E-bikes and the law
Stay on the right side of the tracks
While the press might get in a tizz about hooligans racing about on electric bikes, anyone who’s tried one will understand why this is an unlikely scenario. Electric bicycles in the UK must meet specific criteria, and key among these is a limit on speed and motor power – 250W max power and a hardly hair-raising top speed of 15.5mph (25kmh). Above this cut-off point you’ll get no motor assistance whatsoever and will be back to relying solely on your legs for propulsion. Any legal e-bike must also be activated via its pedals and not via a throttle.
Stick to these rules and your bike will be considered an electrically assisted pedal cycle or EAPC, and anyone over the age of 14 can legally ride one without insurance or the need to wear a helmet. Yet given all this, how come you occasionally see riders whizzing past without turning a pedal?
The most likely explanation is that they’re riding an illegally modified bicycle equipped with an overpowered motor and throttle-style acceleration. Such kits are readily available over the internet.
A second option is that the rider has de-restricted a bike that otherwise met UK EAPC criteria. This dark art involves tinkering with the electronics that control the motor to override its normal operation.
Doing this will almost certainly void your warranty and your bicycle will now be a motorcycle, so will need to be registered and taxed. Anyone caught riding such a bike without a licence could be in severe trouble, especially if involved in an accident.
‘A higher-torque system gives you more efficient assistance at lower cadences’