Pedelec Law - The Details

[lightning]

The bikes are cheap, readily available and legal to buy, the only thing the seller has to do is state that they are only for use on private land.

So it's not surprising they are everywhere l guess.

Personally l like to feel like l've actually done a bike ride when l get home, so l wouldn't want an ebike that was effectively an electric motorcycle, otherwise l may as well go out on my KTM Duke.

 

[soundwave]

the biggest haibike dealer in the uk sells and fits dongles and honors the warranty.

i took my bike to a bosch dealer today for a update and run a error check and did not tell them it had a dongle and no errors or problems update done and did not detect the dongle either lol

 

[Michael Price]

ROund here if you look carefully - and you do need to look carefully - most of the ones out during the day seem to be legal

However once it gets later on you can see quite a few that seem to require suspiciously little in the way of pedalling - and some with fairly massive hub motors that have to be way over any legal limits.


I was talking to a sensible seeming bloke about my age the other day who noticed the battery on mine and asked what I thought of it as he has one as well. I replied that I loved it and he asked me how fast I had been on it. When I said the motor cuts out at 15.5 he started telling me how to override the limits.
APparently he has had his doing over 40 with no pedalling!

The LBS has hinted that they could fit a throttle if I wanted - nod not wink wink and all that

However, round here - at least when I am out and about - they do seem to mostly be ridden reasonably sensibly - the worst riding is just from the normal teenagers riding in a black hoodie (hood up), black jeans, black shoes , at night - often doing a wheelie down the wrong side of the road.Oh- naturally no lights or helmet - nearly forgot that bit

 

[lightning]

I was out on my Ebike yesterday and a bike went the other way, the guy had clearly fitted a small petrol engine in the frame, it was doing about 15mph but making a right racket, l wouldn't have wanted to be any nearer! Respect for his ingenuity but l think he needs to fit a silencer

 

[lightning]

the biggest haibike dealer in the uk sells and fits dongles and honors the warranty.

i took my bike to a bosch dealer today for a update and run a error check and did not tell them it had a dongle and no errors or problems update done and did not detect the dongle either lol

l guess it depends on the shop. They probably fit the devices themselves

 

[Nealh]

To eke out range even more I now set the cut out to 20km/h which is a tad under 12.5 mph, no matter what I set the cut off to it doesn't stop me nearly reaching 20 mph unassisted nor make my speed illegal.

 

[flecc]

I was out on my Ebike yesterday and a bike went the other way, the guy had clearly fitted a small petrol engine in the frame, it was doing about 15mph but making a right racket, l wouldn't have wanted to be any nearer! Respect for his ingenuity but l think he needs to fit a silencer

These are kits that can be bought online. Petrol engines for bicycles were very popular in the early 1950s, at one point there were over a million on the road in Britain. Between 25cc and 50 cc, some were in the back wheel, others above front or rear wheel driving the tyre tread by a friction roller. They all had to be registered and taxed with a rear number plate, insurance and ridden with a full motorcycle licence.

There were no in frame ones then, those have only appeared more recently.
.

 

[soundwave]

at 120rpm at the cranks my bike can hit 35mph on the flat in 8 years not 1 road race bike can keep up if i floor it and drives um up the wall as see me behind them on a fs mtb they try to fly off but im still stuck to there back tyre then its turbo time and i leave them for dust lol .

 

[Nealh]

I can only dream of a 120 cadence SW, typically 60 - 78 is my range and limit.

 

[Nealh]

I was out on my Ebike yesterday and a bike went the other way, the guy had clearly fitted a small petrol engine in the frame, it was doing about 15mph but making a right racket, l wouldn't have wanted to be any nearer! Respect for his ingenuity but l think he needs to fit a silencer

There's an ejit around town here with one, mtb with it within the diamond.

 

[soundwave]

i cant keep that pace for long lol but the motor can do it i avg around 80-90 rpm just depends if i can be bothered to race them.

i can still just about get 25 miles in turbo but its started showing its age as was new in jul 2016 and cant really use my other 400w batt as in life support mode until i can find a way to recell it and not brick the fkn bms

 

[Bonzo Banana]

ROund here if you look carefully - and you do need to look carefully - most of the ones out during the day seem to be legal

However once it gets later on you can see quite a few that seem to require suspiciously little in the way of pedalling - and some with fairly massive hub motors that have to be way over any legal limits.


