No mention of electric motorbikes? Police seize “illegal e-bikes” which can reach 72mph; Le Col write off £8 million in debt; First Minister wants Wales to be “world-leading destination” for cyclo-tourists; Tour de France sprint + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
A choice of language
We’ve been fighting a never-ending battle over the language used by media and authorities alike over the use of the term e-bike, mainly when the word is misused to describe what is an illegally modified electric motorcycle. That’s admittedly a clunky term, but “illegal e-motorbike” is significantly shorter.
We even reported in the autumn on a small victory, when road.cc user Constantine managed to convince the BBC to correct their use of language on this issue…
But what are we to make of the term “illegal e-bike”? Because that’s what we’re faced with courtesy of Nottinghamshire Police, and also the BBC who wrote it up…
In their press release, Nottinghamshire Police do a reasonable job of making clear that the ‘e-bikes’ they have seized are “illegal”, including one that they found to reach speeds of 72mph. In contrast, legal e-bikes have a motor that tops out at 15.5mph. The BBC also make clear this caveat in their article, but irritatingly don’t describe the ‘e-bikes’ legality in their headline.
“E-bike capable of 72mph seized in crackdown” instead only furthers the idea that e-bikes are a menace and a danger to society, when in reality anything capable of breaking a motorway speed limit really ought to be called something else.
This is one of the dangers of using “illegal e-bikes” as a term, in that it opens the door to misunderstanding and stigmatisation of one of the key tools towards improving active travel and sustainable transport outcomes. It’s why ultimately, if an e-bike isn’t legal, it’s best not to call it an e-bike.
Unfortunately though, this is neither the police nor the BBC’s first rodeo, having made a Panorama documentary rife with such conflation…
No change in GC!
*World Cup VAR voice* After review, the commissaires have awarded the same time to the top 20 on the stage, and a 14 second deficit to all riders on GC behind.
Final decision, no change!
Meanwhile in the green jersey competition, Pedersen’s third place in the intermediate sprint and seventh on the stage has shored up his green jersey position where he might have expected to lose more ground…
Olav Kooij wins after late drama and splits!
7km Cofidis of all teams are leading the peloton and no other team is yet challenging them.
6km Uno-X move up, working for Soren Warenskjold, Lotto Intermarche sitting on the Scandinavian team’s wheels
5km a CRASH! Several riders down at the back of the peloton after a pinch point coming out of the roundabout, just outside the safety zone, there’s a very big split in the peloton. Quick step’s lead out train has gone down, as has Michael Matthews. Race leader Torstein Traeen is also behind the split but Uno-X keep riding at the front.
3km Uno-X still lead, do they know they could be riding their teammate out of the yellow jersey? Sean Quinn is only 28 seconds behind. Now Picnic PostNl come to the front to position Pavel Bittner. Tim Merlier is there, and on Girmay’s wheel. Another rider goes in a hedge, utter chaos
1.5km Uno-X lead, then a perfect NSN train, looking good for Girmay
1km XDS Astana to the front leading into a sweeping left-hand turn, the peloton is so stretched out!
500m Astana are perfectly placed but Olav Kooij launches first with 300 metres to go and no one comes close!
“He has BLITZED them!” 💥
Olav Kooij absolutely dominates to claim the first heavyweight sprint finish of the 2026 Tour de France 💪 pic.twitter.com/0kN2CVsjb0
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) July 8, 2026
His Tour de France debut, his first opportunity, and he’s got the win!
So many splits in the group, Vingegaard and Traeen come in 26 seconds behind, no sign of Pogacar though…. Update: He came in 14 seconds down.
Utter chaos.
Lime Bikes as fine art (ish)
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Nice while it lasted...
Unfortunately, once the sprint trains re-organised after the climb, the reality of it all started to bite, and the trio were caught with 17km remaining.
