only allowed if you can show you have a valid medical reason….

Easier said than done. You can hack pretty much anything and I doubt security against such hacking is high on the priority list for e-bike builders.

Out of curiosity, is derestricting a motorcycle still laughably easy?

Which motorcycles are restricted?

Most 50cc are restricted.

they are mopeds and not restricted as such but built to the legal limits. Would need a fair bit of tuning to get much more out of them

mopeds and not restricted as such but built to the legal limits.

They are, in exactly the same way as e-bikes are. .

Could be built to go faster by the manufacturers, but to meet the legal limits they aren’t.

But can be de restricted by the owners if they feel like it.

neal – but not by electronics – you have to tune them using conventional tuning ie new exhausts etc

neal – but not by electronics

Yes they are, plenty are electronically restricted. (Google “Electronically limited CDI’s”)

some are restricted in other ways. Almost all are restricted in a way that’s very easy to remove or bypass with simple tools (not requiring new exhausts etc) .

Mate’s boy’s Chinese 50 just required a module swap to de-restrict iirc. There was certainly no great application of tuning knowledge required.
You could try implementation of further regulation but who would enforce it? The police can barely patrol the roads let alone stuff like this and everyone knows it.

Which motorcycles are restricted?

Those with riders on class A2 licences was the example I had in mind

Was it this guy? Reckons his is capable of 55mph. But you’ll have to fix it, to verify his claim. Got to be worth a punt at the princely sum of £1000. 😆

https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/electric-mountain-bike-5000watt/1240326744

😆 😆

Sorry OP, that might have been me 😳

Did I slap your fat arse on the way past? (if not it wasn’t me, I always slap on the way up 8) )

comparing an e-bike to a motorbike might be stupid right now but in a few years time when they’ve got lighter, more powerful and the batteries capable of lasting all day; When you can open the throttle to power up loose stuff and power through bogs, ripping up trails: That will be the day when all bikes are no longer tolerated on footpaths IMO.
TJ: You could give up the fags and ride an ordinary bike to work?? Or are you just blending in with the other good burghers of Leith on their mobility scooters??? 😀 😀

That will be the day when all bikes are no longer tolerated on footpaths IMO.

I actually love you.

comparing an e-bike to a motorbike might be stupid right now

Yes. Yes it is.

but in a few years time when they’ve got lighter, more powerful and the batteries capable of lasting all day; When you can open the throttle to power up loose stuff and power through bogs, ripping up trails:

Illegal under current (and hardly likely to change) regulations.

That will be the day when all bikes are no longer tolerated on footpaths IMO.

You mean, like it is now ?

I’m not a troll but….

Yet you managed to stay pretty squeaky clean in all this..

That will be the day when all bikes are no longer tolerated on footpaths IMO.

Sounds like I had a similar experience to the op at the weekend, I was on the inside of a right hand corner, very close to the verge on a double track fire road (wider than 3 mile climb) a chap barked ‘on your right’, confused I though he must’ve meant the other ‘right’ where there was a good 12 feet of space to pass, but no, he was going for the foot of space between me and the verge. He flew/barged past me, at maybe 3 times my speed, almost taking us both out (we’d both unclipped)

For the same reason as the OP I suggest we ban top level XC riders at places were there are lots of other riders. Such as singletrack7, where the above happened, and coincidentally, the winners average speed, over 92 miles and 9000 feet of climbing, was only a little less than the top assisted speed of a legal ebike.

Thats ok then. Because e bike motors assist the rider. They dont solely power the bike.

I’ve ridden one and the term “Assist” is a massive understatement, more like gives you ten times more power than your putting in when going uphill. I was only putting in a very light effort and the bike was flying up this steep hill and would have got KOM’s if it wasn’t for all the other e-bikers already filling the top 10 on strava.

When you can open the throttle to power up loose stuff and power through bogs, ripping up trails: That will be the day when all bikes are no longer tolerated on footpaths IMO.

They’re like that already.
I went to a demo day and was riding an E Bike with a group of other E Bikers and they really rip up soft ground especially the ones with fat tyres.

However e-bikes are not so popular at the moment due to the expensive costs both the purchase and the maintenance are far higher. Which is probably why there hasn’t been many complaints.

But if they do get popular in the future I wonder if there will be a much greater intolerance towards bikes on trails in future which could lead to ALL bikes being banned (not just the E Bikes ?)

i didnt think any bikes are allowed on countryside footpaths? if they arent, and you are riding on them, then surely pre ebikes have already started the problem ? or are we saying its ok for non ebikers to break the law.
thinking things through isnt a bike going up hill at 16 mph max, not as much risk as someone going down at 20 mph + including gravity and inertia, most ebike haters only discuss the problem of uphill speed, usually because the ebikes are faster than them, but forget conveniently to mention non e bikers speed downhill.on every ride ive ever been on, even though we think we are careful, i dont ever remember anyoneslowing down round a bend on a trail just in case someone is coming the other way, probably more reckless than doing the same up hill imho

motor….tick
bike……tick

So they are motorbikes.

Excellent replacement for petrol burning cars and bikes but shouldn’t be on trails except in exceptional circumstances.

i dont ever remember anyone slowing down round a bend on a trail just in case someone is coming the other way

Speak for yourself, buddy. I don’t ride like an a$$ho!e on public tracks.

Speak for yourself, buddy. I don’t ride like an a$$ho!e on public tracks.

But ALL e bikers do, right?

I’ve not invested the time required to digest the whole thread (sorry), but surely the e-bike aspect is completely irrelevant. The issue is that expecting people to jump out of your way just because you’re shouting or dinging a bell is the work of a top-flight doglobber. It’s no different to honking the horn in your car when you approach someone on a bike and expecting them to dive into the verge.