I was talking to a sensible seeming bloke about my age the other day who noticed the battery on mine and asked what I thought of it as he has one as well. I replied that I loved it and he asked me how fast I had been on it. When I said the motor cuts out at 15.5 he started telling me how to override the limits.
APparently he has had his doing over 40 with no pedalling!

The LBS has hinted that they could fit a throttle if I wanted - nod not wink wink and all that

However, round here - at least when I am out and about - they do seem to mostly be ridden reasonably sensibly - the worst riding is just from the normal teenagers riding in a black hoodie (hood up), black jeans, black shoes , at night - often doing a wheelie down the wrong side of the road.Oh- naturally no lights or helmet - nearly forgot that bit

Should be pointed out a massive direct drive hub motor is not a sign of being illegal. They have to be large whether supplied with nominal power of around 250-400W or up to 2000W etc. In fact it can be the same hub motor with only the controller changing and some controllers have a legal mode (pedelec+15.5mph approx).

They don't have any internal nylon gears to destroy if too much power is applied they have no moving parts at all apart from the bearings in the axle so its a motor type that isn't really power restricted its down to the controller really. Their larger size does dissipate heat better but I would guess that is the big factor when you really up the watts.

They can be fully legal or can be seen zapping around at 35mph without pedalling.

 

[MontyPAS]

Thought his thread was about Pedelec legality?

Seems like a load of middle aged sour grapes to me!

Enjoy your own bike stop worrying what about others are doing.
If your own bike is legal why worry...... Simples
If its not legal, why worry..... Simples.

 

[sjpt]

If its not legal, why worry..... Simples.

If it's not legal no great worry per se. The problem is when its being ridden irresponsibly. This is a problem whether the bike is or is not legal, but much more common on illegal bikes. It's a problem for several reasons. Danger to others. Giving ebikes a bad name, and (as a result) causing extra restrictions that will impact responsible legal users.

p.s. Many of us haven't been middle aged for some time.

 

[MontyPAS]

If it's not legal no great worry per se. The problem is when its being ridden irresponsibly. This is a problem whether the bike is or is not legal, but much more common on illegal bikes. It's a problem for several reasons. Danger to others. Giving ebikes a bad name, and (as a result) causing extra restrictions that will impact responsible legal users.

p.s. Many of us haven't been middle aged for some time.

Agree, but TBH, a lot of posters come on forums and spread fear, doom and gloom, when there is no need.
A high percentage of Pedelec riders use "modified" kit with no fear or issues, so why worry, just ride and enjoy for now!
Sure irresponsible behaviour could invoke change in the law. That happens everyday???

You are not going to stop "scumbag Yoofs" riding illegal Pedelecs, mopeds, motorcycles, cars etc, like idiots.
Its part of modern life!

P.S. I am well passed middle age.... Or is mid 60's middle aged now? LoL!

 

[flecc]

P.S. I am well passed middle age.... Or is mid 60's middle aged now? LoL!

It is to me, I'm 86 !
.

 

[richtea99]

P.S. I am well passed middle age.... Or is mid 60's middle aged now? LoL!

Of course it is! You're not a pensioner yet.

Compare stages 7 & 8:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosocial_development#Care:_generativity_vs._stagnation_(middle_adulthood,_45%E2%80%9364_years)

 

[lightning]

My E-mountain bike thinks it's in the USA. That gives it an extra 4mph which makes all the difference and turns it into a viable road bike (on private roads of course)

 

[MontyPAS]

My E-mountain bike thinks it's in the USA. That gives it an extra 4mph which makes all the difference and turns it into a viable road bike (on private roads of course)

And there was me thinking you wanted the excercise

 

[lightning]

Well, l only use the lower assistance mode so to keep the mountain bike with its 2.8" off road tyres at those speeds takes about the same effort as riding my road bike which isn't an ebike.