The joys of throttled ebikes/scooters in Spain! Come on England get with the times!

kingsknight

Pedelecer
Aug 28, 2018
118
76
42
So while in Costa del Sol, Spain I decided to rent myself E-scooter to see the sights and my god I'm glad I did. You're legally allowed to use them on all bike paths and and everyone seems to ride them very respectable. They are limited to 15.5mph which is more then enough! Even the Cafes here allow you to charge your ebike/scooters while you get some lunch or have a coffee.

I believe a lot more people in England would use these kind of ebikes/scooters to get to work and leave the car at home if they were legal. I've never ridden a throttle controlled ebike/scooter before, but I'm super glad I have now!

I love my ebike but not having to pedal at all is so much fun!

Think about the amount of traffic we could take off the roads if these were widely available and promoted by the government!

WhatsApp Image 2019-04-26 at 12.42.55.jpeg
 

kingsknight

Pedelecer
Aug 28, 2018
118
76
42
Amen to this!! I'd love a bike that could do all 3! Give us a 500w motor with 1500w battery and we would be good to go!
 

Tarka

Pedelecer
Jan 29, 2019
115
90
Just thinking the same, connect 2 of them side by side, hang a walking stick on the handlebars and legally attack any high street at full speed. Well, that's what most of the old dears do around here! :D
 

iRider

Pedelecer
May 2, 2019
55
10
Wigan
Here in the UK we are too risk averse and the nanny state thrives. It would only take some errant teenager to fall off and break a fingernail and we would impose 5mph speed limits, only to be ridden on Sundays in roads closed to pedestrians and of course there would be mandatory full PPE, insurance and licensing :)
 
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Fizz

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 30, 2019
21
1
I’ve been looking in to various e-scooters on the advice of someone on another thread and it looks like they are legal in the UK, so long as they are (briefly) pedal-assisted. The bikes I’m hoping to test are Eskuta and Bumblebee Buzz.



I’m hoping to fit my 8 year old son on the back... Just wonder if 15.5mph will feel very slow? Any opinions/experience of e-scooters would be really useful. Thanks
 

UrbanPuma

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 11, 2007
675
43
My electric bike has throttle control and pedal assist, but I'm lucky as I purchased 11-years' ago, so 'grandfather rights' apply. It has definitely made cycling possible for me and offers so many benefits.
 

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kingsknight

Pedelecer
Aug 28, 2018
118
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Wow you've had the same bike for 11 years :eek: that is so crazy! How many miles have you done on it in that time? never needed to replace the motor or anything?
 
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UrbanPuma

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 11, 2007
675
43
Wow you've had the same bike for 11 years :eek: that is so crazy! How many miles have you done on it in that time? never needed to replace the motor or anything?
Yep lol, love my little Puma. I'm only a leisurely user and haven't been well enough to use it for half the time, but think I've done around 3-4 hundred miles in total (computer wasn't always on). I've only had to replace the controller, battery and 2 inner tubes, nothing else.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,213
30,613
Wow you've had the same bike for 11 years :eek: that is so crazy! How many miles have you done on it in that time? never needed to replace the motor or anything?
In my case 9 years with another small wheel e-bike, an initially upgraded Ezee Quando.

Due to losing track of mileages over the years I don't have a total, but in one six month period alone of heavy usage in 2008 it covered a precisely documented 3784 miles.

The only parts changed in its life were tyres and brake pads, plus three batteries used (one NiMh, two Lithium). Even the chain and sprockets were original throughout, due to its powerful motor keeping pedal effort low. The rising noise of the motor's internal gears meant they were near the end when I finally scrapped the bike.
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iRider

Pedelecer
May 2, 2019
55
10
Wigan
I had the same bike for 10 years, it had 2 new frames, 3 headsets, 2 new motors, 5 new wheels and 15 new tyres, but it lasted me well :):):)

Sorry, what can I say.. I'm an only fools and horses fan :D
 
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daveboy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 19, 2012
952
1,366
pontefract
Regarding using scooters in Spain..Don't count your chickens..Lanzarote have just started a crack down on them. They have picked up on the fact they have a throttle and no pedals. They mention insurance,helmets.and reg plates.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,213
30,613
Regarding using scooters in Spain..Don't count your chickens..Lanzarote have just started a crack down on them. They have picked up on the fact they have a throttle and no pedals. They mention insurance,helmets.and reg plates.
Indeed, what seems to have escaped some posters is that the relevant laws in Spain are fundamentally the same as ours, EU laws 168/2013 and EN15194.

Having a throttle and/or not having pedals makes a machine a motor vehicle in law, not a bureaucracy free pedelec with all that implies.
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