Speak for yourself, buddy. I don’t ride like an a$$ho!e on public tracks.

But ALL e bikers do, right?

Do they? I’ve no idea, I never encounter them on the kind of riding I do.

Bez – Member
It’s no different to honking the horn in your car when you approach someone on a bike and expecting them to dive into the verge.

It took a while but there we go – e-bikes are basically cars – this thread is comedy gold 😆

It took a while but there we go – e-bikes are basically cars – this thread is comedy gold

He didn’t say e bikes are basically cars, he said the behaviour is the same as someone in a car honking a horn when approaching a cyclist and expecting them to get out of the way.

“i dont ever remember anyone slowing down round a bend on a trail just in case someone is coming the other way”

Speak for yourself, buddy. I don’t ride like an a$$ho!e on public tracks

ive been riding the same trails for the last 5 years, and i think ive only ONCE seen any other riders, and NEVER any pedestrians.
buddy, i NEVER said they were public tracks either.
and for what its worth i dont think ever been at the front, even with my ebike or mega.

its more or less impossible to ride every inch of a trail,keep it flowing,
carrying speed and not take a few calculated chances. imho

which is why, imho familiar trails or trail centres are best, or wide open areas that you can see for a distance are good. but not always practical to reach

It took a while but there we go – e-bikes are basically cars – this thread is comedy gold

Did you actually read what I wrote (you know, about the vehicle being completely irrelevant to what’s being discussed here) or did you just see the words “e-bike” and “car” and invent some other words around them?

if anyone is quicker than you, im guessing you would Want to get out of the way, id hate to hold anyone up, and id hate to be held up. so its all about understanding the protocol and pass in an agreed way, id like to see this protocol, is there one?
if not its possibly just two peoples different ideas of how to be polite and not a nob head. i never pass anyone so its not an issue, unless they have stalled. i had a guy up my arse at bpw and was pushing me quicker and quicker which i liked, there wasnt a passing position so i kept going but it was a bit too quick and i made a mistake on the last berm and did my rotator cuff.

Passing protocol?

Real life – ask politely to come past at a good place for the rider in front. Or back off and wait for a fireroad/wide bit/gap. Thank the rider once past.

Race – at a good opportunity (arguably another topic 😉 ) shout “on yer left/right” and get on with it. Thank the rider once past.

I’ve ridden one and the term “Assist” is a massive understatement, more like gives you ten times more power than your putting in when going uphill

No commercially available ebike does that, unless it’s been modified.

motor….tick
bike……tick

So they are motorbikes.

Nope. The law says they are pedal cycles.

So they are pedal cycles.

It’s amazing how people keep repeating the same incorrect nonsense.
And doing it in a really cocky way too 🙄

Dunning Kruger Effect ….. tick!

Sounds like someones pride was hurt by a faster rider.

So they are pedal cycles.

Does it have a motor? Yes or no.

Indeed – exactly the point I was trying to make by posting that video earlier – the details of the vehicles involved are irrelevant (another similar example would be somebody sitting on your bumper flashing their lights).

Metasequoia – Member
He didn’t say e bikes are basically cars, he said the behaviour is the same as someone in a car honking a horn when approaching a cyclist and expecting them to get out of the way.

Wouldn’t expect to see many cars on trails – even at trailcentres – but ok, usually people allow for a degree of humour on here, bad as it may be… it’s someone faster on a bike overtaking you, despite the protestations of many, motor or not. In his analogy, he’s kept the bike being overtaken, but replaced the e-bike with a car – what am I missing here? Why not say it’s like a car honking it’s horn at another car?

Bez – Member
Did you actually read what I wrote (you know, about the vehicle being completely irrelevant to what’s being discussed here) or did you just see the words “e-bike” and “car” and invent some other words around them?

Yes, but the vehicle is completely relevant to the thread, it’s up there in the title… I mean, if the vehicle in question is completely irrelevant as you say, you could have at least made it slightly obvious by saying something like “it’s the same as Ayrton Senna driving right up the arse of Shergar & calling him a donger through a circus megaphone” or something.

Bez –
I’ve not invested the time required to digest the whole thread

If you had there was a good point mentioned on the previous page – would the OP have been annoyed & started a ranty thread if he’d been overtaken at 18mph on a climb by someone who was benefiting from freakishly good genetics & a serious training regime instead of a motor? Nope.

Hope that helps 😀

Does it have a motor? Yes or no.

My road bike has 2 motors, one for the front mech, another for the rear.

If you turn the pedals on it, it goes forward. Just like every legal ebike, fat bike, road bike, tandem, mountain bike etc ad infinitum

Does it have a motor? Yes or no.

Is it a motorbike? Yes or No.

what am I missing here? Why not say it’s like a car honking it’s horn at another car?

Because, given that the vehicle is immaterial, if I were to list every possible analogous scenario it’d be fairly tedious to read, so I just picked one. Car-on-car, fine, doesn’t matter: some people behave like this on foot and I’m not equating cars with shoes either.

What I *think* you’re missing is this:

Not only is it not about a vehicle, but it’s also not about simply being overtaken, which is why the point about being overtaken by someone fitter isn’t really relevant either.

It’s about some people being self-important dicks and expecting others to jump out of their way on demand because they think they’re entitled to never be held up.

Thing is ebikes can bring conflict because they bring a huge differential in speed.

For most practical cases, the difference in speed between riders on pedal bikes is generally pretty small. A really fit person might average say 10mph up a climb, and an average rider say just 6mph. But ebikes mean you can power up climbs at a huge speed differential, and this brings conflict.

It would be the same if you say were mincing down a black run on an 80mm XC race hardtail, and someone came flying down behind you on a full-on 200mm DH bike.

Differential speed = conflict