Electric bikes are SO good. We love them, we know you love them – but unfortunately there’s one regulation currently that might be stopping them from being solution to mass urban mobility.
Eilis grabs her e-bike, and tells all on a ride across London.
Let us know what you think! Is this a change you would like to see?
Interested in buying an e-bike or an e-scooter? Check out our brand new shop – www.electroheads.com
Want to hear more about the bike Eilis is riding? Check out her latest vid! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfcuNtrX9eQ
Intro 0:00
Let’s ride 1:08
The rules at the moment 1:24
But what about normal bikes!? 3:09
Safety implications vs. vehicles 5:54
Keeping pedestrians safe 7:55
BUMP UP THE NUMBER 9:28
WE can do it 10:24
E-Bikes can change lives 10:54
Closing thoughts 11:26
#ebike #rant #uk #electricbike
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29 Comments
In the market for an electric bike or scooter? Check out our brand new shop and find your perfect ride – http://www.Electroheads.com
It’s idiots that ruin it for the good ones 👌💯
Legislators main role in the UK is to keep joe average under the thumb first and foremost not to make us feel free and empowered! Facts , data and logic don’t really come into the equation! Hopefully your words will reach someone willing to apply common sense and actually do what we pay them to do which is to assist us and not hinder our lives!! Great video 👍
No chance to raise that 25kph limit. People already drive insane with those ebikes on pedestrian walkways, hiking trails etc. Due to the high weight of the bikes accidents are horrific. I own an ebike myself and know its great fun, but they kind of dont belong on streets neither pedestrian walkways. The only sensible compromise is to keep them really slow, maybe even slower than 25kph… they will still make you move and take the strain off you, but at a much lower risk for everyone.
Speaking a s cyclist, unfortunately you're looking at it from a responsible person's point of view and you have an argument with the statistics. But statistics don't tell the full story, there are way too many idiots, thugs and so on who will use the extra speed in a dangerous or an anti-social manner and not necessarily seriously injure or kill someone and produce "statistics". It's bad enough with the current limit in some places with e-bike usage on pavements and pedestrianised zones.
If you want to go faster, what's wrong with a small scooter? Is it just that you want the convenience of the speed, without the encumbrance and cost of a licenses and insurance? That's a different argument.
The real answer, from a cyclists point of view, is better infrastructure such as you see in many European countries with cycle paths and, importantly, away from the main roads.
Before we even consider increasing speeds for ebikes, we MUST clarify the current classification and laws around their use, then enforce these laws to rid the streets of illegal, dangerous ebikes..and the antisocial type of rider that is attracted to them.
also, i have issues with your arguments…
You say Manufacturers will take into account stopping distance and impact energy- . You cant abdicate responsibility to a manufacturer, especially one that is happy to sell an illegal and unsafe product. People (we) are stupid…we don't buy safe we buy cheap…see how many cheap, illegal (non assist) ebikes already flood the market and the road. You want to increase their speed even more.
Also consider this, increased speed means increased battery size and motor output…do you know how many of these illegal ebikes are already blamed for housefires, now add larger batteries and motors to that equation?
You also say pedestrian deaths are caused by cars because they occur on urban roads…how does this correlate? urban roads carry all vehicles not just cars. Also if this is true, surely it just proves that the current rules work
if you want to travel faster, get a licence and ride a motorbike that is registered and tested for safety every year.
Oh yes, a regular road bike, no assist can go really fast. People don't know or forget that fact. However, ebikes are much better for daily use. Its amazing. My ebike is 20mph, class 2. Its plenty fast for city riding, but for my longer commute of 30 miles, I wish it was a class 3 28mph model. Next… 25mph speed limits are not great for bikes. Cars go too fast over that limit all the time. My city of Santa FE NM does have 20mph speed limit in the downtown for the cars which is nice, much less stress than 25mph. Cities should have 20mph limits for cars. How to stay safe? rear view mirror is such a good tool for street riding, check it every 10 seconds.. The thumb throttle is great for stop to go and getting out of people's way quickly. I teach rider skills. Thanks for making this video. Peace.
yes 15,5 m/h or 25 km/h is too little speed for commuter…no one asked me and that is why now i am looking 45km/h s-pedelec bikes…
20mph is the right speed maximum for bikes AND cars in the city. Most cars made in the past 10 years can detect what the speed limit is from either GPS or camera, why do they allow you to go 120mph in a 20mph zone when bikes cap at 20mph (or 15 in EU/UK) no matter what?
