Electric Bikes

[Rusty]

So, has anyone had experience of using one of these electric bike things?

I cycle to work 2 or 3 times a week and annoyingly, I live pretty much at sea level and work is about 500ft higher.

No matter what route I take I come across a stupidly high gradient hill at some point. One route even means I have to get off and push it. I think that one is about 12-14% if that means anything.

Would an electric bike work if I only really want the help when I get to the high gradients? The rest of the time I enjoy pedalling.

As a side note it takes me 30 minutes to cycle to work but only 15 minutes home. It's all down hill and is awesome

[Mantis]

Are electric bikes legal in the UK? In a semi-related point, I had the chance to try out a Segway electric scooter last week and I absolutely loved it, but when I looked up the legality of using it over here it turns out that they're only technically allowed on private land. Being powered means they aren't allowed on the pavement, but they're also too weak to be considered road safe, so they aren't allowed on the roads either! It's kind of ridiculous, sure it can reach up to 30km/ph, but it's a scooter, come anywhere near hitting someone with it and you can quite easily just hop off or dodge them.

Wouldn't the same kind of law apply to an electric bike? I know it pretty much covers every kind of product that Segway make, which is a huge pain because I'd really love one of those scooters for my commute.

[Sly Boots]

I'm sure I've seen people riding electric bikes loads of times.

[Rusty]

Yeah, they're all legit. I think they have a max speed where they stop helping and it's all pedal power.

[Raid]

I'm sure electric bikes, that is bicycles with power assist, are legal up to a point (there are speed restrictions I think). Self-balancing vehicles, ie: Segways and those stupid hoverboard things, aren't. Electric skateboards and similar also can't be ridden in public in the UK.

[Stormbringer]

Yes they're legal, but they're expensive. There's a speed-limit law for them, though, like Raid said. You can get faster models, but they're illegal in this country.

A daft colleague of mine had one of the illegal ones (I think he bought it abroad). He then crashed into a concrete bollard at high speed and literally broke every major bone in his body except for his spinal column and his skull (he was wearing a helmet, otherwise, he'd probably be dead). He has now given up cycling.