19.5 mph top speed

[JoeDirt]

Hello all!
I might be the uneducated ebike champion of the decade, but I thought I did my fair share of research prior to buying my Verve + 3.

I realize that my top speed of 19.5 mph is rather boring and most of my club Rider friends are passing me, quite discouraging!

So I am wondering how most people unlock the fixed threshold of 19.5 mph on a Bosch active line Plus Motor?

I have read There are chips that can be placed to bypass the limiter. But I'm very skeptical and leery about messing with the electronics as it might potentially brick the motor and void my warranty.

I really like the bike, but it's rather sedate. Any input would be greatly appreciated to start my searches.

Lastly I should add that I don't need to really go faster than 28 mph (class 3) but I would like that extra speed on the flat open roads.
I know most of the time I'll be cruising around between 17 and 19, I just don't want to be limited at 19.5 mph.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Watana Bob]

Hi Joe,
if you try to bypass the max speed with a third party dongle software you will void the warranty. Best advice is to sell your bike and buy one that has a max speed that suits your desires. The shop that you bought it from may take it on trade in or sell it for you on consignment. Going fast is great until you bite it, crashing under 20 mph is way better than piling it up closer to 28, I have first hand experience with this
Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[Chargeride]

Perception of speed relies on so many variables, from terrain, proximity of borders and other vehicles, distance of horizon, but I was amused by an event last night where I was following a few cars down a lane past a golf course.
The golfers were pushing their clubs up the hill the car in front drove past them around 30mph and was very close due to the narrow road, no reaction at all.

I rode down hitting about 25mph and moved over to the far side, giving them a good 6ft of space.

"Slow down you fiing idiot!!"
One of them shouted, their perception of danger was completely skewed by the apparent serenity of a car and their
observation I was some looney who had lost control of the bike.

 

[JoeDirt]

What I'm hearing here is a lot of canned answers, I know about the laws and restrictions and warranties. I'm looking to go around that.
I guess I will have to call Bosch up and ask them why an active line Plus Motor is restricted at 19.5 mph? Is this a motor restriction because of failure or is this some label to sell it as a class1. Then de restrict it to 28 mph and classify it as a class 3! For $1,000 more!
I'm starting to smell something foul in these e-bike rules! Something is not right in Denmark!

 

[Watana Bob]

Perception of speed relies on so many variables, from terrain, proximity of borders and other vehicles, distance of horizon, but I was amused by an event last night where I was following a few cars down a lane past a golf course.
The golfers were pushing their clubs up the hill the car in front drove past them around 30mph and was very close due to the narrow road, no reaction at all.

I rode down hitting about 25mph and moved over to the far side, giving them a good 6ft of space.

"Slow down you fiing idiot!!"
One of them shouted, their perception of danger was completely skewed by the apparent serenity of a car and their
observation I was some looney who had lost control of the bike.

Were you pounding down rum and cokes again Chargeride?

 

[JoeDirt]

Perception of speed relies on so many variables, from terrain, proximity of borders and other vehicles, distance of horizon, but I was amused by an event last night where I was following a few cars down a lane past a golf course.
The golfers were pushing their clubs up the hill the car in front drove past them around 30mph and was very close due to the narrow road, no reaction at all.

I rode down hitting about 25mph and moved over to the far side, giving them a good 6ft of space.

"Slow down you fiing idiot!!"
One of them shouted, their perception of danger was completely skewed by the apparent serenity of a car and their
observation I was some looney who had lost control of the bike.

I know exactly what you mean I'm a road bike cyclist without any assistance and I frequently have them fly past me! And mind you these are narrow bike paths along riverbeds and on the public highways.

A lot of these e bikers don't even signal you with a little bell that they're coming. My census is that most of them and I don't mean all but a lot of them are very young teenagers. My problem with our governing rules is that and this is just a figure of speech is; the one person lets the dog crap in the park and now no dogs are allowed! Now we have class one, class two which is a joke! And class 3 up to 28 mph. I can live with 28 mph when I'm cruising down the highways and on the bike lane reduce my speed.

