Not far from where I used to live in London, there was an e-bike shop. It shut a while ago after a bus crashed into it, which I suspect was an attempt to cut the supply of cyclists off at the source. The bikes in the window of this shop, before they were hit by a Number 19, very rarely looked like bicycles. Usually they were pretty substantial looking, fat-tyred, with a motorcycle style saddle. I dropped in one day to ask what one of them weighed, and was told it was about 50kg but that, “It can carry two people at 40mph”.
In the UK, assistance from an electric bike is limited to 15mph/25kph. Electric bikes (alongside gravel bikes) are the fastest growing segment in the market. The assistance allows riders who might otherwise take the car or - perish the thought - go for a run, to enjoy cycling, which can only be a good thing.
Unfortunately, as our columnist points out, it's increasingly common to see people riding de-restricted e-bikes. Ridden at speed, sometimes without pedalling, these bikes can understandably upset other road users and pedestrians, even leading to councils considering banning cycling altogether in cities. At CyclingWeekly.com, we're all for e-bikes. What we're not all for is anything which furthers the culture war between cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers - that includes illegal e-bikes.
