric motorcycle and avoid the need to go through MSVA. I've been reading a web site where a fellow Scrapheap Challenge expert has done just this. He bought a small scrap motorcycle, stripped out the engine and gear box, fitted a Etek motor, controller and set of batteries and just had the thing MOT'd. This neatly avoided the need to show compliance with MSVA and seems a fairly straightforward way to build an electric motorcycle.

Those who watch Channel 4 may have caught a glimpse of me tonight, as they showed a brief clip from the previous show where I was a team expert.

Jeremy