SA may be getting new rules on what qualifies as a bicycle – with big implications for e-bikes

[Bateleur1]

I dunno about the 25 km/h bit, as just yesterday I was riding my full-sus on the Melkbos cyclepath at a steady 28 km/h ave when I got passed by a laaitie on a e-bike. He made me feel like I was standing still. He was clipping easy 40-ish km/h. I did not feel "threatened" by his speed, more just intimidated that such a bean-stalk could make me look silly on my bike. His dad was furiously pedaling beside him, and he even leaned over to dad and gave him a fist pump. Talk about adding salt to a bleeding wound...

 

Adding salt you say.  Has happened here before that I get passed on my roadbike by an e-bike and then hook in at take the slip at 35-40 km/h.  The look when eventually you pass and say thanks for the slip is priceless.

[Robbie Stewart]

Adding salt you say.  Has happened here before that I get passed on my roadbike by an e-bike and then hook in at take the slip at 35-40 km/h.  The look when eventually you pass and say thanks for the slip is priceless.

 

Lekker if you riding a road bike. Not so lekker if you hoofing it on a single 34t chain ring on 2.35" knobbly rubber.

 

On that same stretch on my return I pass another oke on his mtb. I was doing a bit of a self-styled TT, and this chap slots in behind me and gets a proper tow for about 8km with me sitting in zone 5 all the way. As soon as we hit the first hill he pops out from behind with a "thanks, see ya"....

 

Some days it's better to just concede defeat...

[Bateleur1]

Lekker if you riding a road bike. Not so lekker if you hoofing it on a single 34t chain ring on 2.35" knobbly rubber.

 

On that same stretch on my return I pass another oke on his mtb. I was doing a bit of a self-styled TT, and this chap slots in behind me and gets a proper tow for about 8km with me sitting in zone 5 all the way. As soon as we hit the first hill he pops out from behind with a "thanks, see ya"....

 

Some days it's better to just concede defeat...

 

 

So one morning I was commuting to on my mtb with a co-worker.  As he is not topfit we had a pretty easy pace on our  35 km route to work.  Along the way we passed an older guy on his e-bike (pedelec) and he casually just hopped into our slip and tagged along.  Halfway we hit this little climb that by the end of the 1000 meter stretch will spike up to over 10%.  We will only go up halfway as we will be turning onto a dirt road.  Just as we hit this climb my coworker dropped and the old guy just flew pass us saying something like "Nice to have motorised technology".  I hammered the hill up passing him saying "Nice to be young".  All had a good laugh.

[DieselnDust]

Under 25mk/h assist, still  a bicycle.

Assist above 45km/h, motorised vehicle.

 

What happens in between?

 

 

FUN

[DieselnDust]

What are mopeds defined as? Those wonderful pedal assisted petrol driven bikes? For those millenials who never heard of them.

 

 

Motopeds are mentioned in the regs. They're treated as scooters

[TNT1]

Lekker if you riding a road bike. Not so lekker if you hoofing it on a single 34t chain ring on 2.35" knobbly rubber.

 

 

Why on earth would you be on the road then? Surely that's meant for an MTB?

[Robbie Stewart]

Why on earth would you be on the road then? Surely that's meant for an MTB?

 

It is meant for mtb, yes. The reason I was riding on the road was a) it was a late arvie post work ride, b) I do not live close enough to any trails, c) even if I wanted to, I do not have my membership board for Tygerberg MTB yet, so I would not be allowed on the trails.

[braailegend]

Why are the mountain bikers concerned? You are mostly not using public roads (Like if I ride my Scrambler, no license or anything) 

 

I believe in any case bikes should be on the dirt, just a hassle to actual motorized vehicles on the road

[TNT1]

I don't get MTB's riding on the road and then complaining they're not as fast as road bikes. Makes very little sense to me. 

 

But I also don't get worrying about an e-bike being faster than you when you're fuelled by chips and pies. It's like worrying about guys with talent and good genes being faster. Easier to smile and wave.

Edited June 5, 2020 by TNT1

[Pure Savage]

I think its a great idea of ours, will no longer need to stop flagging all those ebikes on strava!!!!

[Me rida my bicycle]

Their argument is dumb. My bike is around 10kg so me/bike/kit 110kg+ how is a average rider on a e-bike going to cause more damage?

[DieselnDust]

Kinetic energy =1/2(m)(v^2)

[i24]

In general an e-bike that provide assistance (i.e. you have to pedal) up to 25km/h is categorised as a bicycle like any other. Some market such as the US allow up to 32km/h but for most the max is 25km/h whilst these e-bikes are usually called "pedelecs" where we live.

 

And they can all be made to go a lot faster if you trade battery life for performance and overload the motor for a limited period. Or you just buy a bigger motor and battery to start with.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ebike-Conversion-Kit-36V-48V-250W-500W-1000W-1500W-Motor-bike-Wheel-20-29in-700C/163902955373?hash=item2629609f6d:m:mdB9G3xkQkEOTZEhATDNKmA&var=463504615354

 

48V 500W   about 40-50km/h, 

48V 1000W about 45-55km/h, 

48V 1500W about 50-60km/h,

 

The choice is yours!

[Coolspin]

Ebikes are a fantastic solution to polution and traffic congestion etc.

Dont know why gvt would be hung up on the 25kmh speed thing as a benchmark, can get 70 and above on a normal bicycle.

Ebike came past me the other day at about 50 I reckon (was on my roadbike prob @ 20kmh), couldn't help thinking what an amazingly brilliant transport solution they are.

Gvt should be encouraging more use of these bikes by keeping the regs to an absolute minimum.

[Eldron]

I'm not sure you can directly implant EU law into SA. Mostly the 25kph limit is around keeping all cycle traffic equal on the bikes paths. There are a few modded speed pedelecs here that smash 45kph on the bike paths and they are a hazard.

[Dirkitech]

I get the RAF point of view but not sure how this will be implemented in general. 

 

https://www.businessinsider.co.za/bicycle-and-e-bike-definitions-for-south-africa-promise-to-change-bike-lanes-and-insurance-2020-6

a generic steel mtb bike can weigh between 20-30kg from my experience and I've ridden a 26kg 26er at 70kmh downhill, without the additional weight of a motor.

they're trying to regulate too many standards under 1 rule, at least