6 ms·

Somewhat irrelevant in places where motor assist is limited to 25kph (EU for example).

by ohmaigad 5y ago

NietTim 5y ago
If the builder of a DIY bike choses to adhere to that....
- ohmaigad 5y ago
  But that is not an issue with e-bikes as a whole (it is also illegal and fineable in places where restrictions apply).
nsxwolf 5y ago
I wouldn’t want to go faster. 15 mph is probably faster than I’ve ever gone.
- wikidani 5y ago
  I wouldn't worry too much, I have routinely done about 50-60 km/h on a motorized bike and had 0 issues. Always had the best disk brakes I could buy though.
  - IgorPartola 5y ago
    Anekdata doesn’t prove much here. Some things you might not be considering: 1. At 60 km/h you are going the speed of a car but car drivers don’t expect you to be going that fast and as a result aren’t wired to look for you. Doesn’t matter how fast you were going when a car going 60-90 km/h didn’t see you and ran you over. 2. Brakes are only half the equation. If your tires start slipping your brakes will lock up and then you go splat. 3. If you do happen to get off at 60 km/h you will have road rash that will take off large chunks of skin even if you wear an armored jacket and armored gloves. In spandex you’ll be looking like Deadpool pretty quickly. 4. Your tires will heat up pretty quickly at these speeds. That will affect how they handle quite a bit.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - maxerickson 5y ago
      I have to plan for what cars might do at 15 mph. I certainly wouldn't casually ride the shoulder of a US highway at 35 mph.
    - dzhiurgis 5y ago
      Re #1 - If you are driving at places without bike lanes being able to move together with traffic flow is essential. Which then you can ask - do you also not expect motorcyclist to be on road either?
      - IgorPartola 5y ago
        A motorcycle is an order of magnitude more visible than a bicycle and goes in the traffic, not next to it.
        dzhiurgis 5y ago
        How so? If you got lights and hi viz you are about the same. Yes motorbikes are slightly bulkier, but not in a way that's going to make a difference. Motorbikes are certainly louder which IMO why we should ban motorbikes altogether. I hate visceral hate to them.
        IgorPartola 5y ago
        Have you ever seen videos of how invisible you look despite all the high viz stuff? In some cases it becomes urban camo. Take a look at this video, especially at 2:30 or so. It’ll show you just how little visibility you’ll have: https://youtu.be/eqQBubilSXU https://youtu.be/eqQBubilSXU Your best bet is to have all your clothing match your bike, Power Rangers style, to increase your chances. And lots and lots of very bright lights. One little handlebar mounted light is going to look like a reflection or a flashlight.
        loeg 5y ago
- Aerroon 5y ago
  A bicycle goes downhill faster then that with little to no pedaling involved. Doesn't even need to be a steep hill.
- agumonkey 5y ago
  15mph is nothing in terms o safety (granted no break problems). On flat lane I hit that regularly without pushing hard, most people can handle that outside crowded areas.
stevenicr 5y ago
I dunno if it's truly irrelevant, didn't a celebrity spin out of control in a backyard and break his back at less than that? https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/aug/09/simon-cowell-breaks-back-falling-off-electric-bike-in-us https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/aug/09/simon-cowell-b... I think part of it may be familiarity perhaps, which I assume is higher in Euroworld.
- tonyedgecombe 5y ago
  It turns out that wasn't an e-bike, it was an electric motorcycle capable of 60 mph.
  - DonHopkins 5y ago
    Nancy the Van Seat, a comfy DIY e-couch conversion vehicle created at the Stupid Fun Club, had tremendously overpowered electric motors, a handheld remote control, could turn on a dime, but had no seatbelts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvXG4gQ2FWI&ab_channel=DigitalNaturalismLaboratories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvXG4gQ2FWI&ab_channel=Digit...
- daveoc64 5y ago
  No. That would not even remotely be classed as an electronic bike in the EU. It is far too powerful for that. His electric motorcycle had a top speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) and a motor power of 15 kW. The legal limits for a pedelec cycle in the EU are a maximum assisted speed of 15.5 mph (25km/h) and a motor of no more than 250w. The motor in Simon Cowell's electric motorcycle is 60 times as powerful as the legal limit in the EU
  - stevenicr 5y ago
    thanks for this info! When I first read the story I had assumed the accident occurred at very slow speed or full stop and mashing the throttle - so the 60mph v 25 would not have been something I would consider.. but 15kW vs 250w - now this is something that makes sense in this scenario for sure! glad to have learned to eye this metric for this.

