News: British Heart Foundation pulls plug on electric bikes

[Pedelecs]

Electric bike retailer, Cycling Made Easy, have started a petition with the aim of convincing the BHF to have a change of heart about its policy of not allowing electric bikes to take part in fund-raising cycle rides.

The BHF London To Brighton bike ride will take place on 19th June, is non-competitive and, ironically, invites riders to ‘enjoy the electric atmosphere.. as you help us ride all over heart disease’.

A customer of Cycling Made Easy was turned away by the event’s organizers because of their ‘non-powered cycles only’ participation terms.

BHF comment and full story here: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/news/british-heart-foundation-pulls-plug-electric-bikes/

You can sign Cycling Made Easy’s petition here.

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Follow on from previous discussions about this: Sadly, despite a few emails going backwards and forwards between Pedelecs and BHF (mainly containing information in case that was the missing element here) I haven't been able to change their stance.

 

[ocb]

100% true story - several years ago I saw an ambulance crew trying frantically to resuscitate a father of 2 young kids at the side of the road. He'd obviously had a heart attack whilst cycling (non-assisted) with his kids, whose looks of terror haunt me to this day.

The medics were giving him the "real" 2 hand, full weight into his chest pummelling to get his heart going. I didn't hang around, no help was required in terms of crowd control or medical, plus I've never been a gawker.

Going from no exercise (this gent was evidently rather overweight) to a lot of activity will kill you just as dead as anything. The BHF are obviously in need of some good education on what pedelecs offer

 

[Wicky]

Signed - It was after a heart attack and a fem pop that I got back into cycling and pedelecs. I hope BHF wake up!

 

[ocb]

From what they say on the site, they're pulling the H&S joker.

Meh, if I was in the UK I'd be tempted to stage a counter rally- going in the opposite direction and everyone had to wear a heart rate monitor. Ferk em.