E-bikes: depressing or what?

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
hemo
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by hemo »

kwackers wrote:
hemo wrote:Although stupid the 15.5 mph and 250w limits were adopted from Japan where I believe the likes of Panasonic first produced in any number hub motors where from there on in Western Europe accepted and adopted them as the standard, though for many years the UK only had a legal 200w limit and was only officially brought in to line with the EU guidelines 3 or 4 years ago.

Did the 200w limit also have an associated speed limit?


My reply previously was incorrect as the assist limit was 12 mph, later 15.5 to move inline with the rest of EU and 250w officially adopted.

Ebikes are very depressing if you live in Northern Ireland.
The only UK anomaly is Northern Ireland where the dissolved government (when sitting ) hadn't ratified ebike law so they remain totally illegal there and are classed as motor vehicles. Officially they need insurance, registration and motorbike cat licence.
PSNI have unofficially told it force to treat them as bicycles and if ridden sensibly then no offence will be applied but it is purely down to the local forces discretion.
A few incidents have occurred recently in NI, a case of confiscation has happened, one chap was nicked recently for being DUI and another I believe has been warned after being caught riding that next time the bike will be taken off him and prosecution may occur for riding an unregistered motor vehicle.
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willcee
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by willcee »

Hemo et al, re the N.Irish situation , well documented on Pedelecs, thankfully the story you relate to was outed on Facebook by the plods involved locally,nor did they say the guy was in his cups, the Chief Constable was livid, shouldn't have happened, the backlash they rec'd was had they nothing better to do than accost otherwise law abiding e cyclists and that it was very difficult to get insurance as there was in the insurance industry no class for the machines in GB as it wasn't necessary.. and yes it was very hard to become legal period, thankfully someone in co. Down actually got the message understood at Chief constable level and there is a copy of a letter from Rosie Leech ,head of the PSNI Traffic policy unit in Lisburn under instruction from the C.C. that while they don't say its legal they are not going to do anything to stop us cycling so long as no other traffic laws are involved, knowing full well that Dept Of Infastructure is ready to rubber stamp the papers as soon as they can leaving us the same as GB.. a copy of the letter is on the Pedelecs forum search under PSNI .and most of us have now a copy. will
hemo
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by hemo »

I know about the letter you have mentioned but will it stand up when put to the test.
The main problem I see is if someone is badly hurt and decides to sue or seek reimbursement then it will stop riders in their tracks again.. I think it was TedG who aired the issue and has refused since then to ride his pedelec for this reason until legality has been rubber stamped. Dispite the C.C's view and his private sec having had this letter typed and signed in his name. The meeting TedG also had with the politician's in N.I came to the conclusion it is illegal to ride a pedelec and the law is the law.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Yes, depressing, where may I cast my vote?

Just read in the paper about an e-bike fair on Sunday, I will try to visit it. Apparently e-bikes have the chain on the left, according to the photo in the Journal, or are my eyes deceiving me?

The cops will be at the fair to advise about helmets of course, and there is a test track

Following e-bikes will be exhibited:
Pedelec, Trekking, City, eMountainbike, folding/compact, LoadEbike, FamilyEbike
Two I especially want to see: eBike xXl and LifestyleEbike :wink:

There is a draw to win an EBike worth €2699
Is it the economy, stupid?
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reohn2
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by reohn2 »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Yes, depressing, where may I cast my vote?

Just read in the paper about an e-bike fair on Sunday, I will try to visit it. Apparently e-bikes have the chain on the left, according to the photo in the Journal, or are my eyes deceiving me?

The cops will be at the fair to advise about helmets of course, and there is a test track

Following e-bikes will be exhibited:
Pedelec, Trekking, City, eMountainbike, folding/compact, LoadEbike, FamilyEbike
Two I especially want to see: eBike xXl and LifestyleEbike :wink:

There is a draw to win an EBike worth €2699
Is it the economy, stupid?

:? ????
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willcee
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by willcee »

HEMO, pOLITICians..with a very very small p... in my view there's not one of them worth a ball of blue and many here are now coming to that sad conclusion, i doubt if more than 20 of them have any more than education to16, still being paid full salary and haven't done a decent days work for well over a year, some would say even before that..it wasn't any of them who trailed this to any decent conclusion, and it was a well intentioned well positioned member of pedelecs who obviously had sway at CC level, so they are now to be treated as bikes, bikes generally aren't carrying road risk insurance so what is TEDg worried about, imv the Psni didn't mention this for that reason, they aren't dumb and would have taken some legal advice before the letter was issued, CC didn't sign the letter it was the chief super of the Traffic branch, at his bequest, good enough for me, i and my friends will still use them, not as difficult for us to stay out of trouble we're way out on the north coast, by the sea, and near to good Bushmills whiskey.. will
hemo
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by hemo »

N.I is a an oddity within UK law regarding pedelecs, no matter what we all think of politicians it is the sitting assembly that has to ratify and rubber stamp the pedelec law in to every day usage. The police are there to uphold the law and despite any written letter they have to be seen to doing so.
The precedent regarding pedelecs in N.I was cast when some lady went thru the process of registering her pedelec complete with number plate, insurance and compulsory helmet etc, etc.
Also untiL the mess is sorted out no shop is willing to sell ebikes in N.I.
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willcee
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by willcee »

