E-bikes ARE A Threat, And This Is Why | GCN Show Ep. 604

E-bikes might be a threat to cycling but the reason why might not be what you think. The real issue is that powerful motorbikes are being lumped together with everyday, well-regulated e-bikes. This confusion is causing a real friction, especially on cycling paths shared with pedestrians. What's the solution?

Plus, Si & Hank give you a roundup from a busy week in ultra-endurance, bring you the latest in hot tech, and reveal why Nils Politt just joined a very exclusive list...

00:00 Welcome to the GCN Show!
00:37 Remco Evenepoel joins Average Rob at Olympic after party
01:02 SRAM's New Gravel Groupset
01:32 Nils Politt's emergency restroom break
02:44 The Threat of E-Bikes
05:43 Differences in these bikes
07:22 What's the solution?
08:28 Cycle lane closure update
09:29 Cycling Shorts
09:40 Mainstream media on time trial helmets
10:28 Kristen Faulkner looks strong at the Olympics!
11:38 Update on Lael Wilcox’s ride around the world
13:18 Robin Gemperle takes the Transcontinental win!
15:03 New 5,000km cycle route along the Baltic states
16:19 Valtteri Bottas' love of cycling
17:28 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift kicks off next Monday!
18:22 Zwift Giveaway: Zwift Rides! #AD 🤝 In association with Zwift
18:37 Sign up for Zwift's racing league
19:23 GCN memberships & New Documentaries 🎉
20:24 Hack/Bodge Of the Week
26:25 Caption Competition
28:22 Comment Of The Week
31:53 This Week On GCN

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What do you think should be done about this e-bike situation? 🚴‍♂️⚡️

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📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sirotti Images

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[gcn]

What do you think about this e-bike situation? 🚴‍♂⚡

[mikesimms]

Florida resident here. The regulations on e-bikes as specified on the Florida Dept of Transportation's website are actually quite reasonable (maximum speed, pedal assist, etc.). However, what I see in practice is riders moving at over 40mph, not pedaling, blasting loud music, and often not wearing a helmet. It's so common here that it's assumed that any adult riding an e-bike has had their driver's license revoked. Seems like the fix would just be to enforce the laws as written.

[cwmoo]

In NYC people ride throttle "e-bikes" that can do 60kmh+. According to the law they are mopeds and require license + registration but almost all of them are unregistered. They often ride in cycle lanes, through parks, the wrong way, while running red lights. That's why so many people in NYC are so against "e-bikes". The fast "e-bikes" have also become preferred getaway vehicles for robbery and assault.

There's a model I just saw in NYC with a switch to limit it to legal 20mph. But flip the hidden switch and it's 80kph and peak motor output up to 5000w.

[nbartlett]

The existing UK/EU regulations are absolutely fine, they just need to enforced. When you see a bike flying along the pavement at 30mph with the rider's feet not moving at all, it's 100% obvious that it's an illegal bike, so why can't the police stop and confiscate them?

[markfrench]

I hear people all the time bemoaning delivery cyclists in Birmingham – "they should have insurance, tax, registration plates" – and extending their disdain to the general cycling population, when in actual fact what they're seeing is lawless individuals on illegal, DIY ebikes, the kits for which are made too easily available on Amazon, AliX and Ebay. It's important to recognise the difference between what is essentially a motor bike and someone who is little more than a fast-moving pedestrian on wheels.

[cyclicmusings]

I'm a beginner cyclist and like to ride on the local trail system. Most of the time I'm doing no more than 15 mph on a road bike solely under my own power. While I wouldn't really buy an e-bike anytime soon, I think they're good for making bicycles more accessible to more people, however regulation is needed. I think them being maxed out at 20 mph is fair. But worryingly I see more people riding things that closer resemble an electric motorcycle and exceeding 30mph on trails. Those things belong on the road, not the trails.

[siimot]

Legal pedal assist e bikes aren't an issue imo, they won't be any quicker than a normal push bike unless going uphill, I use mine every day for commuting.
It's the idiots on illegal bikes that ruin it for everybody else.

[robbchastain]

Hank always has that substitute teacher vibe, class is going to be a little more fun today. 😀

[joekawasaki]

Where I live in Southern California these throttle controlled bikes are everywhere & usually ridden by kids who aren't wearing helmets & haven't yet learned handling skills while moving 30mph. These things have no business on cycle paths let alone under children.

