Police seize illegal e-bike spotted racing uphill at 30mph; Headteacher welcomes packed bike sheds at start of term; News from the cycle path; Flood damage; Hill climbing; Paralympic story; Ineos sign young talent; New gear; Awards + more on the live blog

33 thoughts on “Police seize illegal e-bike spotted racing uphill at 30mph; Headteacher welcomes packed bike sheds at start of term; News from the cycle path; Flood damage; Hill climbing; Paralympic story; Ineos sign young talent; New gear; Awards + more on the live blog”

1. “Flying uphill”?  I was

   “Flying uphill”?  I was expecting that Taiwanese rocket bike again 😀

    

   (damn!  just read the text…)

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2. Excellent news, and thanks

   Cycling to school: Excellent news, and thanks for sharing something so optimistic in these depressing days where so much of the reporting is negative.  I hope this story is shared far and wide so that other schools that want to increase cycling will be able to learn from it.

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   • In a similar vein, I saw 3
     In a similar vein, I saw 3 kids riding to our nearby school the other day. Only 3, I hear you say? Yeh, but they are the first 3 I’ve seen after living near the school for 17 years. Progress I think.

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   • Not wishing to sound negative
     Not wishing to sound negative then as this school/area could be different, but Kesgrave High School just outside of Ipswich regularly claims to have 700-800 pupils, nearly 50% of its total student body group, cycling to school,one of the highest rates in the UK.

     Which makes it sound like a cycling nirvana and a real cause to celebrate for change happening.

     But it isn’t, none of that school cycling translates into higher rates of cycling in the area amongst the rest of local population. The road alongside the school could provide regular selection of NMOTD spots. The kids literally just cycle to school & when they leave the school the bike goes back in the shed and they drive or get driven everywhere and like their parents then complain about the traffic and queues that causes.

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     • stonojnr wrote:

       Not wishing to sound negative ……..

       — stonojnr

       Keep trying, you’re not quite there yet.

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     • The optimist in me thinks
       The optimist in me thinks they will take it with them as they grow older, more likely to have confidence to cycle in another city when a student, more confident to commute on a bike as an adult etc

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     • stonojnr wrote:

       Not wishing to sound negative then as this school/area could be different, but Kesgrave High School just outside of Ipswich regularly claims to have 700-800 pupils, nearly 50% of its total student body group, cycling to school,one of the highest rates in the UK. Which makes it sound like a cycling nirvana and a real cause to celebrate for change happening. But it isn’t, none of that school cycling translates into higher rates of cycling in the area amongst the rest of local population. The road alongside the school could provide regular selection of NMOTD spots. The kids literally just cycle to school & when they leave the school the bike goes back in the shed and they drive or get driven everywhere and like their parents then complain about the traffic and queues that causes.

       — stonojnr

       Do you know all that or is it just conjecture?

       And anyway, even if all that is happening is that 700-800 children are cycling to school rather than being driven there, then that is something to celebrate.  It may not be ‘job done’ – but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be celebrated.

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       • The numbers of pupils who
         The numbers of pupils who cycle to school are claimed by the school themselves.

         Everytime I ride on that road, I can virtually guarantee a close pass,sometimes just technically within 1.5m, but often as per the picture example attached, there are 12 pinch points in less than 2 miles of road, its a main eastern route out of Ipswich used to get to the A12 by trucks, tipper trucks,vans,buses, as well as lots of cars,it is in effect the route of the old A12.

         Suffolk CC carry out annual travel surveys, modal share for cycling is no higher than the UK average in the area, and anecdotally I don’t see any more cyclists as I pass through the area than elsewhere,certainly not on the roads,and the cycle paths aren’t that busy either.

         Traffic is a considerable problem in the area,delays are frequent in rush hour and even the Kesgrave council neighbourhood plan cites residents depend on their car for commuting and leisure.

         So,its not conjecture.

         Yes achievements as getting school kids to ride to school in large numbers can be celebrated, but lets dont pat ourselves on the back as if its mission accomplished, if it ultimately hasn’t changed those kids outlook to cycling.

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         • Thanks – “yes I know, I live

           Thanks – “yes I know, I live there” would have sufficed 

     • If we can’t get kids cycling

       If we can’t get kids cycling around Kesgrave, we can’t get them cycling anywhere. Some locals might gripe about hills, but compared to the rest of the UK it’s pancake flat. Climate isn’t too bad, it’s less rainy & less windy than other parts of the UK so fewer days when you can use that as an excuse. It’s also a fairly dense suburb with most destinations (school, shops, workplaces, and  even some scenic countryside &c) within easy cycling distance. I used to ride to Adastral Park from “Castle Hill” (not a hill in any meaningful sense), and it was a pretty nice commute. 🙂

       There’s even a cyclist-friendly crossing of the A12 now, so we don’t have a dual-carriageway cutting the area in half for non-drivers. (My own hometown decided to wedge the new bus station between two dual-carriageways and then, when they discovered non-drivers were attempting to cross the busy roads, the obvious solution was to put up tall fences to keep them out of the way).

