Near miss with ebike has left me a bit shaken and down.

[equaliser]

What’s going on in particular on western roads is crazy with too many young adults and maybe kids believing they own the roads on these new forms of transportation. Moreover I see it spilling over into regular bikes who seem to be duplicating the so called “e-bike no rules” Philosophy.

I have to disagree with you about 'no rules' bikes. It is scary riding a bike on the UK's roads. Car drivers have much more power and acceleration than the old days and there are many more cars, vans and trucks on the roads. Jumping a red light, say, to get ahead of the traffic - when there is no inconvenience to pedestrians - to me is fair enough. Car drivers never leave space inside of them, so you need to weave into the middle of the lane or wait behind them and breathe their exhaust fumes. Why shouldn't you then get ahead? Moreover, nobody thinks about cyclists when they devise one-way systems and the like. Instead of laying a simple cycleway through a town centre, planners oblige you to complete a mile long circuit or break the law by cycling in a pedestrianised zone. So different from other more enlightened countries.
Riding a bike is terrifying and I daren't let my daughter cycle on the roads, even though she's 16. She just doesn't have the road sense I do.
I'm also a car driver who commutes (to another town) every day btw, but I cycle when I possibly can.

As for e-bikes, they should definitely be banned from parks. They're no different from motorbikes essentially. Sooner or later an old lady's gonna get wiped out and killed walking her spaniel and then they'll have to act,

 

[El Guapo]

Are we talking an E-bike or e-motorbike? There’s a world of difference in the speeds and technology between the two.

 

[atypical_boro]

I have to disagree with you about 'no rules' bikes. It is scary riding a bike on the UK's roads. Car drivers have much more power and acceleration than the old days and there are many more cars, vans and trucks on the roads. Jumping a red light, say, to get ahead of the traffic - when there is no inconvenience to pedestrians - to me is fair enough. Car drivers never leave space inside of them, so you need to weave into the middle of the lane or wait behind them and breathe their exhaust fumes. Why shouldn't you then get ahead? Moreover, nobody thinks about cyclists when they devise one-way systems and the like. Instead of laying a simple cycleway through a town centre, planners oblige you to complete a mile long circuit or break the law by cycling in a pedestrianised zone. So different from other more enlightened countries.
Riding a bike is terrifying and I daren't let my daughter cycle on the roads, even though she's 16. She just doesn't have the road sense I do.
I'm also a car driver who commutes (to another town) every day btw, but I cycle when I possibly can.

As for e-bikes, they should definitely be banned from parks. They're no different from motorbikes essentially. Sooner or later an old lady's gonna get wiped out and killed walking her spaniel and then they'll have to act,

Tonight someone actually cut me up when I was turning right, wasn’t far off running someone over who foolishly didn’t expect him to be driving on the wrong side of the road.

He didn’t want to wait for a stupid cyclist to turn right when his little Citroen could go much faster. I did have to chortle when he bombed it to the next set of traffic lights though, which were on red and stayed on red, and I overtook him to sit in the cycle box.

 

[equaliser]

They are regulated in the sense that they don’t travel any faster than someone pegging it on a push bike. It’s just that people break the law by modifying them.

Even if that's strictly true - which I doubt - they are able to hit those speeds almost instantly, without any physical exertion by the rider, so of course they are constantly ridden like that. They're also invariably ridden by young d*ckheads.

 

[atypical_boro]

Even if that's strictly true - which I doubt - they are able to hit those speeds almost instantly, without any physical exertion by the rider, so of course they are constantly ridden like that. They're also invariably ridden by young d*ckheads.

That isn’t true mate. Have you ridden one? It takes a lot of effort to get up to 20-25mph. It isn’t much less than it takes on a push bike. And unlike on a push bike you can’t keep going faster and faster as they are fixed gear. They stop you going too fast!

The main benefit of riding one is just that it makes hills easier, unless it’s been illegally modified of course, which given that you think are all driven by youngsters is obviously the case with the ones you’ve seen. Proper e-bikes are mostly ridden by older folk who want a slightly easier ride.

 

[equaliser]

Tonight someone actually cut me up when I was turning right, wasn’t far off running someone over who foolishly didn’t expect him to be driving on the wrong side of the road.

He didn’t want to wait for a stupid cyclist to turn right when his little Citroen could go much faster. I did have to chortle when he bombed it to the next set of traffic lights though, which were on red and stayed on red, and I overtook him to sit in the cycle box.

Exactly. Car drivers often seem indignant you're actually using the roads. Even when you're behaving legally, waiting for you is an intolerable affront.

 

[atypical_boro]

Exactly. Car drivers often seem indignant you're actually using the roads. Even when you're behaving legally, waiting for you is an intolerable affront.

Too true mate.

 

[equaliser]

That isn’t true mate. Have you ridden one? It takes a lot of effort to get up to 20-25mph. It isn’t much less than it takes on a push bike. And unlike on a push bike you can’t keep going faster and faster as they are fixed gear. They stop you going too fast!

The main benefit of riding one is just that it makes hills easier, unless it’s been illegally modified of course, which given that you think are all driven by youngsters is obviously the case. Proper e-bikes are mostly ridden by older folk who want a slightly easier ride.

