Concern over illegal ‘speeding’ e-bike use

17 comments

1. Most bikes I see these days don’t even have a bell so they can basically just sneak up on you without you even knowing, so I can agree that they do pose a danger and they should have mandatory bells or at least some way to warn people they’re coming

2. The size of the motor isn’t what restricts their speed and the issue really isn’t their speed anyway, it’s their use on pavements. I agree we should start taking cycling more seriously, with better infrastructure, better education and better enforcement.

3. I think we’re talking stable doors after the ~~horse~~ ebike has bolted. I’m a cyclist, and I can tell be they dynamics of a bike if it’s legal or not (free wheeling up his is a bit of a giveaway) and I’d say if it’s not a majority, then it’s an enormous minority of e-bikes do not conform to the legal limits. No-one really gives a damn unless there’s an accident.

4. Concern by who? The journalist who wrote the article?

5. People are twats, welcome to earth.

   This is no better than cars close passing at speed. If your riding through a pedestrianized area dismount, or at the very least match the speed of the pedestrians surrounding you.

6. In the early 70’s i was pulled over by the police for speeding on my Raleigh chopper. I was going downhill and they pulled alongside and shouted at me to pull up. Got a stiff talking to about the speed i was going at lol.

   Point being, fast bikes are not a new thing and given the right conditions safe speed limits can be broken…..even on a Raleigh Chopper by a kid.

7. One of these fuckers almost hit me while I was walking on the pavement. Not a sorry or anything either, that cunt.

8. No-one has touched on it yet, but there are two distinct things: eBikes, which assist you pedalling. Then electric bikes which for all intents and purposes are motorcycles.

   Just because it looks like a bicycle doesn’t mean you don’t need a motorcycle licence and insurance. You can spot them because they are flying along without pedalling.

   The later are the problem.

9. You can’t do illegal speeds on an e-bike as they are only pedal assisted and the assistance cuts off at higher speeds. The ones that are actually powered by motors are not bicycles, and are, in effect, small motorcycles.

10. I saw 1 guy rolling along in front of me doing about 40mph last week. I was quite surprised because I didn’t realise ebikes could go that fast

11. Normal bikes are faster than ebikes. Only advantages of an ebike are easier cruising, acceleration and hill climbing.

12. I know, why not reduce the speed limits on escooters and bikes like they do with cars. I don’t know. Let’s say if some roads are 20mph for Cara, then it should be 5mph for bikes and escooters.

13. Why everything need to be a concern in this damn country? we don’t have real things to deal with already?

14. Come to fucking Liverpool and you get the glory of our pedestrian city centre game called “don’t die from Deliveroo men”

    They ride so quickly through the city it’s mad and swerve between people walking it’s a miracle no one has died.

15. Police could utilise a training stand and monitor the output of e-bikes quite easily.

    Lack of will and equipment is a given but whether they have sufficient police powers to test suspected illegal bikes I don’t know.

16. I’ve just bought a kit for my bike, age and one creaky knee combined with steep hill roads mean it was that or give up cycling. Mine is a road legal type to help me up hills, but I could easily have got a 1000 watt unit from Amazon, and many of these units look near on identical externally, together with people openly selling “250 watt” stickers, it’s a stupid ill thought out law that needed more thought around it to make it effective.

17. It’s okay, these 20mph speed limits will stop these untaxed and uninsured e-bikes flying round!