 

[Chargeride]

Were you pounding down rum and cokes again Chargeride?

I refuse to incriminate myself and I can easily ride safely with one hand on the bars holding my glass.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I guess I will have to call Bosch up and ask them why an active line Plus Motor is restricted at 19.5 mph? Is this a motor restriction because of failure or is this some label to sell it as a class1. Then de restrict it to 28 mph and classify it as a class 3! For $1,000 more!

Your motor is formally restricted at 20 mph. However, the figure of wheel circumference set in your system is probably too high (by approximately 2.6%). I am not sure how the user can fix that value (@BlackHand?) but the dealer or a Bosch E-Bike technician can do it for you. Your motor would cut off at 20 mph then. (My friend owns a Bosch E-Bike motor e-bike in Poland. Her motor was cutting off as early as 14 mph with the Euro restriction of 15.5 mph! A single visit to the dealer fixed the issue; the wheel circumference in her system was off by 350 mm or 13.8 in!)

Now, derestricting your e-bike (that can be done with Speedbox or other chips) would certainly void your warranty, and potentially might brick your motor. Please consider these points:

• U.S. Class 1 20 mph is a very decent speed as for a bike. It is pretty safe in the case of a spill.
• There is an air-drag limit of approximately 21 mph for flat handlebar bikes that requires a lot of power to overcome it.
• Overcoming the air-drag will require a high level of assistance, degrading the battery a way faster.
• Bosch Active Line Plus motor is not the strongest one, and the speed gain you would achieve by derestricting the motor would be minimal (it is different with, e.g. Bosch CX motor, which is very strong).

If you just think of poor Europeans who ride millions of their e-bikes at the 15.5 mph restriction, you can feel yourself better Most of the young cyclists I ride with think 18 mph is the max practical speed for a flat bar bike. If someone wants to be faster, they go for drop handlebar road bikes

Of course, you could have bought a Class 3 e-bike and then you would either ride in Turbo all the time or your rides would be at 20 mph max with occasional bursts with more power. You see, I own a 45 km/h (28 mph) Euro e-bike, and seldom ride above 18 mph myself! (My motor is as powerful as Bosch CX).

Were you pounding down rum and cokes again Chargeride?

I refuse to incriminate myself and I can easily ride safely with one hand on the bars holding my glass.

Chargeride, you are my man regarding rum & coke!

 

[Chargeride]

Its 15.5mph here, no classes, no exceptions.
Its a bit odd doing 30 down a hill and then just coasting till you slow down enough for the motor to kick in.
But in reality the roads and public spaces are designed with that in mind and the UK is nothing like huge US States.

 

[JoeDirt]

Your motor is formally restricted at 20 mph. However, the figure of wheel circumference set in your system is probably too high (by approximately 2.6%). I am not sure how the user can fix that value (@BlackHand?) but the dealer or a Bosch E-Bike technician can do it for you. Your motor would cut off at 20 mph then. (My friend owns a Bosch E-Bike motor e-bike in Poland. Her motor was cutting off as early as 14 mph with the Euro restriction of 15.5 mph! A single visit to the dealer fixed the issue; the wheel circumference in her system was off by 350 mm or 13.8 in!)

Now, derestricting your e-bike (that can be done with Speedbox or other chips) would certainly void your warranty, and potentially might brick your motor. Please consider these points:

• U.S. Class 1 20 mph is a very decent speed as for a bike. It is pretty safe in the case of a spill.
• There is an air-drag limit of approximately 21 mph for flat handlebar bikes that requires a lot of power to overcome it.
• Overcoming the air-drag will require a high level of assistance, degrading the battery a way faster.
• Bosch Active Line Plus motor is not the strongest one, and the speed gain you would achieve by derestricting the motor would be minimal (it is different with, e.g. Bosch CX motor, which is very strong).

