QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The basics of the e-bike revolution

Q: What is a road e-bike? A: Technically speaking it’s a drop-bar pedelec, classed by the EU as a L1E-A vehicle. In layman’s terms, it’s just a bicycle with an electric motor.

Q: That doesn’t sound like a road bike?

A: It’s true the e-bike format is most popular in commuter bikes, but increasingly brands are developing road bikes that have a motor as an option.

Q: How fast can I go on one? A: As fast as your legs can push you, but the motor will stop assisting you at 25kmh to adhere to EU laws.

Q: How much weight will it add?

A: The Vivax-assist system is probably the lightest at 2kg, added to a normal bike, and generally for a full crankbased motor we’d expect at least 4-5kg of extra weight.

Q: Who are they aimed at? A: For now it remains a niche sector in the UK. Older riders (such as 87-year-old racing legend Brian Robinson) use them to keep up on the club run. But manufacturers think it will unlock opportunities for road riders, and that has already been seized upon by cyclists on the Continent.

Q: What’s the point, if the speed is limited to 25kmh?

A: As the mountain bike industry has seen, a motor can unlock longer and more interesting rides by reducing the difficulty of steep inclines.

Q: Isn’t that cheating? A: That depends on your point of view. A crank-based system will only assist you to the tune of 250 watts, and not at all over 25kmh, so most of your ride will still be under your own steam.

Q: What happens if I remove the speed restriction?

A: You’ll be open to possible prosecution for riding a motorcycle without a licence, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving without insurance and driving a motorcycle without an appropriate helmet.