Electric Bicycles Advice

[az city]

I have a couple of e-bikes in the US but basically there is very little regulation/law around their nature or use in the US. (They are both 500W Radpower bikes that are chip-limited to 20MPH.)

I am thinking of buying an e-bike for Cardiff. I am somewhat confused because here they seem much more expensive, lower powered, are limited to a peddle-assist mode, and, limited to less than 15MPH. Have I got all this wrong?

Any advice much appreciated.

[19bluebirds27]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

The best way of purchasing is always via cycle to work schemes which a load of companies offer.
Electric bikes are included too.

I have purchased about £2k worth of bike and accessories without committing any capital to it.
You pay it back via your wages but the benefit is the saving in Tax and NI.
Took 18 months pay back but saved about £800 - effectively 2 bikes were free.

I don’t know if that really answers your question - electric cars and vans are more my specialty.

[MacAdder]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

You will need the following (not an exhaustive list)....
A bike
A full set of lycra equipment clothing
Wrap round shades
A honed sense of road/pavement (sidewalk) entitlement
A well studied array of expletives
A stare that could wilt a cabbage
Other like-minded people accompanying you (optional)

BTW, electric cycling is cheating!

[19bluebirds27]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

You will need the following (not an exhaustive list)....
A bike
A full set of lycra equipment clothing
Wrap round shades
A honed sense of road/pavement (sidewalk) entitlement
A well studied array of expletives
A stare that could wilt a cabbage
Other like-minded people accompanying you (optional)

BTW, electric cycling is cheating!

I agree with everything this man says.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

I have a couple of e-bikes in the US but basically there is very little regulation/law around their nature or use in the US. (They are both 500W Radpower bikes that are chip-limited to 20MPH.)

I am thinking of buying an e-bike for Cardiff. I am somewhat confused because here they seem much more expensive, lower powered, are limited to a peddle-assist mode, and, limited to less than 15MPH. Have I got all this wrong?

Any advice much appreciated.

You can chip them to run faster with no max speed, but they are very expensive here.

[blue matt]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

couldnt you just bring one bike over, will cost you £100 - £200, but you can have the bike you are used to then

And I bet E bikes in the US will be cheaper than the UK ( though the exchange rate will not help with that )

[NYCBlue]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

I have a couple of e-bikes in the US but basically there is very little regulation/law around their nature or use in the US. (They are both 500W Radpower bikes that are chip-limited to 20MPH.)

I am thinking of buying an e-bike for Cardiff. I am somewhat confused because here they seem much more expensive, lower powered, are limited to a peddle-assist mode, and, limited to less than 15MPH. Have I got all this wrong?

Any advice much appreciated.

You live in Cardiff as well as AZ? How do yo you fly back? I've considered Aer Lingus to Dublin and then on to Rhoose which is just a couple of miles from my parents' house. If I could climb down the cliff, I could walk there in 20 minutes. But the layover makes it not worth it. Where do you live in AZ?

[blue matt]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

You live in Cardiff as well as AZ? How do yo you fly back? I've considered Aer Lingus to Dublin and then on to Rhoose which is just a couple of miles from my parents' house. If I could climb down the cliff, I could walk there in 20 minutes. But the layover makes it not worth it. Where do you live in AZ?

we love the Dublin route, clear Border control at Dublin, makes the journey much more pleasant knowing you get of the plane as a internal flight

[az city]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

The best way of purchasing is always via cycle to work schemes which a load of companies offer.
Electric bikes are included too.

I have purchased about £2k worth of bike and accessories without committing any capital to it.
You pay it back via your wages but the benefit is the saving in Tax and NI.
Took 18 months pay back but saved about £800 - effectively 2 bikes were free.

I don’t know if that really answers your question - electric cars and vans are more my specialty.

I work in the US. I don't think your cunning plan would work.

[az city]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

couldnt you just bring one bike over, will cost you £100 - £200, but you can have the bike you are used to then

And I bet E bikes in the US will be cheaper than the UK ( though the exchange rate will not help with that )

This has occurred to me but I think I may get stopped at the border for duty/having an illegal e-bike. I don't fully understand UK law on e-bikes. Thus my post.

[az city]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

You live in Cardiff as well as AZ? How do yo you fly back? I've considered Aer Lingus to Dublin and then on to Rhoose which is just a couple of miles from my parents' house. If I could climb down the cliff, I could walk there in 20 minutes. But the layover makes it not worth it. Where do you live in AZ?

I live in Phoenix. I just did PHX-MSP-AMS-CWL for $580 return. The plane to Amsterdam was empty. You can get a low fare to CWL if you look around on Delta at the moment. Hanging around in Schipol was not much fun though.

[The Bloop]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

If you chip an e-bike and remove the speed limit you're effectively changing its classification from a bicycle to a moped. That would mean insurance, registration and the requirement to wear a helmet.

[UNDERHILL1927]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

You will need the following (not an exhaustive list)....
A bike
A full set of lycra equipment clothing
Wrap round shades
A honed sense of road/pavement (sidewalk) entitlement
A well studied array of expletives
A stare that could wilt a cabbage
Other like-minded people accompanying you (optional)

BTW, electric cycling is cheating!

And a massive chip on your shoulder haha

[Barmy]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

Bloody hell! You flew from the US to Netherlands on in an empty jet and you want an E bike?
Are you trying to reduce your carbon footprint ::shrug::hehe:
Sorry for the dig. (I couldn’t help myself).:ayatollah:

[RichardM]

Re: Electric Bicycles Advice

A decent ebike is about £2k. It is limited to 250w and electrical assist cuts out at 15mph.
You can have a throttle as well as pedal assist