If you just think of poor Europeans who ride millions of their e-bikes at the 15.5 mph restriction, you can feel yourself better Most of the young cyclists I ride with think 18 mph is the max practical speed for a flat bar bike. If someone wants to be faster, they go for drop handlebar road bikes

Of course, you could have bought a Class 3 e-bike and then you would either ride in Turbo all the time or your rides would be at 20 mph max with occasional bursts with more power. You see, I own a 45 km/h (28 mph) Euro e-bike, and seldom ride above 18 mph myself! (My motor is as powerful as Bosch CX).


Chargeride, you are my man regarding rum & coke!

Thanks for that info. Yes I concur exactly that the people in the UK and some other European countries are very restricted on mph. I've been tracking a UK forum and all I hear about are the restricting their Motors. I do understand the active line plus is only a 50 Newton meter of torque motor and not like a CX or one of the other performance Bosch Motors.

I was also talking to one of the bike mechanics had my local shop, who by the way was able to deprogram my headlight to not always come on and stay on. So I now have the option to turn it on and off as I please.

He also mentioned that these bikes have the capacity to Interchange the motors. I'm not real sure on that and have not really looked into the specs of that but I guess down the road that would also be an alternative to getting a more powerful motor. And of course with the more powerful motor means you need a stronger battery pack. This Verve + 3
Was designed very well for commuting and recreational rideing with a solid range.
I don't really want to destroy any of the positives that sold me on this bike. Still on the fence as to why we have these class one, two and three type of rules.

I'm on the riverbeds and there is no ebike policeman out there patrolling this. There are no enforcements of these laws. I truly believe this is all risk management at its finest so when somebody gets injured they have a case against someone on an e-bike that bashed into them. Anyway I'm rambling thanks again for the input and that bit of solid advice.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Its 15.5mph here, no classes, no exceptions.
Its a bit odd doing 30 down a hill and then just coasting till you slow down enough for the motor to kick in.
But in reality the roads and public spaces are designed with that in mind and the UK is nothing like huge US States.

Technically speaking, it is legal to register and insure the European L1e-B 28 mph e-bike in the UK. The downside is you mustn't ride bike paths, and you must wear a full-face helmet (it is only the UK that requires it!) On the other hand, the big manufacturers almost all resign from making L1e-Bs because these e-bikes require a costly safety equipment and expensive Type Approval certification.

(Ask me how I know...) An L1e-B in Poland.

As far as I can see, the L1e-Bs have become an extinct race here on our continent.

 

[JoeDirt]

Technically speaking, it is legal to register and insure the European L1e-B 28 mph e-bike in the UK. The downside is you mustn't ride bike paths, and you must wear a full-face helmet (it is only the UK that requires it!) On the other hand, the big manufacturers almost all resign from making L1e-Bs because these e-bikes require a costly safety equipment and expensive Type Approval certification.

View attachment 184837
(Ask me how I know...) An L1e-B in Poland.

As far as I can see, the L1e-Bs have become an extinct race here on our continent.

I'm new to ebiking here in the states and I really like my Verve + 3. It's a class one so I can pretty much write it anywhere. We have the same restrictions class one on riverbeds and bike paths and class 3 on privately owned land. But mostly everybody is going much faster than 19.5. I'm just looking into this now on how to do restrict this motor but knowing myself I probably will just live with it and be happy with it and be thankful that we don't have to license and register our bikes.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I was also talking to one of the bike mechanics had my local shop, who by the way was able to deprogram my headlight to not always come on and stay on. So I now have the option to turn it on and off as I please. Mostly to not annoy other Riders on the bike path during daylight hours.

