I was previously ambivalent about electric bikes. I listened to all the comments from the bike media along the lines of “it’s only an assist”, “they’re for people who aren’t well/fit enough to ride normal bikes” and thought that they aren’t doing any harm so leave them to it.

Well I’m calling bullsh*t on all those comments as today I saw one of these in Bedgebury a Bultaco-Brinco-e-bike

Now this thing was being ridden uphill in excess of 25mph with roost coming off the back wheel! There was no ‘pedal assist’ the rider was just turning the throttle and letting rip.

I cant help but feel that if we as mountain bikers (riders, industry and media) side with e-bikes then we’ll only have ourselves to blame when we’re banned from trails.

That’s a motor bike. Not an ebike

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3EIogaEwxY[/video]

It’s got gears and can be pedaled. It’s an e-bike.

It’s 2kw. It’s a motorbike.

turning the throttle

[quote]2000W[/quote]

That’s an electric motorbike, not a pedelec/e-assisted bike

so

Electric bikes People doing stupid/inappropriate/illegal things need to be stopped.

no different to someone taking a petrol crosser or trials bike there, which assuming it was on a path where they weren’t legally allowed is already illegal.

eletric motorbike != e-bike/pedelec, in execution and law they are different things.

yup coz banning us from cycling on ‘footpaths’ is a policy that works.
In response to the Op I’m gonna go with ‘meh’
& what’s roost?

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_k7KzaNeqU[/video]

There was no ‘pedal assist’ the rider was just turning the throttle and letting rip.

unless I’m mistaken a “normal” e-bike still requires some pedal input. If it truly is throttle operated then it’s probably closer to a motorbike in legal terms

The largest amount of power comes form the motor, not the legs (unless you can push 2000 watts?)
The motor can be run independently of pedaling
It can go over 25kph
It has a throttle

All these are reasons Her Majesty’s government say it’s a motorbike, not an electric bicycle.

If it truly is throttle operated then it’s probably closer to a motorbike in legal terms

FTFY

To be an ebike the assist has to stop when to you stop pedalling. It’s therefore not a bike but a motorbike.

The assist also has to stop totally when you reach 25kph too

Interesting how ebikes have been around for a couple of years, with the industry getting behind them and the OP is ‘Meh’. Sees one dickhead being a dickhead, on a different thing, and pronounces that they should all be banned…

So the fact that this thing was ‘pedaled’ to and from the car park to the trails past FC employees and nobody said anything doesn’t make anyone else a bit apprehensive? This bike was perceived as an e-bike/mountain bike, the fact that the DVLA classifies this as a motorcycle is almost irrelevant.

If the rider had crashed into one of the kids he was riding past and had got away then I’m not convinced that the accident wouldn’t be pinned on mountain bikers.

This has to be a drive-by trolling

ah KOM on, who seriously wouldn’t want to thrash that around their favourite trails??

Shifting baseline syndrome.

If the rider had crashed into one of the kids he was riding past and had got away then I’m not convinced that the accident wouldn’t be pinned on mountain bikers.

Ive seen people crash into others dicking about at Buzzards Nest car park and they were on normal bikes, why is this worse?

This isn’t trolling, this is real concern.

I’ve just had a look at what legally defines an e-bike and this is what I found

EAPC requirements
The requirements are:

the bike must have pedals that can be used to propel it
the electric motor shouldn’t be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph
the motor shouldn’t have a maximum power output of more than 250 watts
It must also display one item from each of the following:

the power output or manufacturer of the motor
the battery’s voltage or maximum speed of the bike

So as long as it ‘can’ be pedaled then it can also have a throttle as well. So if you put a sticker on the motor/battery stating ‘250 watts’ then who’s going to question it?

(unless you can push 2000 watts?)

Per leg. On a rest day.

Looks like a right good laugh to me, I’d love to try it out but then again i’ve never rode like a dick on a normal bike so perhaps the op’s argument flies over my head.

Electric bikes need to be stopped.

I imagine it could be quite dangerous if you’re running it brakeless? 😕

Ive seen people crash into others dicking about at Buzzards Nest car park and they were on normal bikes, why is this worse?

I like to think I’m pretty quick but I don’t think I could get 60lb+ bike to do over 25mph uphill. If you hit someone at 25mph+ then you are going to **** them up, that’s why it’s a concern.

You have to have all the first 3 requirements as well as one of the others for it to be an ebike, the one you link to fails on 2 of the first 3 and one is open to interpretation.

Not. An. E-Bike.

Happy yet?

Pfft.. its got 24″ rims.

But its very easy to get a 50lb DH bike upto 25mph downhill and that happens every weekend. Why is uphill worse?

What does it matter if you hit someone at 25mph (I assume your speed gun was calibrated?) whether you are going up or down?

Good to hear someone is thinking of the children though, have you considered baby robins too?

If youre that worried send the FC an email to let them know you saw it being used and their staff were unaware and may need training. Heck if youre that bothered call the police and let them know an unregistered motorbike is being used.

I’ve got one thats modded with no need to pedal. got most of the MTB climb KOMs about my local tracks. its so funny passing people huffing and puffing.

Thanks for ruining it for those of us that don’t break the law.

No, really.

But its very easy to get a 50lb DH bike upto 25mph downhill and that happens every weekend. Why is uphill worse?

The Brinco is nearly 90lbs (39kg). The energies involved in that are substantially greater. You’re right, uphill is no worse than downhill, although it means it offers a substantial risk at potentially any point on the trail.

PS Poah may be having a wee troll at you.

But its very easy to get a 50lb DH bike upto 25mph downhill and that happens every weekend. Why is uphill worse?

I saw this bike being ridden on a slight incline past one of the playgrounds and you’d never be able to get a normal mountain bike to go that fast so no one would be expecting a bike to be going that fast.

Unless you are injured or carrying a disability that stops you riding fully I don’t see why a able bodied person would chose one. For those carrying injuries I can totally see their place. It enables injuried people to keep on getting out. For anyone else I think ‘wtf’. It just takes all the gear to another level. How many 5grand bikes do you see rocking round smooth trail centres?

I saw this bike being ridden on a slight incline past one of the playgrounds and you’d never be able to get a normal mountain bike to go that fast so no one would be expecting a bike to be going that fast…

..what about if you rode in the other direction, you know, downhill?

Don’t expect much succour from the lazy, cake quaffing hourdes on singletrack, just the thought of pedaling sends them into cold sweats.

In the not to distant future, we will be in the minority, while the fat minions are propelled efortlesly around grinning while trashing the trails.

The Brinco is nearly 90lbs (39kg). The energies involved in that are substantially greater.

Good job we have weight limits on riders in bike parks

KEEP OUT FATTIES – YOUR ENERGIES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER!!!!!

Sounds like a reasonable principle. 🙂

I’ve got one thats modded with no need to pedal. got most of the MTB climb KOMs about my local tracks. its so funny passing people huffing and puffing.

I rest my case.

[/i]If youre that worried send the FC an email to let them know you saw it being used and their staff were unaware and may need training. Heck if youre that bothered call the police and let them know an unregistered motorbike is being used.

I’ve already emailed Bedgebury

I’ve already emailed Bedgebury

was it a calm and considered as your OP?

In the not to distant future, we will be in the minority, while the fat minions are propelled efortlesly around grinning while trashing the trails.

Amen brother! and propel us to the pub afterwards.