On a day when most other riders have probably ‘recovered’, Baptiste Veistroffer is riding himself into the ground, increasingly accelerating wildly out of the saddle and his shoulders starting to rock over his handlebars. He had a 1 in 1000 chance of succeeding but gave it his all before finally being caught with 14km remaining, a combativity prize inbound for his troubles…
The sprint trains are forming, this could be a very tense finale…
Fred Wright attacks!
Wow, Baptiste Veistroffer took the two points at the top of the day’s only climb. Alex Molenaar and Alex Baudin jousted for the final point, Baudin coming out on top to increase his margin in the competition to three points, then Fred Wright countered!
He’s got 17 seconds on the peloton and EF’s Kasper Asgreen and Soudal Quick Step’s Valentin Paret-Peintre for company, the latter marking on behalf of Tim Merlier but Asgreen is riding!
22km to go, the gap is up to 20 seconds on the peloton, Veistroffer another 20 seconds ahead.
2010s Tour celebrity spotted!
Whilst I get the chance, our Ryan has sent me a photo from earlier today of the media being treated to a talk-through of today’s stage from none other than Pierre Rolland!
Not quite sure he’s the best person to navigate today’s stressed bunch sprint but hey, I’m sure the room was swooning for the Europcar man’s storytelling. His Alpe d’Huez tale must have the audience enraptured.
Intermediate sprint
It’s been 95km since our last update on today’s stage, and it’s taken that long for something to happen! Rugby star Antoine Dupont is on the race, spectators are dancing on top of hay bales and tractors. But they don’t really count, nor does a stress-free Jonas Vingegaard bike change. We do have some proper sunflowers though…
An intermediate sprint does count though! Baptiste Veistroffer barely acknowledged the whole thing, rolling through a couple of minutes ahead of the peloton. Then, XDS-Astana stole a march on everyone by launching their lead-out early for Max Kanter, he came to the line in second place, whilst Mads Pedersen came over the line in third, with Biniam Girmay glued firmly to his wheel. Jasper Philipsen dashed across the other side of the road for fifth, Tim Merlier was content to roll through for minor points. Olav Kooij was conspicuous by his absence, though given who he’s sharing a team with a green jersey bid seems unlikely.
Inside the final 40km, and Veistroffer’s lead has just dropped below 2 minutes…
Landfill could delay new Bristol cycling centre
When the new £15 million cycling hub was granted planning permission in Bristol in April, some residents were nervous for the loss of green space it would cause.
However, it’s emerged that extensive cleaning and clear-up will be required as the green space was built on an old landfill full of asbestos!
Bristol Live report that the council is due to meet tomorrow afternoon to review a report which details how, “Early or enabling works are required to address the contamination at this site and make the land safer, structurally stable, and reduce human exposure to harmful contaminants including asbestos, hydrocarbons, and other harmful contaminants.”
The proposal could delay construction of the new centre, which is due to break ground on the open space in Lawrence Weston next April. The new hub is also due to replace the existing family cycling centre in Whitstable, which has been designated for a new housing development.
Bristol Council is set to approve the specific plans before the final business proposal will be passed to the West of England Combined Authority. The full proposal includes a 1km closed-loop track, a Bikeability area for beginners, a cycling play zone, a car park and a main building with offices and facilities. However it will also not be free-to-use and the site will include security fencing, lighting and CCTV.
Le Col clear their debts with buy-back to Head
We reported last week on Le Col entering administration, and deliberately left open the likelihood of the Head Group preparing to swoop in and buy back the business and wipe away the company’s debts.
> Le Col enters administration months after takeover by tennis giant Head
It turns out that’s exactly what has happened. Escape Collective have seen documents showing that the administrators brought in swiftly arranged a sale of Le Col’s assets back to the Head Group. A reminder: the administrators were brought in after the Head Group had put a hefty £5 million loan over the business’ head. That loan has now been written off as part of the terms of sale.
The move also means all 13 Le Col employees remain in a job but that around £3 million in debts owed to smaller creditors and HMRC are set to go unpaid.
Now they just have the challenge of making the business profitable!
Oh dear oh dear oh dear, put the kettle on!