Somewhat irrelevant in places where motor assist is limited to 25kph (EU for example).

NietTim 5y ago

If the builder of a DIY bike choses to adhere to that....

ohmaigad 5y ago
But that is not an issue with e-bikes as a whole (it is also illegal and fineable in places where restrictions apply).

nsxwolf 5y ago

I wouldn’t want to go faster. 15 mph is probably faster than I’ve ever gone.

wikidani 5y ago
I wouldn't worry too much, I have routinely done about 50-60 km/h on a motorized bike and had 0 issues. Always had the best disk brakes I could buy though.
- IgorPartola 5y ago
  Anekdata doesn’t prove much here. Some things you might not be considering: 1. At 60 km/h you are going the speed of a car but car drivers don’t expect you to be going that fast and as a result aren’t wired to look for you. Doesn’t matter how fast you were going when a car going 60-90 km/h didn’t see you and ran you over. 2. Brakes are only half the equation. If your tires start slipping your brakes will lock up and then you go splat. 3. If you do happen to get off at 60 km/h you will have road rash that will take off large chunks of skin even if you wear an armored jacket and armored gloves. In spandex you’ll be looking like Deadpool pretty quickly. 4. Your tires will heat up pretty quickly at these speeds. That will affect how they handle quite a bit.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - maxerickson 5y ago
    I have to plan for what cars might do at 15 mph. I certainly wouldn't casually ride the shoulder of a US highway at 35 mph.
  - dzhiurgis 5y ago
    Re #1 - If you are driving at places without bike lanes being able to move together with traffic flow is essential. Which then you can ask - do you also not expect motorcyclist to be on road either?
    - IgorPartola 5y ago
      A motorcycle is an order of magnitude more visible than a bicycle and goes in the traffic, not next to it.
      - dzhiurgis 5y ago
        How so? If you got lights and hi viz you are about the same. Yes motorbikes are slightly bulkier, but not in a way that's going to make a difference. Motorbikes are certainly louder which IMO why we should ban motorbikes altogether. I hate visceral hate to them.
        IgorPartola 5y ago
        Have you ever seen videos of how invisible you look despite all the high viz stuff? In some cases it becomes urban camo. Take a look at this video, especially at 2:30 or so. It’ll show you just how little visibility you’ll have: https://youtu.be/eqQBubilSXU https://youtu.be/eqQBubilSXU Your best bet is to have all your clothing match your bike, Power Rangers style, to increase your chances. And lots and lots of very bright lights. One little handlebar mounted light is going to look like a reflection or a flashlight.
      - loeg 5y ago
Aerroon 5y ago
A bicycle goes downhill faster then that with little to no pedaling involved. Doesn't even need to be a steep hill.
agumonkey 5y ago
15mph is nothing in terms o safety (granted no break problems). On flat lane I hit that regularly without pushing hard, most people can handle that outside crowded areas.

stevenicr 5y ago

I dunno if it's truly irrelevant, didn't a celebrity spin out of control in a backyard and break his back at less than that? https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/aug/09/simon-cowell-breaks-back-falling-off-electric-bike-in-us https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/aug/09/simon-cowell-b... I think part of it may be familiarity perhaps, which I assume is higher in Euroworld.

tonyedgecombe 5y ago
It turns out that wasn't an e-bike, it was an electric motorcycle capable of 60 mph.
- DonHopkins 5y ago
  Nancy the Van Seat, a comfy DIY e-couch conversion vehicle created at the Stupid Fun Club, had tremendously overpowered electric motors, a handheld remote control, could turn on a dime, but had no seatbelts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvXG4gQ2FWI&ab_channel=DigitalNaturalismLaboratories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvXG4gQ2FWI&ab_channel=Digit...
daveoc64 5y ago
No. That would not even remotely be classed as an electronic bike in the EU. It is far too powerful for that. His electric motorcycle had a top speed of 60 mph (97 km/h) and a motor power of 15 kW. The legal limits for a pedelec cycle in the EU are a maximum assisted speed of 15.5 mph (25km/h) and a motor of no more than 250w. The motor in Simon Cowell's electric motorcycle is 60 times as powerful as the legal limit in the EU
- stevenicr 5y ago
  thanks for this info! When I first read the story I had assumed the accident occurred at very slow speed or full stop and mashing the throttle - so the 60mph v 25 would not have been something I would consider.. but 15kW vs 250w - now this is something that makes sense in this scenario for sure! glad to have learned to eye this metric for this.