750w and 20 mph makes it easier to stay with the flow of traffic, less cars overtaking, less cycling on the pavement and the higher wattage makes them more usable. Many European cities mix mopeds and bicycles quite well. The current rules are too conservative.
I completely agree, as someone who rode a pedal bike to work everyday, I would easily average 20 mph and yes I used to shower at work, so an electric bike would have been much better.
However, at one point you mention cars are allowed to drive at 120 mph…err no they’re not.
Acoustic bikes is the dumbest term I've ever heard..
Don’t worry about the law if you ride a 750 watt bike you can reach 30 mph !
I'm in the US and the car culture here is simply insane. I very much wish to get rid of my car and switch to biking, but living out in the country, it's somewhat impracticable. Years ago, when I lived in a big city, I biked everywhere. It was awesome! I agree, though, if more people rode bikes in the cities, then we'd become a happier, healthier people.
20mph should be allowed. Something that seems so stupid in my country is : e scooters with a throttle are becoming legal once they dont go above 25kph. However, ebikes with ANY throttle, even if cuts at 25kph are completely illegal???
Absolutely agree. I'm71 and have 3 e-bikes but still I can be easily dropped on a club run 😕
There was a petition, in the UK, to do something about it; but what happened with that? Not much?
it's not about safety, it's about the fossil fuel industry conspiring to slow progress away from them
Totally agree, 20mph would encourage me to get out of the car. If this was the. Linked to better rail infrastructure this would help too, but as you have highlighted, trains are pretty crammed at rush hour so zippo room for e-bikes and the powers that be have zippo common sense, so you are left with an obsolete law holding back what could be an explosion of new Ebike users. I guess there is more interest in fining speeding driver and using all that collected cash than doing something that could benefit everyone.
Like everything new, there will be growing pains because people want to make money selling them when the opportunity arises, and people want to use them ASAP, but the new laws regarding to them comes a long after them, which is typically how things work in general.
people buy bikes that are limited to 15mph?
Don't shop at the big retail stores people! You can get E-bikes elsewhere locally almost guaranteed. You can take it in to get serviced much quicker and have a better warranty, and cheaper by like a grand. I know people who promise a same day repair should anything go wrong and will extend warranties if you take care of your bike.
Canada. 500W motor. 32km/hr limit. The Wheelspeed I bought recently as my first ebike literally won't let you PEDAL faster than 32km/hr! E.g. down a hill, it feels as if the motor is working against you to limit you to 32, 09:30, no matter how hard you pedal 05:30. That resistance against your personal effort is extremely annoying. Compare that to the fun I had long ago on a non-electric ten-speed bike when I clocked, I think for the first and only time, 40km/hr down Mountain Road in Hamilton.
No matter how heavy your e-bike is, it will never win vs an auto travelling 60 mph much less 120 mph.
I am sorry, but, even in my country the pedestrian problem is because of a lack of awareness, on the part of the pedestrian. They have their faces usually buried in their smart devices, and then the commuter is taken to task for someone walking out in front of you at 2M distance with their faces buried in their cellphones and to add to this not even crossing at a pedestrian crossing but across the road essentially J-walking which is in and of itself an offence…. Not a car, buss, taxi, acoustic or even an ebike can stop in that distance. In my childhood days we were taken out of class, and we were taught how to approach an intersection and then how to cross it properly. Sadly, this education has been forgone, and pedestrians think that you a commuter in whatever form have to give way to them, when in fact it is supposed to be the other way around. 99% of these accidents and fatalities all around the world are as a direct result of the lack of awareness on the part of the pedestrian…… Guaren-damn-teed!
London is not a bicycle friendly city, you have to have a big heart to cycle in London compared to the Netherlands.
f**k the nanny state.
Can we somehow engage Brexiteers to get cross that we don’t have British e-bike laws for British people? If we refer to the speed limit as the “European 25kph limit” instead of 15.5mph then that should get it started. 😂
I’ve never heard the term “acoustic bikes” before. Love it.
Why you riding on the murderous road?
the main I would agree with you, however, there is no age requirement to ride an e bike that means a 6-8-12 year old could do 20mph on the ROAD, THAT'S WAY TOO DANGEROUS