15 MPH E-bike and Scooter speed limit announced for NY City by Mayor Adams

[Chargeride]

15mph is coming your way, the unofficial world government doesnt like individuality.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

15mph is coming your way, the unofficial world government doesnt like individuality.

Your conspiracy theories become weirder and weirder

 

[Chargeride]

Google AI
Poland is planning to ban electric scooters (and likely speed pedelecs, which are a type of electric bicycle) from roads with speed limits exceeding 30 km/h (approximately 20 mph). The plan also includes specific regulations for their use on footpaths and within residential areas.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

(and likely speed pedelecs, which are a type of electric bicycle)

No, these are mopeds treated as petrol scooters (Vespa). Registered, ensured, carrying a number plate. What Poland actually plans doing is banning the illegal Chinese scrap metal so many people here are proud of

'Stefan! Have a look over there! A Chinese crap!' my cycling mate joyfully exclaimed on one of our rides

 

[jabberwocky]

Trust me, you do not want to commute 20 miles or more on 15mph bicycle everyday or ride it on the roads with 25-35 mph speed limit. More traffic jams are coming.

I commuted for 15 years on a non electric bike, on a variety of roads and paths and rarely averaged much above 15mph and was completely fine. My commute was 22 miles round trip for much of that. I don't personally buy that ebikes only work if they are turned into motor vehicles; the point of an electric bike is to allow more people to ride at bike speeds with less effort, not turn bikes into motorcycles. IMO.

Imagine if all those delivery riders stopped and either walked off in protest, or all drove vans. You can't just alter one variable in a complex evolved system by personal dictate. It is all connected. You may not like mosquitos, but putting DDT in Walden Pond will have other repercussions.

Certainly a lot of blame can be pointed at the people who want everything delivered to their door. Delivery drivers are paid per delivery, not by the hour, so theres a huge incentive to ignore rules (traffic or ebike) to make as many deliveries in as short a time as possible. But that doesn't mean it isn't dangerous.

 

[TPEHAK]

I commuted for 15 years on a non electric bike, on a variety of roads and paths and rarely averaged much above 15mph and was completely fine. My commute was 22 miles round trip for much of that. I don't personally buy that ebikes only work if they are turned into motor vehicles; the point of an electric bike is to allow more people to ride at bike speeds with less effort, not turn bikes into motorcycles. IMO.

I meant 20 miles one way, 40 miles round trip. Some people leave further and use ebikes for commute. I am sure even you would stop commuting 40 miles or more everyday on 15 mph ebike pretty soon.

The fact that electric bicycles can move faster than you would like them to move does not turn them to motorcycles.

 

[ava1ar]

I commuted for 15 years on a non electric bike, on a variety of roads and paths and rarely averaged much above 15mph and was completely fine. My commute was 22 miles round trip for much of that.

Sorry, but commute time matters. My current commute is 28 miles roundtrip and it is about 45-50 minutes one way with average speed 18-20 mph (class 3 pedal-assist ebike)
Limiting the speed to 15mph will essentially move it 1h+ territory (+ time to park the bike, change closing, take shower) and will kill the point of using bike for commute for me. I value every hour I can save on week days to spend with family and not sitting in traffic. Also I will loose my ability to exercise while commuting. Anyway, I have perfectly legal class 3 ebike which I will use as it designed to be used. And no, class 3 ebikes are not electic motorcycles.

But that doesn't mean it isn't dangerous.

This thing doesn't work this way. Pay is per delivery, so more deliveries = more pay. To do more deliveries you need to deliver faster. That's it. There is nothing about dangerous in this thing - pure market economy thing. You will ride following the limits - somebody who doesn't will took over your orders. This is not the delivery rides who want to ignore the rules, this is the system which motivates and monetize this.

 

[ava1ar]

The fact that electric bicycles can move faster than you would like them to move does not turn them to motorcycles.

Exactly. You never saw road mamils going 40km/h to get those KOMs on $10k+ carbon bikes? Most of them never slowdown since it impact their Strava numbers, even it is safer to slow down.

 

[jabberwocky]

I meant 20 miles one way, 40 miles round trip. Some people leave further and use ebikes for commute. I am sure even you would stop commuting 40 miles or more everyday on 15 mph ebike pretty soon.

I certainly know people who have done commutes of that distance on conventional bikes.

The fact that electric bicycles can move faster than you would like them to move does not turn them to motorcycles.

Its not what I like or not, if they don't meet the legal definition of an ebike (whatever the legal definition is in your jurisdiction) they are motorcycles. Or at least not ebikes.

Exactly. You never saw road mamils going 40km/h to get those KOMs on $10k+ carbon bikes? Most of them never slowdown since it impact their Strava numbers, even it is safer to slow down.

