Re: Bicycle road test & review

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

On 5/20/2025 3:30 AM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:

 
I wouldn't care if these motorcycles weren't marketed as bicycles and if
the successful lobbying of groups interested in selling them hadn't
resulted in these motorcycles being equated with bicycles by law in most
European countries.

 
I think it may be worse in the U.S. than in Europe. Our ebikes have
power assist to higher speeds. I'm hearing quite a few complaints about
fast ebikes buzzing by and scaring the sort of slow and fearful
bicyclists that use bike lanes instead of roadways, as well as the
pedestrians. Admittedly, I've not heard of any actual crashes yet in
that situation.

UK regulations are touch tighter again, mainly that bikes are either bikes
or a motorcycle/moped. And thus different regulations and allowed use, ie
you will get stopped sooner or later if you use bike infrastructure. Shared
space stuff in particular.

US regulations are very arguably too lax and more to the it’s a moped side
of things.

 
There's also been talk of trail damage in our local forest preserve,
which has always been open to mountain bikes but closed to motorized
vehicles. Our state, like most, legally pretends that the motors in
these things don't exist.
 

Even this side of the pond, DJI is producing 1000watt motors which is
highly likely to get regulated as rather pushing beyond the this is a bike
at this point, which companies such as Shimano and so on, have kept a fair
bit lower and the bikes are well more bike like.

Roger Merriman