In our big Tour de France predictions feature, I said you should watch out for Baptiste Veistroffer, “a slightly mad Belgian who has already been in 12 breakaways this season. Expect to see him up the road a lot and once or twice maybe fighting for a win to the end.”
After spending the first couple of days shepherding an ill Arnaud de Lie before the sprinter’s withdrawal, the Belgian attacked from the flag-drop. The downside is that no one has joined him. 158km alone if he’s lucky. Thankfully the temperatures have dropped to just a casual 33 degrees in the finish town of Pau, but the grassy verges are scorched.
We have just heard some team radio from a Bahrain-Victorious rider seeking permission to join Veistroffer, only for DS Roman Kreuziger (remember him?) to tell him no. A lonely ride it will be up front for the… *checks notes* Wild Boar of Fouesnant…
Spotted the Sanglier de Fouesnant (“wild boar of Fouesnant”) last month in between Tour stage recons
— the Inner Ring blog (@inrng.com) 8 July 2026 at 13:32
137km, 3’40” the gap, and this could be the last race update for a good while. Saying that Jake Stewart, who crashed yesterday and appeared cut his chin, is back at the doctor’s car. This quasi-rest day is probably quite welcome for the Brit.
"Are you on yer bike, First Minister?"
The amount of political turmoil at the moment means we’re getting some milage from trying to find photos of politicians riding bicycles. In this instance though, this one came to us!
To mark a year until the Tour de France comes to Wales, newly-elected First Minister Rhun ap Iorweth attended a launch event at Caerphilly Castle, along with various big wigs from the worlds of Welsh tourism, cycling and local government.
Let’s face it though, this is child’s play compared to a possible photo of a head of government wearing a bucket hat on a bicycle. Would be cool if that photo existed… oh wait…
Wales sets sights on cycling tourism boost ahead of Tour de France 2027 https://t.co/EPTAhNVDUd pic.twitter.com/67FRkSoaha
— Wales247.co.uk (@Wales247) July 8, 2026
Genuinely the best photo of any politician on or around a bicycle I have ever seen.
The news line from the whole event, for what it’s worth, is the First Minister’s intention to “to showcase Wales as a world-leading destination for cyclists of all abilities, with fantastic cycle routes and world class hospitality.”
The Welsh Government is also touting a “Cyclist Welcome” scheme intended to “help visitors easily identify accommodation offering facilities and services tailored to people on cycling holidays or bringing their own bikes with them.”
And, all the way from Barcelona, the government managed to get a quote from Grand Depart ambassador, and famous Welsh person, Geraint Thomas…
“Wales is made for bikes. It’s a place that often surprises people when they experience it for themselves. These roads and landscapes shaped me as a rider and played a huge part in making me who I am today. With world-class road climbs, incredible mountain biking and traffic-free family trails taking you through some stunning scenery and welcoming towns and villages, Wales offers something for every rider.
“With just one year to go, this is our moment to show the world what we’ve got, to bring that passion, that pride, and a real Welsh croeso. I can’t wait to see Wales come together, from places like Caerphilly Castle right across the country, to welcome the Tour in 2027. It’s going to be something truly special.”
That may be true, but I’m still thinking about the bucket hat on the First Minister…
Stage five preview: fast men finally freed
Since handing over the reigns of the Tour de France to Christian Prudhomme, you wonder what Jean-Marie Leblanc makes of the modern Tour route. Once upon a time, the sprinters would own the first week, now it takes almost a whole week for them to get a sniff of an opportunity.
Expect someone from TotalEnergies and/or Caja Rural to get in the break, but stand absolutely no chance of survival. With opportunities for the pure sprinters so few and far between, they surely won’t blow this opportunity. Here’s Ryan’s analysis…
“Finally, a first real nailed-on chance for the sprinters in the Tour’s third city, Pau, the gateway to the Pyrenees and the home of more than a few rest day doping scandals over the years.
“Rolling, rural roads could make things sketchy on the run-in, though expect an all-out sprint battle royale once we reach the city. The likes of Mads Pedersen, Tim Merlier, and Jasper Philipsen (the winner the last time the Tour finished in Pau) will have this one circled in the road book.”
