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Think Chiles will get the sack for over 200 complaints?
At least called into the DG's office for a dressing down loLZ
He was on the Ellis & John podcasty thing and seemed much more balanced then descriptions of the original suggest - perhaps he'd already had the chat by then
Not sure the focus should be on Chiles, it's the whole culture of lazy, one-sided click bait journalism that goes wider than the BBC even.
We criticise the BBC for ridiculous efforts to provide "balance" and yet this kind of drivel comes out practically unchecked.
From the BBC:
Our response
This programme explored the growing use of e-bikes on Britain’s roads and whether towns and cities have adapted sufficiently. Throughout the programme, contributors outlined both positive and negative aspects of e-bikes. We showed that e-bikes (in their various forms) are beneficial for the environment, convenient for users and often fun to ride.
We felt it was important to look at illegal e-bikes in the episode due to a growing concern from councils, police forces and citizens about "e-bikes" of every form, not only those known as Electrically Assisted Peddle Cycles (EAPCs). Some viewers thought we conflated different types of e-bikes, modified bikes, e-mopeds, and e-motorcycles, by using the terms “e-bike” or “illegal e-bike” throughout the film. Our commentary made clear that there are various forms of e-bike which are available to buy across the UK – including with a tax break on the cycle-to-work scheme.
To the public and to all intents and purposes, e-bikes and those bikes which do not conform to EAPC regulations are indistinguishable: two-wheeled vehicles with an electric battery-powered motor and having the same or similar physical appearance to a bicycle. The former is governed by restrictions which are dealt with in the programme.
The term e-bike is used for a wide range of products, not all adhering to UK law. The government states: "There are many products known as ‘e-bikes’ or ‘e-cycles’ available on the market. However, not all of these are classified as EAPCs." Moreover, the police use the term "e-bike" to describe both legal e-bikes and illegal e-bikes. Forces across the UK rarely use the descriptor "e-moped" or "e-motorcycle" but instead prefer to use the term "illegal e-bike" when discussing non-EAPC regulation e-bikes. In order to accurately reflect the information given to us by these forces, we felt it was appropriate to take a similar approach, and felt it was justified to use a range of footage of different road legal e-bikes and illegal e-bikes throughout the film.
Concerning the law about the power of an e-bike motor, the government guidelines state that EAPCs "must have a maximum power output of 250 watts” and bikes should be labelled as such. This means that the continuous rated power should be no more than 250 watts. While there are circumstances when an e-bike’s power output might briefly exceed the 250 watt rate in a surge, that’s not what the law is designed to stop. Therefore we feel the commentary in the programme was accurate.
This is also the case regarding the throttles on e-bikes, where we stated that the "motor should only work while you’re pedalling, not by pressing a button.” The UK law allows for "walk assistance" for up to 6 km/h but it is possible to get an e-bike reclassified via the DVSA as an e-moped and then use a throttle when not pedalling. This presents difficulty for police and councils who have to work out which e-bikes have been reclassified as e-mopeds.
Some viewers felt the programme was too negative about e-bikes. However we believe it was fair and impartial and from the outset was clearly not an attack on the e-bike industry but an examination of how the huge rise in their use has impacted our towns and cities. The programme featured a range of views, many of them positive about e-bikes. For example, a Londoner talking about how he loved to use them to get around the city; Sushila Dhall referred to their positive impact on the environment; and Dr Alex Nurse explained their convenience. Adrian Chiles as the reporter was open-minded about e-bikes and showed viewers how easily you can use an e-bike as he rode across London. He later tried some other types of e-bikes and found it a positive experience. He was curious about their impact on his home city of Birmingham, but ultimately concluded in the programme that e-bikes are a “good thing” and he can “see their value.”
Even the beeb response is poorly worded. It doesn't clarify anything clearly and it's not really a problem to identify an electric moped as it will comply with current traffic regulations regarding mopeds so will be plated , registered to owner and insured as such
Poorly worded is an understatement! Fact that they had it composed by someone who can't even spell "pedal" shows how seriously they took the complaints.
Chiles "open-minded", is just simply a lie.
Well done BBC, have a medal for meddling by peddling piddle about pedals
The UK law allows for “walk assistance” for up to 6 km/h but it is possible to get an e-bike reclassified via the DVSA as an e-moped and then use a throttle when not pedalling. This presents difficulty for police and councils who have to work out which e-bikes have been reclassified as e-mopeds.
I dont get this argument. The point of the DVSA classification is to allow the e-moped to be registered as a vehicle.
So the quick check is does it have a number plate and I think vin number.
The link I posted a while back, about the Bicycle Association's formal complaint to the BBC has an update (as of 14/01/25); they've posted up the response that they have had from the Beeb.
We do not believe that Adrian’s comment about the absence of clear and enforceable rules was not justified. There is widespread confusion about e-bikes. As we have already outlined in this email, there are a range of terms used to describe e-bikes and those bikes that do not conform to EAPC regulations. The bike industry uses some very specific terms but police and councils use “e-bikes” or “illegal e-bike” to refer to a range of two wheeled, battery-powered vehicles.
So rather than helpfully clarifying the definition of e-bikes we will add to the confusion by putting out a programme which continues to confuse the terms.