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Since I took the Mosso (29er BBS02) into the lbs for an upgraded chain and rear sprockets at the end of last summer I have got friendly with members of the local race club (lbs is a speciality race bike shop) and go out with them most weekends on their training runs and act as a pacemaker/windbreak.What is truly amazing is just how fast these lads are.The mosso gearing/my knees run out at about 31 mph and these lads on the flat come past me like I am going backwards and lets not even mention downhill,it is a sight to behold.what I have found interesting riding with these human powered riders is just how much they are having to move about on the road to avoid potholes/ruts, stuff that I just take in my stride with my front suspension and big tyres and lets not even go into how much faster I can stop with my hydraulic disc brakes, yes we have done tests from 15/20 and 30 mph and it isn't even close.
Two weeks ago I took part in a local training time trial over a popular route between two islands on the dual carriageway,8 miles,not much elevation change maybe 150 ft, I barely made the top 20!the guy that had the quickest time averaged, yes averaged 32.9 mph (tt bike /full aero clothing) I used level 9 (max) no throttle and averaged just over 27mph ,I could probably got closer if I had used full throttle all the way bearing in mind that my BBS02 is set up for 60% of max power in pedelec mode and only when throttle is used do I get 100% of the power.
I am in no way trying to justify that my bike is in any way legal ,it isn't, I only mention the above to put in perspective ,from first hand experience, the speeds that some totally legal human powered bikes go on our pothol
ed roads on machines that have vastly inferior brakes and no suspension .
ps I only ride on the road ,no cycle paths or off road.
I fully appreciate all that, as I race road bikes too, so I know how fast it is.

So my question is do any of the people you're riding with, or the people or organise the events / club runs you're riding in know that you're riding what is legally classed as a moped with no tax or insurance? I suspect not, because i ride with a number of clubs and do a lot of club runs, they are fine with eBikes, but they don't understand that its possible for one to be a moped legally, which yours is. So I'd suggest you check before putting those around you at risk. What would happen for instance if you were at the front of a chaingang and didn't spot a pot hole and came off and all the riders behind you plowed into the back of you, because as you've already stated their brakes aren't as good. (it happens a lot on normal chaingangs)....

I don't want to be a doom merchant, but you are riding a moped, not a bicycle and the only reason you've not had an issue so far is simply good luck, which could of course continue for ever, but it might not.
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,828
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my local bike shop that does group rides dont care what i ride as long as it has peddles.

not that i could keep up with them anyway over 20 mile range.
 
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rippedupno1

Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2013
165
117
Dudley,west midlands
I fully appreciate all that, as I race road bikes too, so I know how fast it is.

So my question is do any of the people you're riding with, or the people or organise the events / club runs you're riding in know that you're riding what is legally classed as a moped with no tax or insurance? I suspect not, because i ride with a number of clubs and do a lot of club runs, they are fine with eBikes, but they don't understand that its possible for one to be a moped legally, which yours is. So I'd suggest you check before putting those around you at risk. What would happen for instance if you were at the front of a chaingang and didn't spot a pot hole and came off and all the riders behind you plowed into the back of you, because as you've already stated their brakes aren't as good. (it happens a lot on normal chaingangs)....

I don't want to be a doom merchant, but you are riding a moped, not a bicycle and the only reason you've not had an issue so far is simply good luck, which could of course continue for ever, but it might not.
As a matter of fact, yes I have explained the legal status to them and indeed did show a couple of them some of the threads on here, their response was pretty unambiguous, they didn't give a *, they pointed out that they asked me to help out not the other way around.
I understand where you are coming from here and appreciate your point but as long as they are ok with the situation then so am I.
Cheers

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
 

nemesis

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 14, 2011
521
343
I fully appreciate all that, as I race road bikes too, so I know how fast it is.