I’ll add two more names for you, Biniam Girmay won yesterday’s intermediate sprint ahead of Philipsen and Pedersen whilst Olav Kooij beat all the best fast men at the Baloise Belgium Tour last month. His Decathlon team may be a bit Seixas-focused (there’s an utterly dreadful joke there that I’ll leave to someone else) but the Dutchman will be keen to make an impression at his Tour debut.
None of this will of course concern new race leader Torstein Traeen, who is firmly having the time of his life…
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Children tell parliament they want to cycle safely
Ok it’s Guernsey’s Parliament, and not Westminster, but don’t let that get in the way of a quite sweet story.
Sixth form students are meeting deputies from the States of Guernsey to discuss establishing safe routes for them to walk and cycle to college. Among the ideas they want to propose are cycle-only roads and making roads with cycle paths one-way, as reported by the BBC.
Many of the island’s proposals also have the support of the chair of the island’s active travel officer for the Health Improvement Commission.
“Active travel is one of the best ways to build activity into busy lives,” Amy Woollaston said.
“It can prevent some quite scary diseases – cardiovascular disease, cancers – I think healthcare providers now more than ever are seeing active travel as a way to prevent that.”
How to photograph the Tour de France
Literally the most beautiful bike lane I've ever seen
Still, probably one to avoid in the wet with all those white lines. Vision, dreams and passion…
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Sweet dreams - Excellent content
As a team, Uno-X’s social media content is pretty unremarkable. Thankfully their riders more than pick up the slack, celebrating their teammate’s yellow jersey and emphatic lead…
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And of course, when Magnus Cort is on the team, you can gate crash the maillot jaune into your Rooms and Ratings series…
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Semi-relatedly, one of my favourite genre of photos is teammates celebrating one another’s victories at the podium…
“I thought this is going to be a long day”: Tadej Pogačar relaxed after losing Tour de France lead
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I hear Windy Miller's windmill went out of business & was converted into a Wetherspoons for a couple of years before also closing down due to lack of business (Trumpton being a famous Remain voting parish unlike those Reform voting types in Chigley,) and has subsequently become a vape shop. I'm also looking forward to hearing the jingle for the Trumpton Deliveroo brigade (you know: Chew, Spew, Bhaji McChew, Burger, Nugget & Sub).
@mitsky In this case the cyclist didn't want the footage, although on this topic, Ryan will have an update on the West Yorkshire 'dangerous cycling' case later this afternoon... :)
I suspect if Trumpton were remade, the modern version would include characters like : Ms Sellers the Influencer, Mr Platt-Ichewed the PR Spokesman, The Donut Brothers in their Subaru (with fuel injection and aerofoil), Mrs N Titled in her giant SUV, travelling between school, Waitrose and lunch appointments, but never more than 1km from her mock Tudor 7 bedroomed mansion (catchphrase "Get out of my fucking face!") Mr Darius Titled the League div 2 Footballer, (catchphrases "Sick as a parrot", "Over the Moon", "Just wait till I get a transfer to the Prem, doll". ).
I think it's up there with some of the best examples that brexiteers can think of.
@jackcycles yes yes, but what was the picture on the ground re established reds?
I hate the term road rage, as if it is an excuse for violent hate filled thuggery. Cycle hate should be a defined hate crime with enhanced penalties and....Rod Liddle should be In chains somewhere dark and damp picking apart old tarred ropes!
@jackcycles London is indeed a bubble but I can assure you those exact same people live everywhere. Unless by "revert to normal" you mean just the average level of twattery from drivers in this country.
"We need to take the “them and us” mentality out of society" ...unless the 'them' is Londoners and the 'us' is the rest of the country? There will be more aggressive motorists per square mile in London because there are more people per square mile in London, so the same proportion gives you a higher total incidence, not because they're "more aggressive as a group".
