I love riding my bike, especially in Europe where there are so many safe cycle tracks away from the roads. However, recently I came to realise that I would have to move over to the ‘dark side’ and succumb to buying an electric bike, or E-Bike as they are more commonly known. I’ve not really had to consider the legal side of owning a bike before as there really isn’t much to a traditional bicycle. I began the internet trawl to find a bike that would suit my needs but wasn’t going to break the bank when it would only be having what I would call ‘occasional’ use. I’m sure those of you who already have them know all too well how much they cost!
There’s a summary of the legalities at the end of this blog so feel free to skip my ramblings if you just want to know if you are riding legally.
I was also concerned that if I paid an extortionate amount of money, I’d be too afraid to have it sat on the bike rack on the back of the motorhome on full view for potential thieves to snaffle. After all, they are one of the most common items that get stolen from campsites and racks of motorhomes/caravans/cars.
So, after many nights spent weighing up the pros and cons of E-Bikes within my price range, I finally settled on one that would meet my needs for around £1000 which was the top end of the budget I’d set myself. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle, well maybe that’s a tad dramatic, but it was certainly a stroke of fantastic luck on my part!
Hubby and I were watching our usual U-tube van-life adventurers and one of them was reviewing an E-Bike from Eleglide. I’d never heard of this company, but the bike looked really good, so I had a gander at their website, and they had a sale on for £675. There I was thinking that’s a right bargain, forget my £1000 I’m having one of those after Christmas. The next vlog our U-tube van-lifers did was on their jollies in Spain, and they were out riding said E-Bike. At the end they happened to mention that on their return to the UK in a few weeks they would be selling the bike as, although it was great, it wasn’t meeting their needs as they are a family with a dog. I was like a rat up a drainpipe, and a few messages later I’d bought the bike for significantly less than my original budget and we’d arranged to meet on their return for me to collect it. Yay we all love a bargain, and I am from Yorkshire where we’re known for our thriftiness, plus more money for camera gear left in the pot!
So, you may be thinking none of the above suggests there is any reason for me not to legally be able to ride this E-Bike in the UK. I am most definitely over the age of 14, which, by the way, is a legal requirement in the UK. However, despite there being nothing on Eleglide’s website that mentions anything about throttles, I was already aware that it came with a push button throttle as the seller had made that clear from the outset. I thought this meant that I wouldn’t be able to ride it in the UK without insurance and registration as it would be classed as a moped and I was ok with this; see the link to the legal jargon associated with E-bikes, restrictors and UK law if you want to read up on it yourself, https://eta.co.uk.
I decided to do a bit more research on the legalities as I knew the law had changed in recent years. So, in summary, it turns out that a new law was passed on 1st January 2016 stating the only throttles that are legal on E-Bikes manufactured after this date are those that provide starting assistance, ie assist the rider without pedalling, up to 6km/h to start their journey. It must then cut out if the rider doesn’t pedal or it isn’t covered by the EAPC (electrically assisted pedal cycle) legislation and must be registered and insured as a moped. It must also have a power output that does not exceed 25km/h (15.5mph) and 250W respectively, anything above this is also classed as a moped. All three of these elements must be conformed to in order for it be legally ridden as an EAPC in the UK.
Now I didn’t know about the 6km/h assistance rule, I just thought all E-Bikes with throttles (push button or twist) were illegal in the UK now. The Mirider One is a good example of a bike with a road-legal throttle, however, my Eleglide is not. I tested it on my driveway and, wow, did it zoom along, and no it didn’t cut out at 6km/h. All was not lost, because the throttle on the Eleglide is actually an optional extra because they are a European based manufacturer, and it is perfectly legal to have one Europe. It is simply a case of disconnecting the throttle cable and removing the throttle push button from the handlebars. You don’t even have to add it when you build the bike as it isn’t linked in any way to the assisted pedal power on the bike. I’ve now removed it as I’m a clumsy clot at the best of times and, to be honest, having a throttle that can get me to 25km/h without me pedalling just scares me half to death. Just having 5 levels of pedal assist is daunting enough for me!
I’m used to riding my good old fashioned pedal bike at around 8mph on flat terrain where I’ve managed to launch myself into ditches for no apparent reason on many occasions, so getting up to speeds of 25km/h means I won’t be cycling anywhere without my helmet, and I maybe even should consider full body armour. Imagine a 5-year-old child just learning to ride their first bike and the lamppost just keeps jumping in front of them – that’s me but I’m an adult who’s been riding bikes since she was 5 and hasn’t really improved much!
So that brings me nicely on to E-scooters; much easier to fathom than the E-bike law. These are all illegal in the UK to ride on roads, pavements, cycle paths or any public place. They are only legal to ride on private land, so unless you live in a small holding or mansion with acres of driveways/paths to scoot around on, then you are not going to get much use out of one in the UK. This is a nice and simple law, however, manufacturers are still selling them to UK residents who are unaware of the legislation and end up with either themselves or their children on the wrong side of the law with the scooter confiscated. That’s a very expensive mistake to make so please be aware if you are thinking of purchasing one, or already have one. Here is the link to obtain further information on electric scooter law, ukscooter.co.uk.
I’m sure there are many people who are happy to ride around with their throttle attached to their E-Bike and take the risk of being caught out, which I’d guess is probably pretty low if you ride it sensibly on roads rather than careering down pedestrianised town centres. Personally, I’m a stickler for staying on the right side of the law, I’d be mortified if I got caught with my throttle in full flow when it shouldn’t be! So, my throttle and cable will be kept safely at home in a drawer, maybe it will join me on European adventures where it is perfectly legal to do so, but its more likely I’ll be more than happy pootling around and at least getting a bit of exercise in my legs from traditional pedal power, with support on the hills from my pedal assist.
I hope that my experience of buying an E-Bike and further research may help some of you to better understand the legalities in the UK around owning E-Bikes and E-scooters, especially as I wasn’t even aware my new bike came with an optional throttle as the retailers don’t disclose it. Obviously, when you’re out and about on your EAPC’s across Europe, you are absolutely legal to have a throttle on your E-Bike and to ride your E-scooter wherever you choose. Just be aware that each country does have specific laws around use of helmets, age limitations etc so its best to check online before you go out exploring just to make sure you’re legal.
In summary:
For an E-Bike to meet EAPC legislation it must have an output of equal or less than 250W, 25km/h, and if a throttle is fitted it must cut out at 6km/h if rider does not pedal.
If any of the above conditions are not met then it must be registered and insured as a moped and as the rider you must be licenced to ride it on UK roads.
You must be aged 14 or over to legally ride an E-Bike in the UK.
E-scooters are illegal to be ridden on public roads/pavements and in public places.
Across European countries E-bikes and scooters are legal and none of the UK restrictions apply. However, you must check local country laws in respect of their legal requirements for riding, ie compulsory helmets, age restrictions.
Please bear in mind that this is my research only and you are advised to check for yourself on relevant websites if you require clarification on any points of the legislation, both in the UK and across Europe.
This was never meant to be a review of my bike, but if you're looking for a very reasonably priced ladies or gents E-bike, then take a look at the Eleglide T1 Trek bikes, they sell a step-through and crossbar version. I am very impressed with mine for the price, although they are a little on the heavy side at 26kg with battery in place, but feels very light when riding and super responsive in pedal assist mode.
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Safe and happy travels in 2024!
(Disclaimer: Photographs used in this blog are stock pictures taken from the internet and are not associated with me in any way. No commission is earned as a result of any purchase you make in the future on any websites sited in this blog).
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