       If cycling can’t take off in Kesgrave, the rest of the UK has no chance! 

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3. Police seizing illegal
   Police seizing illegal vehicles? Excellent news. There are plenty more deliberately illegal vehicles they could seize…

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   • Sriracha wrote:

     Police seizing illegal vehicles? Excellent news. There are plenty more deliberately illegal vehicles they could seize…

     — Sriracha

     Noooo, not that type of illegal vehicle…..

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   • Sriracha wrote:

     Police seizing illegal vehicles? Excellent news. There are plenty more deliberately illegal vehicles they could seize…

     — Sriracha

     I couldn’t help laughing at this one

     “Driver walks home in tears after police seize his £400,000 Lamborghini”

     Driver ‘walks home in tears’ after untaxed £400,000 Lamborghini is seized

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     • eburtthebike wrote:

       Police seizing illegal vehicles? Excellent news. There are plenty more deliberately illegal vehicles they could seize…

       — eburtthebike

       I couldn’t help laughing at this one

       “Driver walks home in tears after police seize his £400,000 Lamborghini”

       https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/01/driver-walks-home-in-tears-after-untaxed-lamborghini-is-seized-15187993/— Sriracha

       (The driver) apparently told police he could not afford the tax and cried when police seized his car.

       …

       The driver has until the end of this week to try and reclaim his car.

       But he will have to provide several documents in his application, including the vehicle’s excise duty.

       A Lamborghini Aventador owner would usually pay around £2,245 tax on the first year they own it.

       They would then have to pay about £490 annually for the next five years, according to a tax calculator.

       The car can reach speeds of 218mph with around 690bhp.

       Wonderful, feel-good story 😀

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     • What must his insurance be?

       What must his insurance be?

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       • If I were to hazard a guess..

         What must his insurance be?

         — ktache

         If I were to hazard a guess… nil.

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4. Electric motorbikes
   Electric motorbikes masquerading as ebikes are the weapon of choice for many Deliveroo/Just Eat/Uber Eats riders in London. Personally I’d rather they rode those than a nasty two-stroke petrol scooter, but I worry about the trouble they can cause to cyclists and users of legit ebikes. It could lead to more calls for licensing, which would knock back active travel.

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   • My thoughts exactly.  From D

     My thoughts exactly.  From D&C Rozzers reaction I’ll assume that Deliveroo hasnt reached Cornwall yet.

     I have unkind visions of a hayseed D&C copper chomping on a wheat stalk “Ordering a takeway with an app for 25% percent more than a phone call to the shop and eh comes on a bike? Ah yeah, geddon!”

      

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   • yes I do think that could

     yes I do think that could become an issue, because Ive started seeing more of this kind of bike on the road, and they look indistinguishable from a normal e-bike at a first glance, they arent like the heath robinson mash ups where some were adding petrol engines to bicycles that were blatantly obvious, and the riders rarely seem to be taking any of the kind of precautions youd expect for riding machines capable of speeds similar to motorbikes.

     Its only when the thing cruises past you at stupid speed, if its capable of 30mph up a hill they are quicker on the flat,or just accelerates like it has a jet engine, you think hold on that aint right.

     clearly its not the bikes are being sold like that and people are using after market mods, but how on earth can the police deal with it ?

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     • TL;DR assuming the police

       TL;DR assuming the police always need to deal with it is a “wont somebody think of the children response.”

       You’re exaggerating the situation somewhat.  Every deliveroo illegal eBike I’ve seen has been obvious at first glance.  Honking great black motor on one of the wheels and a bulky square battery on the back.  Usually some gaffa tape in the mix too.

       And to be realistic regardless of whether mere their existence makes them illegal the reality is it only needs enforcement when they are being ridden in an illegal manner and any copper can spot that a mile off.  Add in the irregular enforcement of all the other things they are supposed to tackle (see the Audi below) and you’re worrying unecessarily.

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       •  

          

         my worry is after an increasing amount of recorded ksis caused by modified ebikes, simply because the reality is if you crash on a bike at > 30mph its going to cause you more injury, and the added weight of the modded battery/motor is going to cause serious damage as it simply increases the kinetic energy involved in the crash.

         that the politicians reaction will be to decide the only way forward is regulation,licensing, mandatory safety equipment, that applies to all 2 wheeled variants of bicycles & scooters because it will be too difficult to create workable exceptions in legislation that dont make the police job harder to enforce than it already is

         and thats not a road any cyclist should be happy contemplating ending up being forced down.