Can confirm that wounded pride at "lack of respect from the 'other' " (cyclists here) exists on the roads of Edinburgh, albeit it's mostly good. I reckon it's just the greater density / numbers of population. The more people trying to get somewhere, the more stress and acting out. Sometimes one might think something similar applies on the internet.
My perfectly legal 200W motored 15mph restricted 2011 ebike has a throttle and does not require peddling. What hope of pc not the nicest listening to me in similar circumstances?
49 thoughts on “No mention of electric motorbikes? Police seize “illegal e-bikes” which can reach 72mph; Le Col write off £8 million in debt; First Minister wants Wales to be “world-leading destination” for cyclo-tourists; Tour de France sprint + more on the live blog”
I think anyone ‘looking for a serious relationship’ with Torstein Træen is going to be out of luck anyway – he looks pretty attached to that lion.
@mdavidford Marco Cipollini was apparently unavailable for the shoot…
‘Children tell parliament they want to cycle safely’
and me ….
dont watch this – how Utrecht became the word’s best cycling city….
Or – perhaps more “apparently possible” for the UK – what they have done in Seville or Paris.
(As usual notjustbikes and bicycledutch have good videos and articles on these).
@Wales56 Thank you for that. I visited Bristol yesterday. Bus and train. I was astounded by the number of cyclists even on the steep hills in a heatwave. Many people still drive though and the traffic was horrendous meaning a short bus journey from Temple Meads to the center took ages. Quicker than walking (just) but cycling would have been much quicker.
The number of cycle paths does mean you need to be aware as a pedestrian but I was prepared for this after getting in the way of a cyclist on my previous vist a few years ago.
Needless to say the train on the return journey was overcrowded (had to stand for the journey) and delayed and meaning missing a few public transport connections which made the journey take longer than needed. Even with these frustrations it was much more relaxing than driving. 20 years ago I would have driven without even thinking about it.
@Bungle_52 Exactly my experience when visiting Bristol a couple of weeks back.
Interesting to see coming from Edinburgh – where cycling “works for me”, the motor traffic feels a lot less oppressive. And I can do some routes of several miles completely traffic free.
But overall there seem to be far fewer people (and indeed fewer “normal people”) cycling than i saw around Bristol
(Also same with the rail sardine-transportation on the way back…)
Usual rubbish from the BBC then.
I was under the impression that an e-bike was a bicycle capable of being pedalled, that also has an electric motor.
For an e-bike to be legally classified in the UK as a bicycle, it must meet the EPAC criteria. If it does not, it is legally classified as a motorbike.
The machines pictured are clearly e-bikes, but apparently have been modified so that they no longer meet the EPAC conditions. Legally, therefore, they are not bicycles… But they are still e-bikes. As they do not meet the EPAC criteria, you might even describe them as illegal e-bikes as they would need to be licensed and do not appear to be so.
Your third para contradicts your first:
para 1: an e-bike is a bicycle
para 3: these are clearly e-bikes, but … are not bicycles
It would be better (and more consistent) to say they *were* e-bikes, but, having been modified, are *now* e-motorbikes.
[They’re definitely not EPACs, though – not unless you can store snacks and the like in them.]
Also, to be accurate, they’re e-motorbikes that have been illegally used on the public highway – they’re not, in and of themselves, illegal.
That’ll be the difference between the colloquial and the legal.
More like the difference between the accurate and the misunderstood.
An e-bike is a bicycle with a motor. If it’s too powerful/fast etc. it’s no longer *legally* treated as a bicycle. I apologise if that’s too subtle a point for you.
There you go, getting in a tangle over terminology again – you’ve written ‘subtle’, when what you meant was ‘incoherent’.
@mdavidford Sorry, I appreciate this is all rather confusing for you. Let me put it another way:
An EPAC is a bicycle, both legally and colloquially. If I modify it so that the electric assist cuts out at 16mph, it no longer gets treated legally as a bicycle – you need license and registration to ride it on the road.
But do you think a person in the street is going to look at it and think it’s no longer a bicycle (colloquially)? Of course not.
No it isn’t.