Ok, I bow to your superior knowledge. The idea of them is appealing, for sure, but I see guys in the park and on the roads near me, tearing around, pulling wheelies down a main road, and generally acting like c**ks. They never seem to peddle at all. And now you get these ones that look like trials bikes, but they're electric. They somehow seem to slip under the legal radar

 

[atypical_boro]

Ok, I bow to your superior knowledge. The idea of them is appealing, for sure, but I see guys in the park and on the roads near me, tearing around, pulling wheelies down a main road, and generally acting like c**ks. They never seem to peddle at all. And now you get these ones that look like trials bikes, but they're electric. They somehow seem to slip under the legal radar

Yeah, these are either illegally modified e-bikes, or some other vehicle that I know nothing about. Especially if they’re getting from 0 to 25 quickly.

Actual e-bikes are genuinely no more dangerous than a push bike. The battery assistance is purely to make peddling easier (not faster). You can only get up to 25mph on one if you’re stood up out of your seat on a flat road pretending you’re Mark Cavendish peddling as fast as you possibly can. In fact you’d probably need to be going downhill even then.

 

[MolteniArcore]

Yeah, these are either illegally modified e-bikes, or some other vehicle that I know nothing about. Especially if they’re getting from 0 to 25 quickly.

Actual e-bikes are genuinely no more dangerous than a push bike. The battery assistance is purely to make peddling easier (not faster). You can only get up to 25mph on one if you’re stood up out of your seat on a flat road pretending you’re Mark Cavendish peddling as fast as you possibly can. In fact you’d probably need to be going downhill even then.

On a flat road I can cruise along at 22-23 mph pretty easily on a standard road bike, some of my mates can cruise along at 25+. I’ve not seen may e-bikes riding around at that speed, they are a bit heavy and the motor tends to cut out at 15mph.

 

[atypical_boro]

On a flat road I can cruise along at 22-23 mph pretty easily on a standard road bike, some of my mates can cruise along at 25+. I’ve not seen may e-bikes riding around at that speed, they are a bit heavy and the motor tends to cut out at 15mph.

Well this is why I was saying getting up to 25mph on them is actually a bit of a tricky business. You’d probably be better off turning off the battery assistance.

But it’s clear the poster above is talking about modified e-bikes.

 

[Druss_The_Legend]

Thanks for the support last night fellas, I'm feeling back to normal today. I ended up editing photos on my laptop to take keep my mind occupied and then grabbed an early night. I hate situations like that as it sends my brain into overdrive trying to analyse and then over analyse the situation and how I could of done different or better. The comments on here helped me put it into perspective and helped not trigger a longer depressed episode. So I really am grateful.

 

[Redpete]

We have had a few legitimate E-bikes ( Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles ) over the years and I have ridden then often.
Basically you get an extra 250 watts of power through the pedals but you need to pedal to achieve this.
but once you hit about 15.5mph you loose that 250 watts and its down to you.
As Electric bikes are pretty heavy you will do well to get much faster than 18mph consistently on the flat.
I also think you get some resistance from the motor which you must still be turning over.
If I had the choice of an Ebike or a normal Road bike on a flat 30 mile ride I would take the road bike all day long.

The big advantage of EAPC's are when it comes to hills and that extra 250 watts will get most people up a reasonably steep hill with only a little effort.

If you see what you think is an e bike ( EAPC ) and its going faster than 20mph with little or no peddling or ridden on a throttle then its 100% an electric motor bike.

Electric Motor Bikes in the eyes of the law are exactly the same as a petrol motor bike and you need a licence, insurance and presumably road tax.
It will also require number plates and the rider would need a Motorcycle style crash helmet.

I would put my mortgage on the vast majority of electric motorbikes on UK roads are being ridden illegally.

 

[atypical_boro]

We have had a few legitimate E-bikes ( Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles ) over the years and I have ridden then often.
Basically you get an extra 250 watts of power through the pedals but you need to pedal to achieve this.
but once you hit about 15.5mph you loose that 250 watts and its down to you.
As Electric bikes are pretty heavy you will do well to get much faster than 18mph consistently on the flat.
I also think you get some resistance from the motor which you must still be turning over.
If I had the choice of an Ebike or a normal Road bike on a flat 30 mile ride I would take the road bike all day long.

The big advantage of EAPC's are when it comes to hills and that extra 250 watts will get most people up a reasonably steep hill with only a little effort.

If you see what you think is an e bike ( EAPC ) and its going faster than 20mph with little or no peddling or ridden on a throttle then its 100% an electric motor bike.

Electric Motor Bikes in the eyes of the law are exactly the same as a petrol motor bike and you need a licence, insurance and presumably road tax.
It will also require number plates and the rider would need a Motorcycle style crash helmet.

I would put my mortgage on the vast majority of electric motorbikes on UK roads are being ridden illegally.

I think this hits the nail on the head regarding the difference.

 

[B_G]

Sometimes these things can't be helped. It sounds like you were being attentive and took emergency action to avoid an accident when a hazard presented itself. You can't really do anything else.

I had a similar incident last week. Traffic was backed up from Marton crossroads right down to Stewart Park. I was turning right towards Middlesbrough Sports Village which has it's own Right Hand Turn lane. As I was travelling down this lane at probably 20-25MPH, a runner ran out from between the stationary cars that were stuck in traffic looking left only, he obviously hadn't realised there was a right hand turn lane coming from his right that was still moving. I genuinely don't know how I didn't hit him. Even at that speed I slammed my emergency brake on and skidded and probably missed him by a foot. If I had been on my phone, playing with the radio or had my eyes off the road for any other reason even for a split second I'd have hit him. Absolutely no doubt.

I think I was more shaken up than the runner. He sort of lifted his hand to apologise and went away continuing with his run. My little lad was in the front seat squeeled as it happened! Then proceeded to call him a bell end . A phrase I had never heard him use. Which made me laugh and probably lightened the situation.