[mickleman]

love riding in a bike lane, when with no warning a delivery driver with bags hanging off their handle bars zooms past me with no room going 30 mph. The problem is no one making laws/regulations really understands the problem. People are getting stuck on the shape of them, and not on what they are capable of. Let's call a duck a duck here, and there are too many "ebikes" that are just bicycle shaped electric motorcycles. They need to be tagged and require a license, because some of the stuff I see these people do makes you wonder if they even know the rules of the road.

[endstar]

The thing is, single-person e-things are much more efficient as transportation solutions than a single person in a car. So, limit the speed of cars on local roads, and disable driver distractions like phones and touchscreens. Then, the e-stuff can use the roads, and get off the sidewalks and trails.

[MTBSPD]

In the US, most states have adopted a uniform model code:

Class 1 & 2 are limited to 20 MPH, 750W. The Class 1's are pedal assist, the Class 2's are allowed a throttle. Class 1 & 2 are allowed on multi-use paths. Class 3's are limited to 28 MPH, 750W, and are pedal assist. Whether they are allowed on multi-use paths is a local decision.

Then, we have a gazillion illegal, unlicensed electric motorbikes that go well over 28 MPH and have well over 750W.

[seattlegrrlie]

I own an ebike that can go 28mph and I mostly use it in roads as a commuter. I do ride it on shared paths but keep my speed around 12mph. That's being said, lots of regular non-moterized jerks ride on shared paths much faster. It's really that bikes ... NEED OUR OWN SPACE and shouldn't be on the same path as Grandma walking her dog

[snowdrop]

I live in a place called Eastbourne which is a beautiful seaside town in England. Sunny, gorgeous and well worth a visit, UNLESS you are a cyclist. You dare not ride along the seafront road, its dangerous like a video game with hazards. The local council are stuck in 1850 and cant think of opening the victorian promenade as a shared space…
Any cyclist, restricted ebikes or whatever are seen as the devil, but you can drive a disabled buggy thing like an idiot wherever you like.
Utter madness aided by sensational headlines about ‘ebikes’ .
Love my town but hate it too!

[JimS]

I was waiting in a bike lane and a guy on a freaking SURRON blew past me in the bike lane and through a red light. That thing's a damn motorbike.

[kimdecker]

California cyclist and motorist here: As far as my take on the e-bike sitch goes, I have this question: Since when did they start giving 12-year-olds class M licenses? 'Cause it appears that a lotta adolescents out here are riding what look, sound and speed to me like right proper motorcycles! Madness? I'd say so!

[wwcyclery]

In the USA there are Three classes of eBikes
(In the USA, an eBike is defined as a BICYCLE with an eMotor with a top speed of 20 MPH or 28 MPH depending on class)

Class 1 e-bike, or electric bicycle, is a pedal-assist only bike that has a motor that assists the rider when they pedal.
Class 1 e-bikes do not have a throttle and have a maximum assisted speed of 20 miles per hour (mph)
Class 2 e-bike is an electric bicycle that has a throttle-assisted motor that allows the rider to go up to 20 miles per hour without pedaling.
The motor ALSO provides pedal assistance, so the rider can use both the throttle and pedaling to power the bike.
Class 3 e-bike, or speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle, is a bicycle with a motor that only assists the rider when they pedal,
and stops when the bike reaches 28 miles per hour (mph).
Class 3 e-bikes are the fastest legal e-bikes and are often used for high-powered commuting.
They may also have a throttle, but its speed is usually capped at 20 mph.

[tompage]

So sad to hear Manon is leaving. All the best to you Manon in whatever you do next!

[quebecois]

In Québec, Canada, they just banned electric motorbike (ride throttle «e-bikes») from using cycling paths AND road. They are simply prohibited on all roads, because they dont conform to register as a motor vehicule that is allowed to go on the road, and deemed too dangerous for cycling path. Many people are angry, cause they just bought one, but i think its a delight, they are way to speedy, heavy and driving carelessly for cycling paths in the cities.

[jansprij]

What I found really shocking when I drove (with my car) in the UK is the amount of cars and how people park and drive them. Cycling on a bike in the UK would be a nightmare to me. I can understand why people prefer the gravel bikes