What does whether someone refers to it as a ‘bicycle’ have to do with whether it’s legal or not?
Aidan: An EPAC is a bicycle.
mdavidford: No it isn’t.
To elaborate on some of the possible complaints:
1. It’s EAPC, not EPAC.
2. An EAPC can have two or more wheels – it need not be a bicycle.
So I wonder if “an EAPC is a pedal cycle” passes muster?
@quiff I suppose it’s possible there are people trying to ride the Extreme Photonics Applications Centre, but I don’t think I’d fancy it.
@mdavidford although I think they may have done some work on light motorcycles?
@AidanR In the UK “bike” is also used to mean motorbike hence the “Think bike!” campaign, “hairy bikers” etc. The whole area is riddled with misnomers and misuse so it is going to be a long battle to get people including the BBC to stop misusing e-bike term for machines that aren’t EAPCs (electrically assisted pedal cycles) even though putting “e-bike definition” into a search engine gives a correct answer.
Even worse when the police don’t/won’t differentiate or enforce and think that lifting the back wheel off the ground and turning the throttle is a good test for maximum speed. Some forces use portable dynamometer as shown in the picture but not sure how widespread this is.
In any case if the throttle control works above 4mph without pedalling, and assistance is given above 15.5mph, it is a(n electric) motorbike – the assistance rather than direct power being the basis for the exemptions for registration, licensing, helmet, insurance etc.
Throttle control working above 4mph doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not an EAPC in the UK
@HoarseMann yes but for anything sold from 1/1/2016 it does.
Since 2019 it’s been possible to have full throttle control in the UK and it still be classed as an EAPC (twist and go, 250W LPM class).
@AidanR It just goes to show how impressions can be wrong. In order to qualify as an e-bike in UK common parlance, it must conform to EAPC legislation for use on the roads and cycleways. If it fails to do so, either by having a twist grip throttle, or by being modified to exceed the 25 kph restriction, it is an illegal motor bike. No iffs, no buts; if you want to play e-bikes, you must play by the rules.
@Spangly Shiny
No, in order to legally qualify as a *bicycle*, an e-bike must meet EPAC regulations. If it does not, it’s legally a motorbike. It may then not be licenced and therefore not road legal. Whether it’s legally a bicycle or a motorbike, it’s still an e-bike – a machine with both pedals and an electric motor.
@AidanR This is how the Government explains it too: https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules
Which is exactly why I chose to define the description in terms of UK parlance. Specifically to circumvent the pedantic nitpicking of people who chose to engage in linguistic gymnastics. I meant what I wrot
e and did so in such a manner as to be crystal clear, even to such people who try to deconstruct comments to suit their own agenda. I put it to you that your definition of e-bike is somewhat at variance with both common parlance and UK law.
E-bike as only an EPAC might be common parlance amongst cyclists, but I really don’t think it is limited to that amongst much of the general public. That’s why you get terms like “illegal e-bikes” that the above article rails against. The article claims that the term e-bike is being used incorrectly. It isn’t. If people are going to be pedantic about terminology, they ought to be right.
An e-bike with pedals could be a moped (although mopeds do not have to have pedals, anymore). An e-bike without pedals is an electric motorbike, or moped (definately not an EAPC).
Don’t forget bike means both pedal cycle & motorbike.
Bit of a point of order. Completely illegal of course. But the 72mph thing, presumably gauged on a “rolling road”, if indeed they possess such a thing, on a real road wouldn’t it be completely unreachable. Wind resistance becomes massive, related to v squared? Not very aero either.
@ktache Bit of a point of order. Completely illegal of course. But the 72mph thing, presumably gauged on a “rolling road”, if indeed they possess such a thing, on a real road wouldn’t it be completely unreachable?
