It's a shame that it has to wait that long when Germany and The Netherlands allow them now. One would think that with congestion and pollution levels people would be encouraged to use them. I think they make sense for people who have longer commutes and want to get a bit of exercise on the way to work or save a bit of cash on fuel etc. In Germany they sell about 500 000 ebikes (pedelec and s pedelec) a year - and there are now over 2 mln on the roads.
I live quite close to work so s pedelec would be a bit over the top for me but I am thinking of buying an ebike.
I tried one at work and was immedietaly hooked. I later found that my local dealer had a good quality ebike on sale so grabbed my credit card and got on the train only to find that it had already been sold.
I then went camping and the campsite had a few old, charming push bikes free to use. I absolutely loved it, the area was stunning and there was a child bike seat so could take kids with me. After coming back home I fixed my old, rusty mtb and cycled to work for a couple of weeks. However, I live in a very hilly area and after some time started having problems with my knees so had to stop it and go back to walking again.
I will probably buy an ebike at some point as they flatten the hills easily but first need to invest in safe storage like asgard etc.
Yep chr4, I am just waiting for when the time is right, I will then buy the Kalkhoff Intergrale 11 or what ever is the current "S" Pedelec at the time.
I currently ride a bicycle that has the Rohloff 14 SpeedHub for gearing, and often go faster than a reg Pedelec.
25kmph Pedelec assist is fine for cycle tracks and trails, but out there in the real world, you need to keep up with the flow of traffic, in such conditions I would say a Pedelec is almost dangerous, where as a "S" Pedelec will help keep you out of danger.
Yes, you are right but I am one of those few lucky people who can cover a part of the commute on the cycle path and the rest on fairly quiet roads.
However, my wife would like to move house at some point so if we move further away from work I might need to consider one too.
I think EU made a mistake by limiting the motor assistance for pedelec to 25 km / 15.5 miles per hour.
In USA the limit is 20 miles and I think it makes more sense. Lots of cyclists reach these speeds on ordinary bikes and if one could maintain it regardless of terrain cyclists would actually be safer.
Finally, even if some of you are not interested in mtbs (I am not) but like pretty scenery of the mountains I recommend the Uphill Flow II video by Bosch (English subtitles). Uphill Flow II
Thanks Chr4, I had not looked at that Bosch page, superb video.
Thing is the 250watt 25kmph bikes are ideal for MTB, I done a few MTB trails, albiet the wimpy Green routes, whilst my Son does the death defying Black route!
On such rides, you don't need speed, but the Ebike would make the uphill bits so much more pleasurable, and a 250watt bike is going to be fine for that.
The Germans have got it right, "S" Pedelecs are road legal but not allowed on cycle path/trails etc, but are not subject to the same regs as a 50cc Petrol moped/scooter.
Although as far as I am aware a cycle helmet is mandatory, and you have to have a small reg plate and insurance, along with a driving licence.
From what I can tell if EU regs will follow the German stance for "S" Pedelecs come 2017, but UK may have the option to veto, let's hope common sense prevails.
So there is a place for both Pedelecs and the fast "S" Pedelecs, the UK law just needs to be refined to reflect this, it's no use treating an "S" Pedelec like a 50cc Moped/Scooter they are two completely different types of machine and should be classed accordingly.
If "S" Pedelecs become legal in UK it will give a massive boost to the cycle shop industry, and it will see a lot more people like me out there doing cycling, not only commuting but trips to the shops etc.
Also I have read that the Police, Post office etc, are very keen to have "S" Pedelecs made legal, for obvious reasons.
Hmmm Just ride an S but don't tell anyone ! I know so many people who ride so called illegal pedelec bikes there just chipped up or unrestricted the part is quite cheep and easy to fit. Basically plug and play !
Yep, that is another option robnchar, to de-restrict a regular Pedelec, but it does have a drastic effect on battery run time, the "S" Pedelecs that I am considering do have high capacity batteries.
The "S" Pedelecs have a 350watt motor UK Pedelecs are only permitted 250watt motor, that also will make a big difference at speed, even though they say the Torque is about the same for both type's of motors.
Also to de-restrict is to break the law, and I don't really want to have to do that, in case of an accident as I could end up loosing my driving licence.
No I am quite happy to see what happens in 2017, if UK accepts "S" Pedelecs and classes them like Germany has, I will buy one, if not then I won't it's as simple as that.
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Topic: "S" Pedelec Bike`s
