15mph assistance limit

[The Bear]

A quick question about the 15mph assistance limit on UK ebikes please.

I haven't ever ridden with a speedo, so I have no perception of whether Im often riding at around 15mph when commuting, or whether 15mph is a fast speed for me?

Do most people find the limit to be annoying, with the assistance pulsing on and off constantly, or do most people find the 15mph limit to be perfectly adequate?

 

[soundwave]

you can get a dongle to remove the 15mph limit it is way to slow for me anyway.

but the downside is you half the range of the batt but you cam use a lower mode and put more effort in then it is more like 30% less.

 

[The Bear]

Thanks.

Can the dongles be fitted to all bikes with Bosch motors?

I know the ebikeshop require their dongle to be ordered at the time as buying a bike from them, and won't supply them afterwards, or for a bike not purchased from them.

 

[soundwave]

most easy option is this.
https://www.badassebikes.com/

 

[NigelU]

A quick question about the 15mph assistance limit on UK ebikes please.

I haven't ever ridden with a speedo, so I have no perception of whether Im often riding at around 15mph when commuting, or whether 15mph is a fast speed for me?

Do most people find the limit to be annoying, with the assistance pulsing on and off constantly, or do most people find the 15mph limit to be perfectly adequate?

I have the cube reaction with the bosch motor ,I am retuning to cycling after many years away and I find that the assistance is just that and not an hindrance. I find that on the flat I can maintain a good 18mph and you can just see the assistance "bubbling away" on the bottom of the display, But I cant feel it! In turbo or sport uphill im doing around 11 or 12 mph so its helping me all the way AS I regain or try to my fitness.
regards
Nigel

 

[soundwave]

i gave him a 60s head start

 

[The Bear]

Nice

Is that with the Badass dongle?

 

[soundwave]

yes but mine is the older version but cut off speed is 35mph

 

[anotherkiwi]

A quick question about the 15mph assistance limit on UK ebikes please.

I haven't ever ridden with a speedo, so I have no perception of whether Im often riding at around 15mph when commuting, or whether 15mph is a fast speed for me?

Do most people find the limit to be annoying, with the assistance pulsing on and off constantly, or do most people find the 15mph limit to be perfectly adequate?

EU pedelec limit actually Adopted by the UK road code, well almost all of the UK...

In my youth I used to ride twice as fast un-powered on a racing bike as I do now. No speedos back then it was car drivers who gave me my speed when they caught up with me at the red lights.

First pedelec I used to ride past the limit without noticing and up hills on the limit, average speed just over the limit. Then I decided to act my age and cool down a little and ride at or around the limit, average speed just under. Now I am back to being a hooligan (part of the time) and am hoping for a higher average speed in the near future.

 

[rich_r]

The 15mph assistance limit I find not to be an issue - it's getting up to speed that's tiring, and maintaining 15-20mph without assistance on flattish roads isn't such a chore.

From setting off you get a big boost and you're up to 15mph in a few dozen metres, then you're pedalling with no assist (or just in and out of the assistance region) - but when you come to a hill or there's a headwind and you start slowing, the motor comes in a little and overcomes it.

As said above you can generally remove the limit on most systems, but at the expense of range.

 

[The Bear]

Thanks rich_r, that explains it nicely.

As for the badass dongle, I've heard bike shops may refuse to service the bike if one has been fitted. If it was removed first, can the bike shop detect that it was ever there? From the fitting videos they seem fairly easy to fit remove. Are they traceable?

 

[GLJoe]

Do most people find the limit to be annoying, with the assistance pulsing on and off constantly, or do most people find the 15mph limit to be perfectly adequate?

A very tricky question to answer. As with so many things in life - it depends!

My advice to you would be to actually try riding the bike on the routes you intend it to be used before making any decision as to whether you need a dongle.
Just two example scenarios - if you are someone who finds 18mph to be the ideal cruising speed, and you live somewhere flat, you'll probably HATE the 15mph limit, and will curse the bike every time you ride it.
If however you live somewhere very hilly, then you'll be going mostly up or down most of the time. Down means 25-30mph anyway due to gravity, and 15mph UP a hill is extremely satisfying, so here, a dongle probably is a waste.
Just give it a go for a month then decide.

 

[Artstu]

If you have a smart phone download an app like Strava and record some rides to see how fast you currently go https://www.strava.com/

I hate the limiter on the Bosch crank drive, however some hub motor bikes may not be as draggy off power.

 

[The Bear]

I live in a hilly area, and the reason for wanting an ebike is to help me up the hills on the way home after a lot day at work. As suggested, I could see how I go on for a while and them order the dongle later I guess?