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45km/h (L1e-B) bikes are allowed in (and required to use where available) cycle lanes in Switzerland and the uptake here is huge. You can't use shared use paths unless you turn the motor off. You need to pay for a registration plate and a nominal annual fee and wear a normal bicycle helmet. But you do not need a moped licence. Also funny, L1e-B bikes must be sold with the brakes 'moto-style' (Right hand front brake) in all EU countries.
I don't see why a 45km/h bike shouldn't be allowed to use a cycle lane, that's not any faster than a lot of people ride anyway. Yes the brakes need to be maintained well (I heard in the UK it is mandatory for L1e-B vehicle to have a MOT lol) and I agree that riders should have some kind of mandatory training.
chiroshi-
what about insurance?
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I don't see why a 45km/h bike shouldn't be allowed to use a cycle lane, that's not any faster than a lot of people ride anyway.
I think the theory is inexperienced riders of regular bikes don't go that fast because on the flat it requires quite a lot of effort/training. So the people that are going quickly should have a bit of a clue and be less dangerous. A bit like how motorbike licences in the UK work with progressive access for big bikes.
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Is 45kmh the normal speed of a lot of people in a cycle lane? I must be slower than I already thought I was.
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I don't see why a 45km/h bike shouldn't be allowed to use a cycle lane, that's not any faster than a lot of people ride anyway.
Coming from a mainly utlity cycling perspective (which is where I see the majority of ebikes being used as well), this just seems absurd - 45km/h is way more in line with general motorized traffic speeds (usually 50 km/h in Switzerland). Purely anecdotal, but people without motor assistance are often even slower than the 25km/h ebikes.
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I don't see why a 45km/h bike shouldn't be allowed to use a cycle lane, that's not any faster than a lot of people ride anyway.
I've heard this one many times and it's gotten so tired.
Yes, some people can go 45kph on a conventional bike on the bike path, but A) it's not typical and B) They're generally regarded as assholes too.
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I don't see why a 45km/h bike shouldn't be allowed to use a cycle lane, that's not any faster than a lot of people ride anyway. Yes the brakes need to be maintained well (I heard in the UK it is mandatory for L1e-B vehicle to have a MOT lol) and I agree that riders should have some kind of mandatory training.
I think key matter when it comes to safety is your speed vis-a-vis that of other traffic. At 45kmh, your speed is much closer to that of motorised traffic rather than other pedal users (which potentially include children in cycle lanes).
Whilst it may take a fair bit of effort currently to get up to 45kmh on an ebike, if thats where you set the regulatory ceiling, youll find that manufacturers aim for that in due course (tech is moving fast in this sector)
M_A_X
jellybaby
ric_a5
slothy
JVBulman
Gustav
In Europe, or at least in the EU, I'd argue it's impossible that any ebike capable of more than 25km/h will ever be allowed on cycle lanes. I can see it happen in places like America though.
I agree they're a good alternative to the classic 2-stroke motorcycle, but I don't think there's any gap in the market at all.
2-strokes were replaced by electric mopeds everywhere - where I live, a tiny city in Portugal, mopeds were always very popular and these days you don't see any ICE ones at all, they're all electric. The same thing happened in Chinese cities much earlier. That gap has been filled already. I don't think there's even public interest for ebikes with higher speeds aside from vanity projects or sports, certainly not for transport.