# Is an electric bike rider a serious cyclist ?



## very-near (7 Sep 2009)

A chap I work with bought himself an electric bike Wisper 905) last year and has become failry fanatical about using it come good and bad weather. He bought it after knocking up 9 points (all speeding) and decided he needed to use a mode for commuting which didn't risk his license
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Very nice, well made (£1300) machine with a 40+ mile range with good quality cycle parts, index gears etc etc.

He does however not actually pedal any more.

I had a conversation with my neighbour yesterday who is a very full on roadie, who thinks nothing of riding 60 or 70 miles on a sunday morning to see his in laws in Reading. He has seen my colleague on the road a few times and after hearing how much it cost him said he would rather put it in the tank of the car himself and enjoy the comfort which a car brings.


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## Globalti (7 Sep 2009)

I have to agree, your colleague is a motorcyclist not a cyclist.


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## very-near (7 Sep 2009)

Rigid Raider said:


> I have to agree, your colleague is a motorcyclist not a cyclist.



He doesn't consider himself to be one and wouldn't consider using an electric (moped style) scooter - I think it might be the stigma he feels he would attract as well has having to wear a crash Helmet.


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## fossyant (7 Sep 2009)

You missed a point on there.....I'd rather stick a red hot poker in my eye than ride an electric bike.

If you can ride then do, if you have mobility problems, then an electric bike might be good.


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## John the Monkey (7 Sep 2009)

It's not for me, but whether they're serious cyclists or not, I have no real opinion. If they like riding it, and do so safely, more power to 'em. I'd sooner share the road with them than yet more cars.


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## Landslide (7 Sep 2009)

Rigid Raider said:


> I have to agree, *your colleague* is a motorcyclist not a cyclist.



I broadly agree with this, but the poll is asking a wider question. 

Electric assistance may be an absolute godsend to people with mobility problems, or may help as a stepping stone to riding without electric assistance.


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## potsy (7 Sep 2009)

I work with 2 guys that have these ,
No1- commutes 1.5 miles each way using the power all the way,he is similar weight and size to me but is not interested in getting any fitter/slimmer.
No2-commutes 8 miles each way,uses the power on hills and to get a quick start at lights/junctions,again he is overweight but can really shift when he wants to,keeps a 16-18mph average with no power on flat, and the bike and all his bags etc weighs 38kg
I thought about getting one when I deceided to get a bike,am so glad I didn't as it is far too easy to rely on it and would never feel the benefit.


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## pinarelloFP5 (7 Sep 2009)

As a keen cyclist,and motorcyclist,i think that small electric bikes are a great thing for the road.As human beings,we all have interests,and we have to remember that some people hate cycling,the most probable cause of this is that they are just too lazy to expend energy.However,some people enjoy the buzz being on two wheels without the need to break a sweat,hence they ride a motorcycle or scooter,or an electric cycle.Like cars,motorcycles/scooters emit toxic emissions,where as electric cycles,like ordinary cycles are clean,and do not harm the environment.So what if "lazy cyclists" want to use electric bikes,if more people used them for the daily commute,or for pleasure,our roads would be far less congested,and less polluted,so lets give them our support.


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## Fnaar (7 Sep 2009)

I fancy one of these, myself


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## Headgardener (7 Sep 2009)

Although I voted no I do have two friends who ride these sort of bikes. One suffers from a respiratory ailment and uses the electric power to get up the hill to work then pedals/freewheels back home again, the other friend works on the other side of Southampton and just uses the electric as assistance on some of the hills but pedals the rest of the way. These bike are very heavy because of the battery and the motor unit so would only be of some use for short to medium length journeys.


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## blazed (7 Sep 2009)

No he's not a serious cyclist but neither are 95% of people on this forum which is mostly commuters and the kind who like to stop and take pictures of fields and have tea and cake.


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## Dan B (7 Sep 2009)

It's not cycling, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it

That said, it's only non-polluting if the electricity comes from non-polluting sources.


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## marinyork (7 Sep 2009)

I wouldn't class an electric bike rider as a serious cyclist. If they do no peddling I wouldn't regard it as cycling, if they did I would sort of. In actual fact, taking in terms of impact and whether someone is likely/able to cycle and where it might lead them, I'd actually be pretty happy if a lot more people did do it.


