My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Now we have something / quite-a-lot to discuss and celebrate.
Mark1978
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by Mark1978 »

Agree with that. As long as they remain limited to 250W (even seems a bit high?) and the rule of no electric assistance >15mph remains in force then it's a positive thing.

One of the barriers to cycling in the UK has often been people saying "Well it's too hilly", with a pedelec hills might as well not exist.
reohn2
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by reohn2 »

Mark1978 wrote:Agree with that. As long as they remain limited to 250W (even seems a bit high?) and the rule of no electric assistance >15mph remains in force then it's a positive thing.

I think I'm right in saying that 250watts/15mph is an EU directive and anything over is classed as a light moped equivalent requiring all the legislation that goes along with that ie;motorcycle helmet,reg plates,MOT and third party insurance.

One of the barriers to cycling in the UK has often been people saying "Well it's too hilly", with a pedelec hills might as well not exist.

Agreed,they iron out the hills which for reluctant potential cyclists is a boon.If agressive driving was clamped down on by the powers that be and better facilities provided cycling would go up in towns and cities,and pollution/car use would go down IMHO.
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andrew_s
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by andrew_s »

reohn2 wrote:I think I'm right in saying that 250watts/15mph is an EU directive

According to my memory, UK rules were 200 watts, 15 mph, and power without pedalling allowed, and Euro rules were 250 watts, 25 kph, and pedal assist only, with no throttle-only power available.
I expect that there will have been moves to unify the requirements, but whether that's happened I don't know.
Tangled Metal
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by Tangled Metal »

I used to question them but mellowed over.time. A bloke at work had one and used to sit and let the motor do.the work. I saw no need for it since he was well capable of pedalling his flat route home. Considering he said he bought a bike to get some exercise it put me off the whole idea. Really.negative about them.

Then last year I saw a whole family riding them in full mountain bike format. The older generation pedalling with assist and enjoying it with the younger generation (30-40s). There was one guy at the younger end looking sheepish as we rode past each other I thought because he was obviously a fit youngish man fully capable of doing that ride without. They'd block hired them and were enjoying their holiday in the lakes, on bikes. Lakes isn't always an easy ride in the park so those bikes were justified IMHO.

Ever since.then my view is great if you really need them but never for racing and not to be used if your fit enough to do without. Take the exercise and not the easy way out in that case.
reohn2
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by reohn2 »

Tangled Metal wrote:I used to question them but mellowed over.time..........
Ever since.then my view is great if you really need them.......... .......... if your fit enough to do without. Take the exercise and not the easy way out in that case.


I think we need(desperately)to get away from the idea of judgement as to why anyone rides a pedelec,they do because they want to,for whatever reason and it's none of anyone else's business.
Consider this,one more pedelec is one less car,which in turn leads less fumes,less congestion,and more the likelihood of better cycling provision for all cyclists(pedelecs after all are legally classed as cyclists) which may tip the scales in favour of a better environment for all,especially those in towns and cities.
The pedelec is the freedom vehicle the bike used to be when the car wasn't king.It has the potential to turn the tables on the clumsiness of taking a 1 tonne+ vehicle a couple of miles for a bit of shopping and in the present climate quicker too.
It can be argued that an unassisted bike can do the same,but given that people won't,it's the next best thing.So IMHO we(cyclists)should be glad of it and stop judging from a purist perspective as some do,or to be looked on with disdain unless someone is judged as 'disabled' and therefore accepted because of that.
TBH I tire of reading about the classification of people in such a way.
Last edited by reohn2 on 2 Jul 2016, 11:37am, edited 1 time in total.
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PH
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by PH »

reohn2 wrote:
Tangled Metal wrote:I used to question them but mellowed over.time..........
Ever since.then my view is great if you really need them.......... .......... if your fit enough to do without. Take the exercise and not the easy way out in that case.


I think we need(desperately)to get away from the idea of judgement as to why anyone rides a pedelec,they do because they want to,for whatever reason and it's none of anyone else's business.

TBH I tire of reading about the classification of people in such a way.


+1
Away from the competitive arena, it another transport choice, whether for business, utility or leisure, it's just another choice.
I had a go on one a few weeks ago at the TdY, I thought it was great. I'd have no hesitation in putting one on my list of options if the need arose. About a dozen years ago I worked 16 miles from where I lived, I cycled every day, across a range of shifts and TBH combined with the physical nature of the job it became too much. I could do it, but I reached the point where I no longer wanted to, the option of an electric assist bike may well have changed that.
bobc
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by bobc »

Regarding mechanical doping; there are suspicions that this is way more widespread than the single ban suggests. A TV crew with a thermal camera (these things are CHEAP and really handy. we use them at work) saw 4 or 6 "hot bottom brackets" on a single climb, in giro italia I think. UCI came up with some other quite bizarre "testing" paradigm involving EMC equipment, which to be franks looks like an excuse to bury their heads in the sand again... BTW I'd suspect anyone with a shiny or chromed bottom bracket area - that looks like an attempt to fool a thermal detection by altering the IR emissivity of the area in question. The geared motor in the seat tube is available on the open market, well established and reliable piece of kit.

Regarding ebikes - the mamils really need to get a life & just try one out. They really do bring a joy to a bike ride in the country that the toil of pedalling can take away; you still get the tranquility, the relaxation and the enjoyment, but in addition you don't get all sweaty and can look around, over hedgerows, ride with all manner of folk & have civilised conversation while you do. Seriously I don't think you can return from a ride on one without a stupid great grin all over your face. Swallow any ridiculous notions about what you think is cool and enjoy!!!

Incidentally the motor that hides in a seat tube (the gruber assist) is sold (at a premium - it's an expensive thing) to cyclists who want to hide the electric assist on their bikes & their business model seems to be predicated on the notion that cyclists using electric assist feel like cheats and would want to hide it. Seems odd to me...
Postboxer
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by Postboxer »

Also saw a competition to win an e-bike and I thought it would be good for the wife then she'd come out with me and not have to worry about keeping up with me or holding me back, I'd be the one worrying.
Flinders
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Re: My "friend's bike" turns into 6 year ban

Post by Flinders »

OH uses an electric assist bike to get to work. There are no showers at work and he doesn't like to get there all sweaty.
I never bothered about that when I commuted, but I went straight into a workshop and a very physical job and we were all sweaty on and off all day anyway, he has to sit in an office and wear a clean shirt, etc., so I see his point. I also commuted in London, which is for the most part pretty flat and you are stopping all the time.

If it gets more people cycling, I see no problem with it. I was talking this weekend to a lady who has a standard bike but doesn't use it who was thinking of getting an electric one. I did try to encourage her to start with a few short rides on the current bike, but failing that, I'd rather she got an electric one and used it than didn't cycle at all. And it might get her going enough to use both bikes in time, depending on the journey.
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