So my question is do any of the people you're riding with, or the people or organise the events / club runs you're riding in know that you're riding what is legally classed as a moped with no tax or insurance? I suspect not, because i ride with a number of clubs and do a lot of club runs, they are fine with eBikes, but they don't understand that its possible for one to be a moped legally, which yours is. So I'd suggest you check before putting those around you at risk. What would happen for instance if you were at the front of a chaingang and didn't spot a pot hole and came off and all the riders behind you plowed into the back of you, because as you've already stated their brakes aren't as good. (it happens a lot on normal chaingangs)....

I don't want to be a doom merchant, but you are riding a moped, not a bicycle and the only reason you've not had an issue so far is simply good luck, which could of course continue for ever, but it might not.
I have been on the local chaingang a few times and stayed well at the back out of the way,i had a panasonic pro connect S with no cut out and even though they were fast at around 30mph it was too easy for me,i only did it a few times because of fear of an accident on a non road legal bike,even so a 15.5 mph bike would be no use to me.
 
As a matter of fact, yes I have explained the legal status to them and indeed did show a couple of them some of the threads on here, their response was pretty unambiguous, they didn't give a sh+t, they pointed out that they asked me to help out not the other way around.
I understand where you are coming from here and appreciate your point but as long as they are ok with the situation then so am I.
Cheers

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
Yes, that's all true - but you have to realise that their relaxed nature and lack of concern will literally fly out of the window as soon as one of them has to have a month off work because of accident involving you / your bike.

It might not even be them giving a * about it, but their no win no fee insurance company who are chasing the compensation for time off work, broken collorbone etc etc might be less. I've seen many a mates agreement in bike racing disappear as soon as a pair of £2000 bike wheels are damaged or someone ends up having to have time off work, or miss a riding holiday.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,828
6,478
like this


thats what you get for wearing shorts and t shirt and no arm and knee pads ;)
 
I was thinking more like this:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/stalled-motorcycle-causes-huge-crash-red-hook-criterium-223420

Could happen, motor jams or chain gets stuck, or something pings up and gets stuck in your front wheel and your forced to use your super efficient disc brakes to stop suddenly... the guy behind you are head down at full gas, with crappy road bike brakes.

I for one wouldn't be riding with any group of cyclists without personal accident insurance, and I definately wouldn't be riding anything that wasn't road legal, not matter how relaxed the rest of the riders were when discussing it prior to any event.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,828
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then they should use body armour simple but again if it was law do you think any of them would? no of course not lol.
 

the_killjoy

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 26, 2008
822
226
My main concern is not the legality as such, although mine is, but the thought of someone stuffing a 1KW motor in without having the brakes to match.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I really don't know why some worry so much about what other people are doing. Anyone breaking the law is risking the consequences and that is up to them.
My view is that anyone riding these machines irisponsibly at speed in their own back yard will get reported , and as these reports mount up the police will eventually intervene..
So just do your own thing and stop stressing...
 
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Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
This thread seemed like the right place to post this link about a cycle ban on a shared use path in the US.

http://road.cc/content/news/188615-strava-data-used-ban-cyclists-trail
I was out last night with my grandson on a shared path , passing pedestrians with a tad of consideration when right behind me there was such a bellow of "BIKE" shouted in an angry and aggressive manner to such an extent that I actually jumped....
It's no wonder walkers get fed up with cyclists..
 
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LeighPing

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 27, 2016
2,547
1,945
The Red Ditch
Yesterday, whilst walking the dog, I saw a big trail type motorbike come flying through the local country park footpaths where people walk their kids and dogs and ride their pushbikes. I was astonished by his speed and noise. It was easily 50mph.

Today I rode past half a dozen police cars waiting at the park entrance / exit road. Hopefully, they put a stop to his antics.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Yesterday, whilst walking the dog, I saw a big trail type motorbike come flying through the local country park footpaths where people walk their kids and dogs and ride their pushbikes. I was astonished by his speed and noise. It was easily 50mph.

Today I rode past half a dozen police cars waiting at the park entrance / exit road. Hopefully, they put a stop to his antics.
This is just what will happen to speeding ebikers....