deregulated

[fcurran]

Powascooter :: Electric Scooters

Try this link for those of you who want a bit more speed and still remain electric! Ok you still need tax (but that is FREE!), licence and insurance, but they are great fun for short commutes where you need that extra bit of power!

 

[Mandy]

Perhaps they had taken a more scenic route to get there? Or had ridden past the pub to their destination and had only stopped at the pub on their return?

I've looked at my commute timings and these are the results:

15-16 mile journey depending on route

Non-assisted bike: 14.1mph average, 65 minutes journey. 4 gallons of sweat.
Electric 24V (equivalent to regulated torq): 16.1 mph average, 56 minutes. 1 gallon sweat as I'm still helping quite a bit.
Electric 36V (torq equivalent): 18.5 mph average, 49 minutes. No sweat.

So it's only an extra 7 minutes but that's nearly 15 minutes each day and about a gallon of sweat saved.

LOL!!! I like that and not good for ladies to sweat!
Good comparison there :0)

 

[Mandy]

There isn't any, Mandy. I was writing with my tongue in my cheek and forgot that that doesn't always get across in messages.

Your point about tax and insurance is very apt. Let's hope the MoT gets things right if indeed they are intending to change the ebike regs.

Hi Tony

Sorry, misconstrued that one.

Yes I feel because I had to take a substantial pay drop after redundancy that this was a good way to travel especially with public transport being so diar on where I need to be in the mornings.
It would take 1 hour by bus at the time needed to be there
1 1/2 hours by train for the same purpose.
Takes me 15 to 20 mins on my current Powabyke.
I do have degenarative disc desease in my back which is also another reason for me giving up the old scooter and choosing the electric bike as it assists me when I need it.
So when are they bringing this new reg in? Not heard of it before?
I maintain my bike myself at present to ensure it is safe. Can't kind of see how they would enforce an MOT unless you needed to register it?
Don't think this will happen??
Mandy

 

[Mandy]

Hi All
Why is my name appearing in Red?
Have I been a naughty poster or something?
I haven't changed it my end?
Well don't think so? LOL!

 

[Ian]

Your'e name is not in red to other users Mandy. Perhaps is's trying to alert you to something, unread private messages perhaps.

If you are unable to solve it send a PM to Russ, the forum administrator.

 

[flecc]

Hi All
Why is my name appearing in Red?
Have I been a naughty poster or something?
I haven't changed it my end?
Well don't think so? LOL!

If you use search to find a word, it appears in red subsequently, for that session at least. Presumably you used Search with your name to find postings, but you could also find them by going to the members List at the top and looking up yourself there, where you can select "Find all Posts by Mandy"
.

 

[Mandy]

Your'e name is not in red to other users Mandy. Perhaps is's trying to alert you to something, unread private messages perhaps.

If you are unable to solve it send a PM to Russ, the forum administrator.

Hi Russ

Thanks for that but think my silly brain has realised that I use my name in search when I log in for possible replies so that is all it is, highlighting for my searches. Oops, Soz, had a blonde moment. LOL!!!
Mandy

 

[Mandy]

If you use search to find a word, it appears in red subsequently, for that session at least. Presumably you used Search with your name to find postings, but you could also find them by going to the members List at the top and looking up yourself there, where you can select "Find all Posts by Mandy"
.

Yes Flecc
You are right and now I feel silly as previously posted.
I did actually work it out for myself last night on closing and had a chuckle to myself and gave myself a slap, lol

 

[coops]

Its an interesting point Tony and I think a 'smooth' riding style which maintains some momentum at junctions when possible while maintaining road awareness probably saves more time & effort than speeding between junctions before screeching to a halt, like some drivers! The proportion of time stationary on journeys does tend to reduce how much time you seem to save going faster so urban stop-start traffic can be an equaliser as you say but when you can maintain momentum as much as possible that effect is minimised and then a rather higher 'cruising' speed does reduce journey time more noticeably .

A near 5 mile, cross city-centre route, takes me about 20 minutes - an average of about 14-15mph but without going at 'maximum deregulated speed' or full throttle. I haven't done it at the 10-12mph you suggest, but assuming the same total amount of stationary time of 3-4 minutes the same journey at 12 mph would take me nearly 30 minutes, or 50% more time!

In other words I think riding style & road awareness at junctions and traffic lights makes as much difference to journey time as speed alone. I've noticed though that when I'm riding in busy & fast-moving traffic (which I avoid, keeping to quieter roads if possible) I am sometimes unconsciously & unwillingly caused to speed up in order not to become a mobile 'chicane' & to reduce the speed differential to feel safer I suppose, but I'd much prefer that cars kept to the speed limits, especially the 30 & 20mph limits in built up areas & then the perceived danger would be reduced & the need to speed up removed .

Given the fact that the majority of cars exceed 30mph limits (according to official DofT figures) I don't feel quite so guilty exceeding the 15mph motor power limit in such circumstances .

PS I wouldn't feel very safe travelling at only 10-12mph on many busy urban roads either, but on more relaxed & quieter back roads I'm very happy at such speeds .

Stuart.

 

[tgame]

That's a most interesting analysis, Stuart. I've read it with a lot of pleasure as it illustrates an environment with which I'm entirely unfamiliar. The streets of big cities, and London perhaps in particular, clearly present a unique challenge requiring a very different technique.

 

[coops]

I often wish I were less familiar with it too, Tony!

(I think rural roads can be even more hazardous for cyclists though at times - at least in built-up areas the amount of traffic & more obvious risks often restricts speeds, even though the legal speed limits are still usually exceeded even then, so with the potential for speeding on quieter rural roads I think there can be real dangers for cyclists, so still a challenge but of a different kind.)

I particularly dislike traffic lights which I don't think have ever been shown to aid traffic flow, in fact they may often inhibit it, and there seems to be an unwritten rule among many motorists that one should not reduce speed in advance, even when the light ahead is clearly red! I think if more motorists adopted a driving style which promoted free-flowing traffic at legal speeds, then they would reach their destination in the same sort of time, or maybe quicker, and more safely & with greater consideration for all other road users - so maybe your original proposal is better aimed at other motorists, at least in urban areas .

It is handy though to have a burst of speed in reserve if needed to get through lights before they change, and that is probably less costly in energy terms than having to stop & start off again .

Stuart.

 

[Ian]

there seems to be an unwritten rule among many motorists that one should not reduce speed in advance, even when the light ahead is clearly red! I think if more motorists adopted a driving style which promoted free-flowing traffic at legal speeds, then they would reach their destination in the same sort of time, or maybe quicker, and more safely & with greater consideration for all other road users

Too true Stuart, in fact most take it a step further and travel at the maximum speed right up to any hold up which causes bunching and further delays. The active traffic management recently introduced on the M42 is a major step in forcing drivers to adopt a smoother driving style and the official figures show higher average speeds and better air quality on the motorway as a result. Certainly it seems a lot better me when on the motorway, a constant enforced 40mph being much better than 70-0-70-0 etc.

 

[nin26]

I've seen the Vectrix and it looks very nice - but the PRICE!!!

I've had a go on a Vectrix! They're for sale not 2 miles away from my house. We spotted it parked up with a big "For Sale" notice on it, so we went and had a look because my OH wanted a scooter to commute to work. The nice man at the industrial unit let me and my OH have a go - and it really is something else. Even my OH was impressed - and he's the biggest speed freak I know!

My favourite things about it were the backward throttle to assist the brakes (and recharge the battery) and the noise it makes - just like a tube train.

If I had £7K lying around to spend on one, I would, but my OH bought a Suzuki Burgman 400 because it was a bit more in budget!