S-pedelec – the ultimate speed machine

Want to go really fast? This type of ebike tops out at 28mph!

According to the current UK law on ebikes, you are limited to 15.5mph with electric assistance. Any more than that and you’ll have to pedal with your own power. The trouble is, unless you’re going up a hill, exceeding that speed limit is pretty easy to do (provided you’re relatively fit), so you end up spending much of your time wishing for more power higher up in the speed range.

While you could, in theory, de-restrict a normal ebike if you were that type of person – not that we would ever recommend doing so, of course – to give you a much higher top speed with motor assistance, there’s actually a better way to do it, which also happens to be perfectly legal, if somewhat more drawn-out to achieve.

An S-pedelec is basically an enhanced version of a standard pedelec, hence the ‘S’, which stands for ‘Speed’. It’s limited to 28mph, enabling you to cover greater distances with ease or to complete your commute in a much faster time. Sounds like the perfect bike, especially for commuting, right? On one hand, yes. But you can’t just go out, buy an S-pedelec and start riding it, as there’s a rather lengthy procedure to get it on the road…

Because of the higher electrically assisted speed, an S-pedelec is technically classified as a moped, so it needs to be registered (with a number plate) and insured, and after three years it will need an MOT. You’ll also need a driving license. If you got your license before 2001, you’re good to go, but if not you’ll need to do a CBT test (and retake it every two years). Or get a full bike license.

Then there’s actually riding an S-pedelec. Because it’s technically a moped, you can only take it on roads, which means it’s illegal to ride on cycle paths and the like. Bummer.

At some point, the legislation might change to make it possible to ride S-pedelecs without all the red tape. And once it does, the appeal of ebikes is sure to increase.