I need confirmation of something the bike repair shop said

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
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RyanUK
Posts: 4
Joined: 7 Sep 2020, 8:00pm

I need confirmation of something the bike repair shop said

Post by RyanUK »

I managed to fit the Swytch conversion kit, however, because the back brake seemed less tight, I decided to get the bike looked at by a professional as the price to look at the back brakes seemed relatively low for London. I went to a shop which has a chain of bike repair shops. I don't want to mention the name just yet.

Please see the picture of the brake cable on my bike, here: https://prnt.sc/yzods9

The repair person looked my brake cable, and said that the 3cm or so of the cable not being covered with the black cable cover was causing the problem and causing there to be less tension in the cable! I have just returned to cycling, so I have minimal knowledge so I took his word for it, and he may be right. Anyway, he tighten the cable up and fixed the issue without replacing the cable cover. He said I needed and exact size cable cover. So, I bought a cable cover from their shop. However, he would not book the job in because he claimed e-bike conversion kits are not legal and that he is not allowed to!

Anyway, since I do not have knowledge in this area, I want to know if there is truth to what he is saying in relation to the cable cover. I am not concerned about what he said about ebike conversion kits being illegal. He seemed genuine and a nice guy, I was struggling understand how the cover was making such a big difference since it was mainly covered, it was just the last 2-3cm!

Can anyone on here advise? I changed the cable and cut it following the Swytch kit brake sensor install and it's now only a tiny bit shorter. If he is right, then I need to order a new cable and install it.

Thank you.

Ryan
Boring_Username
Posts: 204
Joined: 2 Mar 2017, 2:38pm

Re: I need confirmation of something the bike repair shop said

Post by Boring_Username »

Ordinarily the end of the brake cable cover would sit in the socket at the top arm of the brake mechanism itself (halfway between the tip of the arrow and the text "black"), so that does seem odd. What is at the other end of the black brake cable?
hemo
Posts: 1438
Joined: 16 Nov 2017, 5:40pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: I need confirmation of something the bike repair shop said

Post by hemo »

Cables with outers usually sit in a socket at both ends, the outer acts as a tensioner for the inner cable, so yes when short will affect the brake effectiveness,

As for ebike kits/ diy ebikes they are catered for in the regulations if they meet the EN15194 regs, they are accepted many 100's of people ride kit ebikes and non have ever been prosecuted. There is no wording to say kits/diy isn't allowed any bike should conform to UK EAPC regs.

The below is copied direct from Gov.uk.
Other kinds of electric bike
Any electric bike that does not meet the EAPC rules is classed as a motorcycle or moped and needs to be registered and taxed. You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.

A kit /diy ebike must be 250w marked and 15.5mph compliant though no one will get done for +10%, one can self certificate the bike with a sticker/label/plate that states the speed and wattage.
RyanUK
Posts: 4
Joined: 7 Sep 2020, 8:00pm

Re: I need confirmation of something the bike repair shop said

Post by RyanUK »

Boring_Username wrote:Ordinarily the end of the brake cable cover would sit in the socket at the top arm of the brake mechanism itself (halfway between the tip of the arrow and the text "black"), so that does seem odd. What is at the other end of the black brake cable?


Thanks. The other end of bike cable cover is fine, as far as I can see. It completely covered apart from the endpoint as you saw in the picture.

Based on your reply and @hemo reply, I will believe his advice was right. It is fixed for now. However, I'll order a replacement as they are very cheap anyway.
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