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I'm from Europe, limits on electric assistance here are quite low as far as I know (25km max, no support without pedaling, 250W engine output). But I agree, my

I'm from Europe, limits on electric assistance here are quite low as far as I know (25km max, no support without pedaling, 250W engine output). But I agree, my main concern is difference in speed with cars. Worst case I could use electric scooter just for "last mile" and use public transportation. That is something ebike will again have more problems with.

GoToRO 9y ago
25 might seem low but when I pedal only I go about 22-24 km/h. Going 25 km/h electric only is more than enough. Then you can pedal and go even faster. In a city you will have to break soon anyway and you realy start to feel the wind. The diference between 25 km/h electric and 25 km/h pedal only is the acceleration and the fact that electric motor never gets tired :) To have a good acceleration they sell bikes with 500 W motors that are limited to 250 W. I guess in software. The bikes that I tested, all have pedal assist but also a separate throtle.
- dzhiurgis 9y ago
  I can go 31 km/h with my legs only with all the additional battery and motor weight. That limit is silly.
  - GoToRO 9y ago
    Well yeah... it depends on the rider. No limit will be fair for all. And then you can go downhill much faster.
- Someone 9y ago
  ”Going 25 km/h electric only is more than enough. Then you can pedal and go even faster.” European “Speed assist” bicycles that max out at 25km/hour don’t do 25 on their own; they decrease the amount of assistance to zero when your speed reaches 25. If you don’t do over 25 on a ‘normal’ bicycle, you won’t do it on one of these.
markvdb 9y ago
Legally speaking, there's three categories of e-bikes in the EU [0]: * under 250W, under 25km/h: no more approval than a pedal powered bicycle * L1e-A: under 25km/h, under 1kW electric * L1e-B: under 45km/h, under 4kW electric ("speed pedelec" class) L1e-A and L1e-B ebikes need an extra type certification. Plus there are hurdles in terms of insurance, sometimes also helmet obligation, and more. [0] https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/legislation/motorbikes-trikes-quads_en https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/legislation/m...
- dzhiurgis 9y ago
  Helmets are required here for all cyclists in NZ. What is the extra certification required? I assume something about tyre size, brakes and perhaps frame strength?
  - y4mi 9y ago
    At least in Germany a normal diving license suffices for the s-pedelecs. But it's pretty obvious why you need one. They're forbidden on the cycle Lane's , so you need to drive on the street.

GoToRO 9y ago

25 might seem low but when I pedal only I go about 22-24 km/h. Going 25 km/h electric only is more than enough. Then you can pedal and go even faster. In a city you will have to break soon anyway and you realy start to feel the wind. The diference between 25 km/h electric and 25 km/h pedal only is the acceleration and the fact that electric motor never gets tired :) To have a good acceleration they sell bikes with 500 W motors that are limited to 250 W. I guess in software. The bikes that I tested, all have pedal assist but also a separate throtle.

dzhiurgis 9y ago
I can go 31 km/h with my legs only with all the additional battery and motor weight. That limit is silly.
- GoToRO 9y ago
  Well yeah... it depends on the rider. No limit will be fair for all. And then you can go downhill much faster.
Someone 9y ago
”Going 25 km/h electric only is more than enough. Then you can pedal and go even faster.” European “Speed assist” bicycles that max out at 25km/hour don’t do 25 on their own; they decrease the amount of assistance to zero when your speed reaches 25. If you don’t do over 25 on a ‘normal’ bicycle, you won’t do it on one of these.

markvdb 9y ago

Legally speaking, there's three categories of e-bikes in the EU [0]: * under 250W, under 25km/h: no more approval than a pedal powered bicycle * L1e-A: under 25km/h, under 1kW electric * L1e-B: under 45km/h, under 4kW electric ("speed pedelec" class) L1e-A and L1e-B ebikes need an extra type certification. Plus there are hurdles in terms of insurance, sometimes also helmet obligation, and more. [0] https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/legislation/motorbikes-trikes-quads_en https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/automotive/legislation/m...

dzhiurgis 9y ago
Helmets are required here for all cyclists in NZ. What is the extra certification required? I assume something about tyre size, brakes and perhaps frame strength?
- y4mi 9y ago
  At least in Germany a normal diving license suffices for the s-pedelecs. But it's pretty obvious why you need one. They're forbidden on the cycle Lane's , so you need to drive on the street.