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Electric powered bike.

Exactly my problem. We live in the Baselland Jura, on top of what appears to be a cliff (even the racers are up dancing on their pedals), and I can no longer get up it (a knee problem doesn't help).

In Swizzieland, one can buy one of two types, a 25kph type and a 45kph type. The latter has to be licensed like a moped and carry a small licence plate. I want a 25kph, and hopefully I'll see something suitable in Belfast this week.

Greetings from somewhere in the middle of the Irish Sea.

Perhaps take a look in Germany when you get back, it works out cheaper for me to buy a bike just over the border and bring it in (paying the taxes, obviously) than buy online from UK websites. Plus you get the benefit of reasonably local service and support should you need it.

Much harder to send it back to the UK if there is a problem.
 
Unlikely to be the future. The balance is all wrong and heavy wheels just get heavier once they start spinning.

You’re probably right - more and more mid drives on the road now here as well, with all MTBs being so I believe. Still happy with my vintage Stromer - when I bought it was concerned about zero suspension on such a heavy thing traveling at 4kmh, but it’s fine and even handles predictably. What will kill Stromer is the cost of the new models - CHF11k and up anyone? I paid 1k for a 7 year old one that had only had pads replaced once.
 
Oh, and for Tones - buy second hand if you’re mechanically minded and want to save. Loads on Ricardo and just choose the ones bought as toys, rarely used but with full service history. Dead giveaway on mine was a 2013 Nummerschild on the for sale advert in 2018 :)
 
Perhaps take a look in Germany when you get back, it works out cheaper for me to buy a bike just over the border and bring it in (paying the taxes, obviously) than buy online from UK websites. Plus you get the benefit of reasonably local service and support should you need it.

Much harder to send it back to the UK if there is a problem.
Cube (factory in Wwaldershof) and Liq-bike (factory in Gengenbach) are cheap. Liq-bike sell direct from the factory too.
 
15.5mph as Garry says above is pretty good for a normal cyclist. When I was in France cycling to and from work on quiet roads, 10k each way, my global average was about 14mph. This included toodling into town etc. Most of the time, once under way, I was at about 15mph. If I really went for it on a road bike I could average nearly 20mph, but I'd have to try pretty hard to do that.

The whole point of these things is that they *assist* a cyclist to get to a normal bike speed. Beyond that it's up to the cyclist's legs. This can all be done within the existing laws around bicycles. The aim is not to generate an electric moped, if you want to do this then buy an electric moped and observe the relevant laws.

You hit a wall at 15.5mph though, I’ve tried the latest Soecialized Vado’s and even they do it. I don’t want a moped as I want to cycle into work, I just want extra assistance. I also don’t want to break the law. Oh well!
 
Perhaps take a look in Germany when you get back, it works out cheaper for me to buy a bike just over the border and bring it in (paying the taxes, obviously) than buy online from UK websites. Plus you get the benefit of reasonably local service and support should you need it.

Much harder to send it back to the UK if there is a problem.
The bike brand I quite fancied is available in Germany (and therefore presumably so is servicing).

https://www.whytebikes.de/

However, the shop didn't have it:

https://whyte.bike/collections/fazua-e-bikes/products/hoxton

because, it's apparently technically a 2020 model and therefore not even the factory has them yet! I do like the clean look of the Fazua motor bikes - light and no bulky battery pack. And, if need be, the battery (in the down tube) can be removed and the bike becomes a normal bike.
 
The bike brand I quite fancied is available in Germany (and therefore presumably so is servicing).

https://www.whytebikes.de/

However, the shop didn't have it:

https://whyte.bike/collections/fazua-e-bikes/products/hoxton

because, it's apparently technically a 2020 model and therefore not even the factory has them yet! I do like the clean look of the Fazua motor bikes - light and no bulky battery pack. And, if need be, the battery (in the down tube) can be removed and the bike becomes a normal bike.
Mine has a bit of motor resistance when the battery is off. Enough to make me not ever use it without electric assistance.
 
The bike brand I quite fancied is available in Germany (and therefore presumably so is servicing).

https://www.whytebikes.de/

However, the shop didn't have it:

https://whyte.bike/collections/fazua-e-bikes/products/hoxton

because, it's apparently technically a 2020 model and therefore not even the factory has them yet! I do like the clean look of the Fazua motor bikes - light and no bulky battery pack. And, if need be, the battery (in the down tube) can be removed and the bike becomes a normal bike.
The specialist who sold me mine was keen to supersize me to something by this manufacturer. Their stuff is really beautifully conceived and put together-

https://www.r-m.de/en-gb/models/culture-gt/
 
I've built and ridden a few bafang mid drive units, on completed bikes and e-ready versions of our own frames.

The Bafang look remarkably hackable. As a computer geek I watch a fair bit of electronics engineer Louis Rossmann’s Apple service videos etc on YouTube (he has an interesting take on things and is very funny IMO) and he’s built a pretty insane one:


Wind to about 42 min in and check out the speed of the thing when he opens it up over the Williamsburg bridge and beyond!

PS New Yorker, so a bit sweary!
 
Insane
If Tesla made bikes.....
Motorbike helmet and protective clothing required.
This is a new world
The law will be changed when it catches up
Must really surprise and tee off car drivers.
Love "tanks"
 
I’m amazed that NY has the network infrastructure that he can actually live-stream from his bike! He’s powering all kind of stuff from the very high-power high-capacity battery he’s installed on the bike (phone, wi-fi hub, GoPro etc etc).
 
Insane
If Tesla made bikes.....
Motorbike helmet and protective clothing required.
This is a new world
The law will be changed when it catches up
Must really surprise and tee off car drivers.
Love "tanks"
The law already exists. Anything over 15,5mph in the UK or offering motorisation without pedaling is a powered vehicle and subject to the moped/motorcycle rules, ie registration, insurance, tax, licence.
 
The law already exists. Anything over 15,5mph in the UK or offering motorisation without pedaling is a powered vehicle and subject to the moped/motorcycle rules, ie registration, insurance, tax, licence.
In the UK
Not so easy for the fuzz to spot unless they see the vehicle in question at speed they can at least guess is over 15.5 mph
 
Easy enough. The fuzz won't give a toss if you are bowling along at 17 mph with or without the occasional turn of the pedals, the ones that they are going to pull are the lads sitting still while the thing still zips along at 30.
 
Easy enough. The fuzz won't give a toss if you are bowling along at 17 mph with or without the occasional turn of the pedals, the ones that they are going to pull are the lads sitting still while the thing still zips along at 30.

And if you have a serious accident involving anyone else, riding illegally won't go well for you.
 


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