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## User482 (7 Sep 2009)

It's a car off the road and a low-emission form of transport. This is a good thing!

Commuting is the only serious cycling I do, because all my other cycling is entirely frivolous.


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## Davidc (7 Sep 2009)

Although I basically think NO, I'm quite happy with them as a low energy, low impact form of personal transport. If I get to the stage, sometime in the future, when I can't ride a bike up hills or any distance I might consider one.


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## maverick (7 Sep 2009)

After four major ops in the past ten months I am no longer able to use any of my bikes for longer than five or six miles without serious discomfort.
I have seriously considered going "Electric" in order to get up in to the hills and feel the wind in my hair again.
However I don't think I would consider myself a serious cyclist again.
A serious ex cyclist and a passionate follower of the sport I spent so much of my life competing in, maybe.


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## Paulus (7 Sep 2009)

coruskate said:


> It's not cycling, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it
> 
> That said, it's only non-polluting if the electricity comes from non-polluting sources.



+1


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## Campfire (7 Sep 2009)

At one time I would have said 'no' but from being a 'serious' cyclist from the moment my head was strong enough to sit in a child seat and going through all of the types of sporting cycling one can do, to just being a 'cyclist' who enjoys whatever cycling I can do so long as it's not chucking it down, my opinions have changed. I have a friend who is a very 'serious' cyclist doing lots of club/CTC rides who uses one for work in a hilly area and another whose knees are shot who uses it to aid up hills. Both these people are 'serious cyclists'. There seems to be such a level of elitism about cycling which can prevent people from actually wanting to do it. If it gets people on their bike, what the hell. The people who I don't actually call cyclists are those who go to the front at traffic lights and completely ignore whether they are red or what, weaving their way, with arches of the feet on the pedals willy nilly!
Better electrically assisted that sitting in a chair seizing up!


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## Chris Sirrus (7 Sep 2009)

Cyclist, a person who rides a bicycle.

In what way do a person on an electric bike not comply?


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## TheDoctor (7 Sep 2009)

I'd say it's cycling. I've tried a few electric bikes over the years (including a Sinclair Zike!!) and quite liked them.
Not sure I'd like to be kept down to 15 mph though...


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## TheDoctor (7 Sep 2009)

blazed said:


> No he's not a serious cyclist but neither are 95% of people on this forum which is mostly commuters and the kind who like to stop and take pictures of fields and have tea and cake.




That's what I like about blazed, the relentlessly positive and cheerful approach.


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## maverick (7 Sep 2009)

Why 15 mph, do they have speed limiters?


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## ComedyPilot (7 Sep 2009)

As bad as mobility scooters for idle twots!!!!

People with GENUINE mobility issues no problem - idle twots just make themselves look like the twots they are.


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## TheDoctor (7 Sep 2009)

maverick said:


> Why 15 mph, do they have speed limiters?



Yes, they do.
If they can go faster under power, they become a motorbike, from a legal point of view.


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## maverick (7 Sep 2009)

Thanks. So down hill wouldn't be a problem I take it?


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## al78 (7 Sep 2009)

maverick said:


> Why 15 mph, do they have speed limiters?



The power assist cuts out at 15 mph. That is a legal requirement for them to be classified as bicycles by law. You can still pedal faster than this if you wish but you will not get any assistance from the motor.


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## Dan B (7 Sep 2009)

Chris Sirrus said:


> Cyclist, a person who rides a bicycle.
> 
> In what way do a person on an electric bike not comply?


In the same way as a person on a motorbike does not comply.

Unless you feel that Harley riders _are_ are cyclists, which is certainly a point of view but not one that I think is universally held


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## ufkacbln (7 Sep 2009)

I think it is fine...

One of the great "Gentlemen of the Road" and lifelong advocates of cycling that I had he honour to meet was 95 years old and still riding (He continued until 99). His bike was modified with electrics to assist on the hills.

Electric bikes are a god compromise and from my own experience (elderly MiL and brother with renal failure) can offer cyclists a long extension where riding an ordinary bike becomes difficult or too tiring


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## ufkacbln (7 Sep 2009)

blazed said:


> No he's not a serious cyclist but neither are 95% of people on this forum which is mostly commuters and the kind who like to stop and take pictures of fields and have tea and cake.




