Posted 24 March 2024

Proposed e-bike legislation changes.

There's a government proposal to legalise full speed throttles on e-bikes again, and also to increase maximum motor power from 250 to 500 watts, which could be beneficial for people who struggle on hills.

I guess even if adopted, it will take a number of years for any actual changes to take place.

Consultation here, if anybody is interested: gov.uk/gov…les

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24th Mar
First priority should be to licence and insure all cyclists, both for their own and everybody else's protection.
Too many irresponsible cyclists giving the rest a bad name. (edited)
24th Mar
Bikes are not big dangerous things only owned by adults, like cars. All rules about them have to be valid for a five year old cycling to school.

A basic licence might be workable, something you could integrated into the normal primary school bike safety courses.

Insurance absolutely wouldn't be. (edited)
24th Mar
Generally I'm fairly liberally minded when it comes to the whole situation, however I'm lucky enough to live where cyclists generally aren't a problem. However after seeing how some ride in built up cities delivering food etc it's no wonder the whole topic is a hot bed for discussion. Essentially some are motorcycles with riders who for reasons unknown can see red when a car cuts them up, but never seem to recognise red at traffic lights.
I belong to British Cycling and for about £25 it covers me for third party insurance, however I'm not sure how you display a number plate other than on some type of vest.
24th Mar
Can kids get insurance? Can they ride e-bikes?
25th Mar
Drug dealers choice of transportation
8th Apr
I think Sur-Ron has that one nailed.
3rd Apr
All we need now is some Police to enforce it
25th Mar
The law change is a waste of time.
The 250w limit relates to max wattage a motor can sustain for an hour. The peak wattage on some of these models is already 800w odd..
I guess a really obese person any benefit from even more.
My personal gripe is the 15.5mph limit. Once you surpass this you are allowed no assistance.
I can cycle 20mph on the flat on my road bike which will plummet to under 10mph on a steep incline, and could do 40mph on a steep descent.
I am not allowed a motor that helps slower riders past 15mph so why would a lot of pollutants in cars switch to an eco friendly bike and get fit? (their journey time will be long).
My nan could legally do 40mph down a hill on a bike yet I'm not allowed to have assistance past 15mph on the flat..
Some states in the USA allows the bike to do 28mph..
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25th Mar
Both changes would be beneficial to people with health and age related issues, which I believe is one of the reasons full speed throttles were legal under UK eapc laws until 2016 when they were brought in line with the rest of the EU.

Now we are not in the EU, I can't see any good reason for a full speed throttle to remain banned, I've found one particularly useful when moving off at awkward junctions and probably makes the e-bike safer, maybe the current 3.7mph limit might be just about adequate, but it is also nice to be able to stop pedalling when I feel like it.

I would also like the cut out speed increased a little, maybe 20mph which is easily maintainable on a regular road bicycle on the flat, and is only about 4mph faster than the current limit with permitted error. Would probably be a good idea to have rules requiring decent brakes with good stopping distances. (edited)
25th Mar
Does it even matter what the law says? In our town the roads of full of uber eats couriers riding bikes with thick tyres that look half way to a motor bike and keep up with the traffic with no peddling.
The town centre Mcdonalds usually has at least half a dozen parked outside so clearly no enforcement of the law is taking place.
25th Mar
All well and good until an accident happens (that may not even be cyclists fault). Cyclist may then find themselves on BBC news and in prison and public enemy #1.
It has happened before..