As much as people like to pretend that road cyclists are out there doing motorcycle speeds, its massively overstated. A fit roadie in a pace line can certainly average into the 20s, but even in the roadie world anyone averaging close to 20mph over distance is pretty uncommon. Your average class 3 is going to be considerably faster than any roadie short of a competitive racer if the rider wants it to be. Not to mention the various unrestricted bikes out there (which is mainly whats causing the blowback in NYC).

This thing doesn't work this way. Pay is per delivery, so more deliveries = more pay. To do more deliveries you need to deliver faster. That's it. There is nothing about dangerous in this thing - pure market economy thing. You will ride following the limits - somebody who doesn't will took over your orders. This is not the delivery rides who want to ignore the rules, this is the system which motivates and monetize this.

I think thats what I'm saying. Delivery riders are financially motivated to break the rules. I'm just noting that I understand the systemic motivation, but also acknowledging that large groups of delivery riders riding overpowered throttle bikes down sidewalks and streets while ignoring traffic laws is dangerous. Its not unreasonable that people don't like it and want something done about it.

 

[PedalUma]

More traffic jams are coming.

There are people who say, "Bikes don't follow the rules." It is because they do not ride. Ever see a big rig make a right 90 degree turn, and cross the double yellow line? It is not that the big rig driver is being willful in not following the rules, it is the physics and nature of a big rig. And we cannot just do without them. Bikes differ from cars as much as cars to big rigs. If you stop while on a bike you fall over. We need to keep moving. With a bike conservation of hard earned momentum is important. We need more people on bikes in urban areas not fewer.

And bikes should never be associated or confused with motorcycles. Off-road electric motorcycles on the streets is a real problem and a separate distinct issue. Bikes driven by the pedals over 20Mph do not have hand throttles.

 

[stompandgo]

Google AI
Poland is planning to ban electric scooters (and likely speed pedelecs, which are a type of electric bicycle) from roads with speed limits exceeding 30 km/h (approximately 20 mph). The plan also includes specific regulations for their use on footpaths and within residential areas.

I ride a speed pedelec. I guess I'm not bringing my bike to Poland.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I ride a speed pedelec. I guess I'm not bringing my bike to Poland.

Yours probably is not made to the EU L1e-B spec, so don't bring it here

Please look up the Specialized Vado S IGH to see what the L1e-B is What countries is it available in?

 

[ava1ar]

EU L1e-B is pretty much Class 3 is US, minus few things (I assume number plate holder, bell/horn, light and reflectors are mandatory for L1e-B). Otherwise these are samr bikes with samr motors.

 

[stompandgo]

EU L1e-B is pretty much Class 3 is US, minus few things (I assume number plate holder, bell, light and reflectors are mandatory for L1e-B). Otherwise these are samr bikes with samr motors.

My bike came with a headlight, taillight (brake light), reflectors, a number plate mount, and a horn.

Stefan, pppppbbbbblllllpppp.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My bike came with a headlight, taillight (brake light), reflectors, a number plate mount, and a horn.

Stefan, pppppbbbbblllllpppp.

Did it come with the EU Type Rating paper...? (Compliance or Homologation).

 

[stompandgo]

It had all sorts of EU stickers all over it. Removing them was my first modification. One had the Class 3 symbol on it.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

EU L1e-B is pretty much Class 3 is US, minus few things (I assume number plate holder, bell/horn, light and reflectors are mandatory for L1e-B). Otherwise these are samr bikes with samr motors.

VIN and the paper. You cannot register it without.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

My bike came with a headlight, taillight (brake light), reflectors, a number plate mount, and a horn.

Chris (you are Chris, innit), I'm sure yours is an L1e-B. If this is a Bosch Speed motor then I can bet it is. There is certainly the VIN somewhere on the frame as well as a regular serial number. You might even get the certificate together with the paperwork. Does it has the STOP indicator light activated by the brake lever?

An interesting fact about the L1e-B is nobody can change the firmware Wheel Circumference for that vehicle, and the display must display the cruising speed at all times.

 

[stompandgo]

Bosch BES2 Performance Speed. There is a serial number on the seat tube, but I don't know what an e-bike VIN would look like. Maybe they are the same. I didn't notice any paperwork, but it could be there. The stop light is activated by the brake levers (Maguro MT5e). The display (Kiox) allows screen customization. I do not display the speed on it, but the first (main) screen is not configurable, and shows the speed.

 

[jabberwocky]

I mean, euro law on ebikes is interesting but definitely not applicable in the US.

As far as I can see, New York has its own (slightly weird) laws on ebikes.

Electric Scooters and Bicycles and Other Unregistered Vehicles | NY DMV

Guidance for electric scooters, electric bicycles )e-bikes) and other devices that do not need to be registered in New York.

dmv.ny.gov

While class 1 and 2 are standard in the US, their class 3 does allow throttles but caps at 25mph (instead of pedal only capped at 28 which is more normal for class 3). Dunno why, I'm sure theres some weird political history there.