Yes she did..silly woman. and an ex motorcylist too...wearing a motorcycle helmet on a pedal cycle is the most dangerous thing that only a civil servant who never rode a bike thought up. you cannot hear traffic, period... If you read that letter as i did you would have seen that having done their background checks the Psni know full well the DFI are going to ratify the issue by rubber stamping the paperwork by whatever means is available, which they overlooked back some years ago ..otherwise why would plod have taken the stance that is evident from the last few lines of the letter.. Oh and contrary to your statement which alludes no one is retailing e bikes...Halfords have them back on show, and a local boutique cycle business whom i know very well is and always has sold ebikes , if you read back a page or 5 in the pedelecs forum where this issue was discussed he was the guy that one of the senior PSNI bods spoke to as he was PSNI likely they got some background from a man on the frontline whom they could trust.. will
keensnapper
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by keensnapper »

I've just bought an ebike, I'm going to use it to commute to work, about 28 miles each way, i'm currently using a car, but it's getting old and unreliable, I have to be at work by 6am, and there's no public transport at that time.

In my younger days i might have been able to cycle that distance on a road bike, but my knees are getting arthritic so i see an ebike as really good option (hopefully, time will tell!).

I do have a 50cc scooter, but i don't like riding it, i don't feel safe, i've spend pretty much my whole life riding bikes and I feel confident on them, most of my journey is country roads, i'm looking forward to the commute.

I think ebikes have their place, i think anything that gets people out of the their cars and off their back sides is a good thing.
OldGeezer
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by OldGeezer »

This is my first visit here.
They don't depress me, quite the opposite. Probably because I'm 70.

Until the last couple of years I've been trying to walk 5 miles + daily. My heart is not in great shape so the exercise is essential if I want to survive for a good while yet. But I've developed arthritic feet, notably in one big toe which I once dislocated very badly. I've been thinking about cycling for a couple of years but I've not been keen on the prospect of slogging back along the coast against a howling wind. And, if I'm frank about it, being closely passed (missed) whilst walking almost daily, by Lycra clad cyclists travelling at high speed on a shared coastal path - not one in 50 has any kind of bell - I don't harbor much affection for the clan. (I also dislike being badgered into using American spelling; but what can you do?)

I bought a Cube Kathmandu recently. I've been reading reviews of electrically assisted bikes for many years and they've always looked inevitable to me. Anyway I shelled out what for me is a significant sum of money. It's excellent, even if, despite being an ex-motorcyclist (very Ex), I'm not yet entirely confident on it; it seems to me that, comparing it with motorbike setup, the steering rake is too steep. My god the seat is uncomfortable too - I'm a skinny old geezer. Replacing that asap.

I read a couple of pages of the comments on this thread. Many of them seemed pretty obtuse, trying to wish away the inevitable which threatens their chosen identity. This thing not only enables me to adjust the level of exercise I want to adopt, but functions as a useful method of functional transport. I've yet to try it on country tracks.

I've bought the required pair of Abus "Gold" locks to satisfy the licensed banditry of the insurance industry. Having to lug them about, and then the (insanely expensive) battery, all the while wondering if the bike will still be there when I return to it is the one big negative that I can see. Not to mention packs of hatchet-faced whining junkie-thieves lurking in wait of the big prize.
Hmm. But.
It can't be long before energy recovery systems are incorporated, further extending range.
Roy
random37
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by random37 »

Happy new bike to you, Roy.
reohn2
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by reohn2 »

random37 wrote:Happy new bike to you, Roy.

+1
Enjoy it Roy and don't worry about the naysayers it hasn't come to them yet.
The potential thieves will be put off by a decent lock and should you need to leave the bike unattended for any length of time could you take the battery with you?
Last edited by reohn2 on 18 Aug 2018, 12:31pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cunobelin
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by Cunobelin »

reohn2 wrote:
random37 wrote:Happy new bike to you, Roy.

+1
Enjoy it Roy and don't worry about the naysayers it has come to them yet.
The potential thieves will be put off by a decent lock and should you need to leave the bike unattended for any length of time could you take the battery with you?


..... or wire up the bike:


[youtube]P7EwQYEvp00[/youtube]

[youtube]NX9wHZSRTl0[/youtube]
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horizon
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by horizon »

OldGeezer wrote:
This thing not only enables me to adjust the level of exercise I want to adopt,


Well this is a going to be obtuse again, but in one sense the bicycle is more obdurate and a hard task master - it doesn't let you adjust the level of exercise (albeit within reason, as you can have gears or get off and walk or take the train, like I do). So it provides a discipline that you don't thank it for at the time but you do when you get to 70 (or at least that is the idea).
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
reohn2
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Re: E-bikes: depressing or what?

Post by reohn2 »

horizon wrote:...... So it provides a discipline that you don't thank it for at the time but you do when you get to 70 (or at least that is the idea).


Or you do thank it at the time but when you do get to 70 you still want to ride your bike,elec assist helps you still do that if the engine is somewhat worn.
That's at least one idea of a pedelec put to good use,there are many others.
Last edited by reohn2 on 19 Aug 2018, 9:54am, edited 1 time in total.
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