Electric Bikes

Well we're off out to try another bike later this afternoon because sadly Ginny is now all worrying about her current bike and I can see us lugging it about all over Spain with her being anxious about riding it and missing out on all the fun!

Going to look at a this Kudos Tempo armed with lots of questions surrounding EN 15194 etc.

Dent in bank balance may be about to occur :crying1:
 
davidandginny said:
Well we're off out to try another bike later this afternoon because sadly Ginny is now all worrying about her current bike and I can see us lugging it about all over Spain with her being anxious about riding it and missing out on all the fun!

Going to look at a this Kudos Tempo armed with lots of questions surrounding EN 15194 etc.

Dent in bank balance may be about to occur :crying1:
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We will all be grateful to hear how you get on.

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maison said:
We will all be grateful to hear how you get on.
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Well you might think a visit to a dealer armed with all the EN regs and stories of woe in Spain might have helped. But having visited a Kudos supplier in Leicester I'm still left bewildered!

I have to say we were impressed with the quality of the brand. The Kudos bikes we looked at today are all built to the EN 15194 specification. They have a stamp on the frame and you can have a Conformity Certificate if you want one. However, of the two we looked at one had a throttle lever that would assist in setting off up to a speed of 4mph and then it requires peddling to bring in the motor. So that would seem to comply with Spanish requirements. The other one we looked at, a fold up, still to EN15194 spec again, had a throttle lever that would power the bike up to 4mph on the low power setting, but this could be adjusted by the push of a button through 5 other speed ranges to the 15mph limit. So basically, this bike would do exactly the same as Ginny's would anyway, except she twists a throttle. How does that make any sense?

Like I say all very confusing. Need to look into this even further before I'm likely to part with any hard earned cash! :( :cry:
 
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harleyjohn said:
I personally would stick with your Pro Rider and put the Kudos money in your diesel tank.

John.
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think i will buy a new bell for mine. BUSBY.

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Thanks for the update.

Still as clear as mud, but not your fault!(y)
 
In the wrong hands the throttle assist electric bikes with motor in the back wheel can be quite dangerous, if you sit with your feet on the floor and not enough weight on the seat open the throttle and it pops a wheelie and leaves you sat on the floor, at least if the assist is on the front wheel it will just spin out.
 
maison said:
Thanks for the update.

Still as clear as mud, but not your fault!(y)
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Sorry, yes hard to comprehend how a bike can have the EN15194 but still have the ability by the use of a throttle lever to operate through six speed settings?

Perhaps this wikipedia page sums it up, by line four making reference to 'confusion' :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws

I'm going to have a look at the electrics from the throttle and see if it would be easy to disconnect it during our travels overseas. It was suggested to me yesterday that it would be simple to do! It maybe even possible to fit a 'secret switch' that would turn it on or off :sneaky:
 
We have a " Powabike" for my wife.

The company explained to me that removing a two pin plug from the circuit board in the control module would revert the bike to pedal assist only. Replacing the plug would restore full function. We were going to do this, but our trip to Spain has been cancelled courtesy of Brittany Ferries.:mad:

If you contact your supplier there may be an equally simple solution.

Good luck.
 
maison said:
We have a " Powabike" for my wife.

The company explained to me that removing a two pin plug from the circuit board in the control module would revert the bike to pedal assist only. Replacing the plug would restore full function. We were going to do this, but our trip to Spain has been cancelled courtesy of Brittany Ferries.:mad:

If you contact your supplier there may be an equally simple solution.

Good luck.
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Thanks, I'm going to give them a call shortly to see what they might say on that issue. Apart from having a throttle, our bike 'seems' to comply with all the other requirements as far as the electrics are concerned, (motor size, power etc) with being a 'Pedelec' as opposed to an 'ebike' (jump in please anyone that thinks differently).

I've also found this which makes interesting reading; it clearly defines the difference between the two types.

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Puddleduck said:
What a sensible suggestion (y). At least if you geta reply you will have something in writing for your defence.
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Yes it is, thanks Brian and Puddleduck for pointing it out. Ginny is going to put something together today
 
hilldweller said:
You could write a letter to the Spanish embassy.
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I can't see how doing this will actually help ... the law in Spain is clear ... that you cannot 'legally' use a throttle assist pedal cycle which takes you above 4mph ... they are NOT going to tell you that you can break their law and use your bike there if it doesn't meet this requirement.

This needs to be kept in proportion ... if you want to use your 'illegal' bike there it would appear that the chances of you getting 'caught' are absolutely miniscule if indeed it really happens at all - I don't recall anyone actually giving a first hand account of it happening to them, just the usual so and so told me/read about it comments. We will be taking ours with us that have throttles and will be using them.
 
If we were to take our "illegal" bikes to Spain we'd probably disconnect the throttle or restrict it. Already have the CoC for the UK and they are all stamped up on the frames.........
 
MinxyGirl said:
This needs to be kept in proportion ... if you want to use your 'illegal' bike there it would appear that the chances of you getting 'caught' are absolutely miniscule if indeed it really happens at all - I don't recall anyone actually giving a first hand account of it happening to them, just the usual so and so told me/read about it comments. We will be taking ours with us that have throttles and will be using them.
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I'm with MinxyGirl as above.

John.

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MinxyGirl said:
I can't see how doing this will actually help ... the law in Spain is clear ... that you cannot 'legally' use a throttle assist pedal cycle which takes you above 4mph
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Hi Minxygirl, can I ask where you are getting the 'Law in Spain is clear' bit from please?
 
really don't see the problem here with e bike threads going round in circles...throttle assist cycles not legal anywhere in europe except here,and that due to change unless BEBA convince authorities otherwise..but how likely is that....

I posted this link earlier (below with quotes) that explains the situation.

"The Department for Transport has announced that the UK will eventually align with European law and will also permit 250W motors. This is not likely to happen until 2016."

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"Throttles operating independently of the pedals, enabling a bike to be ridden on power only are legal in the UK under the 1982 EAPC regulations. They are illegal under European regulations if they enable the bike to be propelled at more than 6kph (4mph) without the pedals turning forward.

Throttles operating under pedelec control, only permitting regulation of power whilst the bicycle is beeing pedaled forward are legal everywhere in Europe and the UK."

I started of years ago riding these chinese bikes until I had my eyes opened and saw what the european market had to offer with centre drive/crank drive bikes from the likes of Panasonic, Bosch and Yamaha plus a host of others. These style of bikes are light years ahead, I suggest if you like cycling try them out, go to a proper e bike shop that are about...

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/buy/electric-bike-dealer-directory/

Just like the motorhome market, german e bike market much bigger and bargains can be had, anyone wants some help let me know but have a look and try some bikes first .

as for taking the risk and riding these illegal e bikes in europe, its surely a personal decision, egging others on to do it a bit out of order IMO....
 
Puddleduck said:
I went to the "local" shop listed on that website only to find they knew nothing about e-bikes, had never stocked them and had no intention of doing so........ so phone before you go.
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Sorry your right link not very accurate! Just looked at two that dont seem to be e bike shops at all...loads down this end of the country...

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/?pc=1&pt=198

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sour...spv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=electric+bike+shops+scotland

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its great its going round in circles . I am still no wiser.
 
Well, after all of this I have spoken to AS Bikes, who we bought our bikes from, and they have provided me with Certificate of Conformity with EN15194:2009 for them. They have also provided me instructions as to how to (temporarily) disable the throttle by preventing it turning.

It may all be b******t but it ought to baffle the brains of a Spanish copper.
 

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