Highly likely that this is going to be completely wrong, a claim issued by people who are really not very good- pretending to be ‘scientific’, but without much of a clue, estimating by rote, but without any critical ability. I often worry, when PC Bloggs gives ‘expert’ evidence in court, that it’s taken as Gospel
In their press release, Nottinghamshire Police do a reasonable job of making clear that the ‘e-bikes’ they have seized are “illegal”, including one that they found to reach speeds of 72mph
@ktache An 80kg rider on a 20kg bike would need roughly 8,500W to achieve 72mph on the flat; there are people out there selling 10,000W motor wheels for conversions with claimed top speeds of 100– 130 km/h, so it is possible although you’re probably right that the police have measured it inaccurately.
@Rendel Harris I’m prepared to believe the 72mph figure, if the rider and bike are rendered weightless and it’s ridden on a flat road with a tailwind of 72mph.
My learner legal motorbike had 12 hp or 9kw and would do 70 mph, I looked and 10000w bike kits are advertised but I see a problem in that they supply a 100a controller and a 72 v battery, that’s only 7200w and I doubt you’ll get that out of it.
Say they’re going down a 1:10 hill – that will provide our model bike and rider with a boost of over 3000W, so a 5kW motor would do it.
Maybe this is where Telegraph-style wording (which the Telegraph may well not have used) could get them off the hook (if they cared) – “capable of up to 120mph *!!”
* … as long as you understand “up to x” includes eg “15 mph” and there’s an implied but missing “… if you drop it from a great height”?
Capable of up to 125mph, provided extreme heat doesn’t mean the train it’s on is speed limited.
Hexlox are celebrating 10 years and are offering 20% off, no code.
Any discount on these very expensive tiny little magnets is worthwhile.
Why bother, when it appears you can just use shenanigans like this to screw everyone else over and make them bear the losses?
wow. That bike lane.
Italy does have some stunning bike lanes. I cycled the Alpe Adria a few years ago and the Italian sections were incredible.
The issue with so-called ‘”e-bikes” relates back to their very genesis. Any bike with a motor isn’t a bike, but a motorbike. The clue is in the word “motor”.
While I understand some people’s excitement in attempting to broaden the definition of the word “bicycle”, I’m afraid I don’t share their enthusiasm.
Battery powered motorbikes carry a very heavy pollution penalty, are much heavier (even when road-focused) and are unhealthy compared to cycling. They are easily modified to go above an apparently arbitrary 15.5mph, and are generally a menace to both roads and footpaths.
Call me ablist if you like, but someone riding an ebike is no more a cyclist than someone riding a mobility scooter is a pedestrian. The two modes of transport should always be stated separately to each other, and conflating the two leads to the exact problems started in the blog.
@jackcycles Legally in the UK an e-bike or EAPC provides assistance to a cyclist rather than a purely powered ride. This is completely different to riding a mobility scooter that has no pedals.
An EAPC must be pedalled (or cycled) to move above 3.7 mph with assistance hence an EAPC rider is a cyclist.
Nope, someone riding a bike with a motor is a motorcyclist.
Ignoring the fact that some “e-bikes” don’t require pedalling, nominally pedaling and pretending you’re cycling is as ridiculous as lifting pieces of polystyrene and pretending you’re a weightlifter.
Wait – so a bike with any motor at all is a motorbike, but a lifter with any weights at all isn’t a weightlifter?
I’m riding a bike with a motor but running in reverse (a dynamo – well, pedants tell me it’s a magneto) – am I a reverse-motor-cyclist? Or a cycle-motor-ist? So confused…
Not sure about “ableist”, but we might need to call you a taxi…
… but then I’m happy to call my two wheeled human-powered recumbent a bicycle, an equivalence which drew the ire of definition-framers (well, rule makers) way back in the 1930s.
Although I’d draw the line at a Surron or a Segway.
@chrisonabike You can vary the assistance level on an e-bike so does that mean you can be for example 75% cyclist and 25% motorcyclist?
@chrisonabike And just imagine if you have a dynamo as well what the maths looks like.
@jackcycles And when the 70-year-old can put out 250w still but his clubmates are putting out 400w on the climbs, if he gets 150w assistance to go with his 250w so he can still ride with them, is he “pretending he’s cycling”? And why does it bother you? Just do you and stop judging others who do differently to you.