Re: uk 500 watt bikes proposed

Am Mon, 15 Apr 2024 20:57:23 GMT schrieb Roger Merriman
<roger@sarlet.com>:

As the Government is grasping at straws, it’s if polling is to believe set
up for a record loss at the upcoming election, remarkable considering it
came in with a healthy majority! But such is politics!
>
But hence it’s suggesting increasing power for e bikes ie doubling from 250
to 500 watts.
>
It’s not been popular among the bike industry.
>
<https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/general/news/e-bike-power-limit-ba-and-act-urge-bike-industry-to-resist-500w-proposal>
>
The main argument is really with power will come responsibly ie legislation
ie be mopeds in all but name.

In Germany and, AFAIK most of Europe, an bicycle powered by a motor
having a rated continuous power ("Nenndauerleistung", in German) of 250
Watt, limited to 25 km/h actually has no relevant legal power limit.
Unfortunately, it was made into a bicycle by law years ago anyway, after
selling it with the "pedal assist up to 100 percent" mantra to the
general public.

It didn't last long.

Most motor models sold by Bosch for use in those bicyles (called
"Pedelec" in Germany) are advertised with "up to additional 340 percent,
up to 600 Watt" nowadays. A rated continuous power of 250 Watt is no
real limitation, because it just means that a moving average over 30
Minutes must not exeed 250 Watt. That leaves a lot of headroom.

Even these aren't bicycles, these are low powered motorcycles, aka
mopeds.  So after selling the concept that easily to the lawmakers, it
makes sense to double up again.

Problem is, low powered electrical mopeds with pedal assist could have
been a good idea, when regulated somewhat similar other motorized
vehicles*).  But the general public has been made believe that so called
bicycles having more motor power and endurance than your average Tour de
France idol still _are_ bicycles. They aren't. Everybody who acutally
uses a real bicycle knows that training for just ten or twenty percent
more muscle power endurance is really HARD.


*) Similar, but different.  No speed limit, but a power limit, say 100 W
and 100 Wh, for example

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