Many e-bikes are restricted to 20 mph for that reason: http://www.evelo.com/blog/why-is-there-a-20mph-speed-limit-on-electric-bikes/ http://www.evelo.com/blog/

Many e-bikes are restricted to 20 mph for that reason: http://www.evelo.com/blog/why-is-there-a-20mph-speed-limit-on-electric-bikes/ http://www.evelo.com/blog/why-is-there-a-20mph-speed-limit-o... However, it's easy enough to convert an ordinary bike to an e-bike - the necessary motors and other parts are readily available, in fact that's pretty much how the industry started. Many of the bike messengers in NYC etc. have much higher top speeds than 20.