You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I'm in San Francisco for work and luckily had a day off. Decided to hire a bike to check out the local riding in stunning Marin county. Was originally going for a gravel bike but eventually ended up with an e-fatbike *
Having previously not been a huge fan of riding ebikes on the road in the UK, mainly due to the 15.5mph restriction, this e-fatbike was amazing. It could go up to 20mph and with plenty of assist up the hills. And then it had a comfortable geometry and compliant tyres for the gravel downhills.
This bike felt very capable and fun. It makes me annoyed about Europe/UK's ebike speed limit. 15.5mph especially in flatter areas like London is rubbish and means drivers are constantly overtaking or trying to overtake you. 20mph would mean you could keep up with the traffic in urban areas and hold a more assertive and safer position on the road.
The idea that 15.5mph is a good compromise falls apart IMO with the amount of illegally modified bikes (mopeds) going much faster. Apparently, restrict people too much and they just bypass the regulation. I'm now sold on the idea of e-bikes being a transformative technology, and I feel sad seeing government seemingly doing more to hobble the technology than to support it.
* Well, the long story short is that the crank of my original hire bike loosened and fell off, so as an apologetic gesture the hire place let me use their premium bike
Personally I wonder if the 20mph speed limit is part of why the US has such a problem with ebikers on trails compared to the UK and Europe
20mph would mean you could keep up with the traffic in urban areas and hold a more assertive and safer position on the road.
The idea that 15.5mph is a good compromise falls apart IMO with the amount of illegally modified bikes (mopeds) going much faster. Apparently, restrict people too much and they just bypass the regulation
Not so much the traffic aspect, but you are right.
If ebikes were allowed to do 20mph I would (possibly) be far less inclined to deristrict mine
I can drive a motorcycle safely at 120 mph. Time to get rid of speed limits.?
Cars would still try to overtake, just faster and with less time to complete, leading to more issues, imo.
I'm now sold on the idea of e-bikes being a transformative technology, and I feel sad seeing government seemingly doing more to hobble the technology than to support it.
So... what part of you having more fun because you can go faster for less effort is the transformative part? Am pretty sure the 'transformative' part of e-bikes has already happened, more people riding bikes, am pretty sure the mum doing the school run or picking up the shopping in her cargo bike would be doing it regardless of 15.5mph or 20mph.
Having already been forced off a trail by an e-biker overshooting a corner going uphill, am not sure how people blatting around on cycle paths at the speed of traffic is a good thing. The fact that people are already doing so illegally isn't really a valid argument I don't think.
As someone whims recently bought an ebike the selfish part of me would love a 20mph top speed. But the sensible part of me understands that it would cause way more problems than it solves and would likely lead to a lot of places banning them on the trails (like has happened in the US) and I don't want that.
15.5mph isn’t faster than a fit regular biker can ride their MTB (they can just sustain it longer) so it’s not as terrifying to people being overtaken.
I'm with the OP on this. I think a 20mph limit on the roads for ebikes is an excellent idea, and would increase uptake in a very positive way.
Obviously we'd also have to ban them off road at the same time ( like they do on some trails in 'murka) but that's a price I'm more than willing to pay.
We should just lower all the other speed limits by 25% so 15mph feels like 20mph
You could put the effort in to get you and bike going at 20mph... after all, you are only putting effort in to go 4.5mph faster than the assist will help with...
😉
I could see some appeal in having assistance to a 2.5-5mph higher legal limit in the UK and EU, as a new owner of an eeb. But as I've bought an eeb due to vastly reduced power and stamina ability due to ongoing long covid, a higher assist limit will simply mean my 250Wh battery will be consumed quicker on the flat and uphill.
Yes, I'd like to go at 20mph - resisted for the last 3 years but half tempted to derestrict now that I'm out of warranty anyway.
But to be clear, I wouldn't want to do it so that I could start running normal bikes off the trail on uphill corners
Flying down some rocky/rooty flow trail, then hit a flat bit where you start pedalling all out....and then it's like you've just dropped an anchor 🙁
But a US ebike rider doesn’t have access to ask trails that you can cycle. So it’s not really a fair comparison. In my view the 25km/h stands as ebikes can access bike paths etc.
Another irony of this post is that Marin County mtb trails have a 15mph limit for all bikes up and down hill
Yes, I'd like to go at 20mph - resisted for the last 3 years but half tempted to derestrict now that I'm out of warranty anyway.
But to be clear, I wouldn't want to do it so that I could start running normal bikes off the trail on uphill corners
Flying down some rocky/rooty flow trail, then hit a flat bit where you start pedalling all out....and then it's like you've just dropped an anchor 🙁
Do it, you'll not want to ride a restricted one again though.
Don't waste your breath on here though about how you'll use it sensibly, no one's interested - it's illegal, irresponsible, you're the devil and spoiling it for everyone else.....