While I think I said everything on the e-bike restriction, derestriction and speed Joe, I must say I do not concur with you on the e-bike lighting Here in Europe, cyclists are fond of the "be seen" principle. It is not only most of urban e-bikes come with daily running lights but also many traditional cyclists such as urban or even gravel riders equip their bikes with lights that are always on during the ride. I of course have nothing to say about your personal choice

Now, the United States seem to remain the only world region where Trek offers its Allant+ S (speed) e-bikes. On the other hand, Specialized delivers mostly Class 3 e-bikes to the U.S., as the brand philosophy is so different from Bosch! (These e-bikes are restricted to 25 km/h or 15.5 mph in the EU or UK).

@JoeDirt: Please visit your dealer and ask for fixing the Wheel Circumference value! It must be good for 20 mph, not 19.5!

 

[JoeDirt]

Stuff on thanks for that info, yes I wanted to be able to have that option of turning off the lights when I'm on the riverbed those are bike trails here that have no cars just other cyclist. And days that are very bright and sunny and not traveled I at least have the option to turn them off. I know it's not a big battery drain but I do that as well on my road bike. I will look into that 19.5 restriction. I read somewhere that, that is a Bosch the software restriction. But if I can get an extra .5 mph I'll take it!

Thanks for the info and chat, cheers

 

[Chargeride]

Sorry for hijacking you thread, but we do that here

 

[Chargeride]

Technically speaking, it is legal to register and insure the European L1e-B 28 mph e-bike in the UK. The downside is you mustn't ride bike paths, and you must wear a full-face helmet (it is only the UK that requires it!) On the other hand, the big manufacturers almost all resign from making L1e-Bs because these e-bikes require a costly safety equipment and expensive Type Approval certification.

View attachment 184837
(Ask me how I know...) An L1e-B in Poland.

As far as I can see, the L1e-Bs have become an extinct race here on our continent.

Yup, just buy a motorbike.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yup, just buy a motorbike.

Oh well, Chris, I don't deny it is a pleasure to follow a roadie at 22 mph or even overtake him at 25 mph but that's not practical because of the battery drain

In case you missed that, my 45 km/h Vado was indeed a moped, at least by law! No throttle, though

The last time I overtook a roadie, I wanted to give way to him but he shouted 'No, you're in the lead, MISTER ELECTRIC!' It were the hardest two kilometres for me as the guy made me pedalling very hard in Turbo, and eventually he became faster than I anyway

 

[BEC111]

As an old man on my Ebike, I get some modicum of pleasure casually cruising past a young guy on a road bike struggling up a hill. Of course, he then shoots by me leaving me in the dust.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

As an old man on my Ebike, I get some modicum of pleasure casually cruising past a young guy on a road bike struggling up a hill. Of course, he then shoots by me leaving me in the dust.

How that resembles my own adventures! Once, we rode a Vado and a Trance+ together with my brother in Karkonosze (Giant Mountains of Poland and Czech Republic). We decided to do a Turbo ride uphill to save the time. At some point, we easily took a road cyclist over on an ascent. Once we passed the summit, the guy passed us at a high speed! We were pursuing him and noticed he waved his arm to show us the right ride direction at a junction. We followed him and of course caught up with him on the next climb There, we started talking with him. He told us we were on a dilapidated segment of Tour de Pologne (or, the most important of the road races of Poland). Of course he zoomed down again, and I got too tired to follow the man on the next hill

There have been many similar stories, such us racing with another roadie in nearby Izera Mountains. The nth time we were passing him, he laughed and said: 'Guys, it leads nowhere! You pass me anytime uphill and I am faster downhill! I'm sure we'd complete the trip together!'

He was darn right!

Me taking the photo of the roadie Marcin struggling at a 14% Strava Segment called "Specialized Roll" in Izera Mountains.

Marcin and my brother Jacek on a mountain pass, having a little friendly chat.

 

[dodgeman]

I’ve had a Trek Verve +3 for three years now. To be honest I don’t think the motor has enough power to go much over 20 mph on flat ground with no wind. A tail wind or downhill would be a different story. You should have bought a Class III bike if you wanted more.