Is buying 500w ebike a good idea to commute through the city?

[tapash]

I have seen few fellow bikers riding on a 500w or even 1000w rear motor fitted ebike while commuting. It seems, on eBay I can get hold of one for around £700.
Now my concern is how legal and safe to ride on this kind of bike? I have met these people often on the streets and they seems to be not bothered by the rules. That makes me thinking, perhaps I could get one of those! Opinions???


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[RobF]

How far is your commute?

Unless it's many miles, the time difference on an illegally fast ebike will be tiny, and easily wiped out by traffic lights or a stopping at a junction.

 

[tapash]

Around 9 miles each way...


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[D8ve]

Most legal bikes have a motor rated as 250 watts but they can actually have a far higher peak power. So no significant advantage there.
Speed limit has some disadvantages as they could all easily run at 20 mph on the flat.
Any unrestricted bike with an 250 watt plus rated motor is illegal to use except on very special terms.
It is classed as an unlicensed motor bike and if an interested policeman wanted to make things difficult it could cost you a fortune, your licence and potentially a nice holiday at one of liz,s hostels for the naughty.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I think that in stop and go city traffic there is no gain over a legal 250W pedelec, or so little as to make it not worth while.

A 45km/h bike becomes useful on the open road.

 

[LeighPing]

You cover 1 mile in four minutes at 15 miles per hour.
You cover 1 mile in three minutes at 20 miles per hour.

9 miles:-
@ 15 mph = 36 minutes
@ 20 mph = 27 minutes

 

[RobF]

You cover 1 mile in four minutes at 15 miles per hour.
You cover 1 mile in three minutes at 20 miles per hour.

9 miles:-
@ 15 mph = 36 minutes
@ 20 mph = 27 minutes

Practically, the difference is less than that because only part of the journey will be spent at full cruising speed.

For much of the time - stopping, starting, accelerating, turning at junctions, battling traffic - the slow bike will be travelling at the same pace as the fast one.

 

[LeighPing]

Yes, there's a lot of factors in traffic. Although, we don't know his route yet. It could well be a canal footpath, in which case he might be able to go 25 mph in 21 minutes.

Now my concern is how legal and safe to ride on this kind of bike?

If you're twitchy and ride like you stole it, then you may be happier with a 250w. Sitting at 15 mph, on your commute, is an option with any size of motor.

What's your route like? If it's fairly rural, you may benefit from something that you could set to a slightly higher, realistic speed, from time to time.

You can vote on that here. Click to view.

 

[simonbike]

most people can ride a non ebike over 15mph, so i dont see the point of this stupid 15mph limit on ebike?????

 

[Crockers]

A constant 25mph down a canal tow path may well end with you swimming home.....or as a daily event P off some local walkers ....

 

[Kudoscycles]

In urban traffic areas it's so little speed advantage as to make the legal risk not worthwhile. Also more than 15 mph in say London is an accident waiting to happen,someone has only to throw open a car door when you are doing 25 mph and it's a hospital job or worse!
KudosDave

 

[LeighPing]

I find that travelling at 18mph, as you might do down a steep hill when set to 15.5 mph, makes a big difference. The 15.5 cut off can feel like an anchor.

When set to 15.5, my average speed is 9 mph. Racing cyclists typically average 16 mph in hilly regions. Most can routinely exceed 30 mph.

I'm set to street legal, here in this video, and the racer leaves me for dead.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

I find that travelling at 18mph, as you might do down a steep hill when set to 15.5 mph, makes a big difference. The 15.5 cut off can feel like an anchor.

When set to 15.5, my average speed is 9 mph. Racing cyclists typically average 16 mph in hilly regions. Most can routinely exceed 30 mph.

I'm set to street legal, here in this video, and the racer leaves me for dead.

You've got to compare an entire ride, not just sections. Yes, on the flat a decent cyclist can easily go at over 20mph and you'll be slower on a heavy eBike. But (and I've done lots of testing on this) even though the top end speed is lower in most circumstances the overall ride time on a hilly, or urban ride is faster on the eBike because its all the slow speed stuff where the eBike benefits. Every time you accelerate, and all the time you're sub 15.5mph the eBike is faster and easier, so you arrive at your destination quicker, and not in a big sweaty mess. Its not all about high top end speed, that doesn't make a huge difference to the overall time from a 2 b in most cases..... obviously if your route is a flat dual carriage way with no junctions, the normal bike will be faster, but most people don't ride that sort of route to work.

 

[LeighPing]

I have seen few fellow bikers riding on a 500w or even 1000w rear motor fitted ebike while commuting. It seems, on eBay I can get hold of one for around £700.
Now my concern is how legal and safe to ride on this kind of bike? I have met these people often on the streets and they seems to be not bothered by the rules. That makes me thinking, perhaps I could get one of those! Opinions???

Tapash, what's your route to work like?

 

[paul20v]

I find that travelling at 18mph, as you might do down a steep hill when set to 15.5 mph, makes a big difference. The 15.5 cut off can feel like an anchor.

When set to 15.5, my average speed is 9 mph. Racing cyclists typically average 16 mph in hilly regions. Most can routinely exceed 30 mph.

I'm set to street legal, here in this video, and the racer leaves me for dead.

My average on the road in the last 500miles is 14.9 according too mr bosch and I live in a really hilly area
I suppose it all about rider fitness too but you can do 15.5mph up most hills if you willing too put in the effort

 

[LeighPing]

My average on the road in the last 500miles is 14.9 according too mr bosch and I live in a really hilly area
I suppose it all about rider fitness too but you can do 15.5mph up most hills if you willing too put in the effort

I'm off road mostly. Which probably accounts for my 9 mile average speed.

 

[stumpy150]

i travel 17 miles each way to work and find that my ktm macina is more than adequate...

 

[simonbike]

15mph on a bike is slow, i live in london, never had any problems going over 15mph, only the dirty air i'm sucking into my lungs, thank god for the delimiter without this i would never buy an ebike...

 

[anotherkiwi]

Can you see where a lycra is faster? It may surprise you all but it is in the last third, where I take the cycle path and am at about 15 km/h, while the lycras stay on the road.

 

[paul20v]

Ah definitely

I'm off road mostly. Which probably accounts for my 9 mile average speed.