Guilty!

I must admit that I do realise that.... being car free, and managing 8 - 9,000 miles a year commuting all year round, as well as shopping and other activities does NOT qualify me as a serious cyclist!


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## Joe24 (7 Sep 2009)

Someone i know has an electric moped thing, has pedals on so its classed as an electric bicycle.
He gets around on it because he hurt his shoulder badly when on his bicycle, fell off on some ice. He cant go out on his bike because too much pressure is put on it, and he has problems with his leg now aswell.
So this moped thing is his transport.
There's 'onroad' mode, which is limited, and 'offroad' mode which isn't limited. So, after being a spod and not going out of 'onroad' mode, he is now spending all the time in 'offroad' mode and flying around.

Hes not a cyclist though.
If you pedal an electric bicycle then maybe, your on the verge of being a cyclist/lazy(unless you had a disability or something, then its just like a mobility scooter)


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## maverick (7 Sep 2009)

Joe24 said:


> Someone i know has an electric moped thing, has pedals on so its classed as an electric bicycle.
> He gets around on it because he hurt his shoulder badly when on his bicycle, fell off on some ice. He cant go out on his bike because too much pressure is put on it, and he has problems with his leg now aswell.
> So this moped thing is his transport.
> There's 'onroad' mode, which is limited, and 'offroad' mode which isn't limited. So, after being a spod and not going out of 'onroad' mode, he is now spending all the time in 'offroad' mode and flying around.
> ...



Cheers Joe, I'll just stay in and vegetate then.


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## bonj2 (7 Sep 2009)

Why have you posted a poll on something that is quite patently not a matter of opinion?
It's nothing to do with whether people would _"class"_ him as a serious cyclist.
It's like saying: 
What colour is black?
a) White
 Dark white
c) Dark Gray
d) Black


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## Joe24 (7 Sep 2009)

bonj said:


> Why have you posted a poll on something that is quite patently not a matter of opinion?
> It's nothing to do with whether people would _"class"_ him as a serious cyclist.
> It's like saying:
> What colour is black?
> ...



You say _your_ a serious cyclist when its obvious that you just arent


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## maverick (7 Sep 2009)

' ' ' 
Just a few spare I don't need.


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## pinarelloFP5 (7 Sep 2009)

According to Wilkipedia a bicycle is human powered with pedals.So why on my Vehicle Log Books (V5) for my motorcycles are they classed as "bicycles" and not motorcycles.A Yamaha R1 a "bicycle" how weird is that! I certainly would not like to pedal a Honda Goldwing very far!


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## summerdays (8 Sep 2009)

There is an elderly gentleman who uses one to get around here, but he pedals at the same time - I've seen him cycling reasonable distances on it. I think they are good as others have said they aren't a car - so one less on the road, and may get someone cycling who couldn't otherwise.


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## very-near (8 Sep 2009)

Well, I rode a Thompson electric cycle today (another co workers bike), and i'd liken it to a very feeble moped.








IMO, it is not cycling as this involves physical effort from the rider to turn the wheels, and the riding position means that there is litle to no effort involved in actually steering it (you actually need a lot more physical strength to ride a sports m/bike at slow speed than the Thompson electric cycle)


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## Chris Sirrus (8 Sep 2009)

coruskate said:


> In the same way as a person on a motorbike does not comply.
> 
> Unless you feel that Harley riders _are_ are cyclists, which is certainly a point of view but not one that I think is universally held



Bicycle: A vehicle consisting of a light frame mounted on two wire-spoked wheels one behind the other and having a seat, handlebars for steering, brakes, and two pedals or a small motor by which it is driven.

This thread reminds me of Antony Flew's No true Scotsman fallacy.


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## very-near (8 Sep 2009)

Chris Sirrus said:


> Bicycle: A vehicle consisting of a light frame mounted on two wire-spoked wheels one behind the other and having a seat, handlebars for steering, brakes, and two pedals or a small motor by which it is driven.
> 
> This thread reminds me of Antony Flew's No true Scotsman fallacy.



I've done a few thousand miles on one of these motorcycles since the spring and commute nearly every day on it. The tax disk says 'Bicycle' so why can't I use the bus and cycle lanes by this reckoning ? 


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Ysn15dm0Q


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