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         • Awavey wrote:

           my worry is after an increasing amount of recorded ksis caused by modified ebikes, simply because the reality is if you crash on a bike at > 30mph its going to cause you more injury, and the added weight of the modded battery/motor is going to cause serious damage as it simply increases the kinetic energy involved in the crash.

           that the politicians reaction will be to decide the only way forward is regulation,licensing, mandatory safety equipment, that applies to all 2 wheeled variants of bicycles & scooters because it will be too difficult to create workable exceptions in legislation that dont make the police job harder to enforce than it already is

           and thats not a road any cyclist should be happy contemplating ending up being forced down.

           — Awavey

           There’s already sufficient laws for two-wheeled motor vehicles that cover all those issues, so it’s more a case of just enforcing them. I doubt that KSIs will surpass those involving four-wheeled vehicles as two-wheelers tend to take a bit more care as they have skin in the game (though there are plenty of counter-examples).

         • hawkinspeter wrote:

           ……

           There’s already sufficient laws for two-wheeled motor vehicles that cover all those issues, so it’s more a case of just enforcing them. I doubt that KSIs will surpass those involving four-wheeled vehicles as two-wheelers tend to take a bit more care as they have skin in the game (though there are plenty of counter-examples).

           — hawkinspeter

           That’s never prevented MPs dreaming up and voting in extra laws. Especially when those laws can be enacted against what they see as an outgroup. Don’t forget that drivists (with the encouragement of the motor industry) already kill 5 people a day, with little intervention from govt or the law.

       • Secret_squirrel wrote:

         ………  Every deliveroo illegal eBike I’ve seen has been obvious at first glance.  ………

         — Secret_squirrel

          That you know of. ….

         Joking aside, it’s one thing for you or me to be able to distinguish between legal and illegal quickly, we spend a lot of time riding (and looking at pictures of) bikes.

          

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         • Captain Badger wrote:

           distinguish between legal and illegal quickly,

           — Captain Badger

           That was kinda my point that I probably didnt explain very well – its rider/driver behaviour that mostly causes police stops.  The rider buzzing around at ~20mph with their feet stationary at 9&3 is usually a dead giveaway.  I would expect even a rozzer to notice that after its first pointed out to them.

5. It is a strange one with

   It is a strange one with these illegal vehicles. You have big companies like Halfords selling the electric scooters. They know that 99% of people buying them will use them illegally, but they clearly care more about the profits they’ll make. Similarly the likes of Deliveroo must be extremely well aware of the mass use of illegal vehicles, but clearly don’t care. Of course one day one of their delivery riders will hit and kill someone, make the national press, and suddenly they will react.

   Missing from this is the role of the police. Only the other day my brother was walking on the pavement behind three police officers. An electric scooter first and then a modified electric (no need to pedal) bike zoomed past, also on the pavement.  The police, well they just carried on chatting and did nothing. 

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   • Halfords have small print on

     Halfords have small print on their site now as do Go Outdoors but the big banner is easy commute from A to B.

     I did complain to Go Outdoors but no reply !

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     • hirsute wrote:

       Halfords have small print on their site now as do Go Outdoors but the big banner is easy commute from A to B.

       I did complain to Go Outdoors but no reply !

       — hirsute

       Then surely any purchaser could claim that they were misled by those companies and if convicted themselves, could sue them?

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6. They are more like Sett

   They are more like Sett Stones than Cobble Stones. (There may even be a different term for the laid brickwork as pavement.) Setts are sort-of cut to shape and organised, cobbles are sort of… cobbled together.

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   • ChrisB200SX wrote:

     They are more like Sett Stones than Cobble Stones. (There may even be a different term for the laid brickwork as pavement.) Setts are sort-of cut to shape and organised, cobbles are sort of… cobbled together.

     — ChrisB200SX

     So setts are set out neatly, and cobbles are cobbled together?

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     • Steve K wrote:

       …

       So setts are set out neatly, …..

       — Steve K

       Mine isn’t, not with two cubs FFS….

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7. A lot of the delivery riders

   A lot of the delivery riders in London zoom around on e-bikes that obviously much bigger than the legal 250W, and which also don’t have the 15mph/25km/h cut out. You can tell them by the massive motors, 1kW or 2kW, plus the assortment of batteries often cable tied or gaffer taped to the frame. Safe they are not. I also saw a guy on an electric motorcycle whizzing up the road this afternoon, a professionally made one that should have been registed as a motorcycle, but I bet it wasn’t.

   Some of these delivery riders are riding fast to make as much money as they can.I understand that, but they’re often very unsafe.

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   • Totally agree (and I’m a huge

     Totally agree (and I’m a huge fan of my new Orbea D40 ebike). They used to pass me when on the ebike doing 25kmh and I’d think maybe they’re a little bit dodgy but nothing too mad, now when I’m on the roadbike they’ll come whipping by me on Chelsea Embankment as I’m approaching 50kmh. As you say, they’re very easily identified by the enormous hub motors, but the police don’t seem interested. I’d happily pay a small surcharge – say £2? – for delivery from a company that guaranteed its riders were on legal bikes and that gave the riders the surcharge to try to discourage suicidal riding. Amazed more aren’t hurt/killed than already are.

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