Cycling in Sydney Australia
changes to E bike rules
Pedelec, a European term applies to a motor assist which comes automatically and only when you pedal
There will be a limited throttle under the new rules to get you away from the lights which will allow you to twist and go up 6 kph. but that's it. As someone who rides an E bike as my main transport in a hilly area, I regard the removal of the simple foolproof throttle as a backward step.
The thottle allows the most ecomical use of the battery, very important when bike ranges are not that great. But generally, the relationship between bike and rider should be as simple as possible, and as much in control of the ride as possible, too. Any fear that the bikes with throttles might be used as hoon machines, as mini motorcycles, are removed by the assist limit of 25 kph, one would think.
I know few cyclists here ride these bikes , but those that do, any opinion? E bikes will be big here when utility cycling takes off, I predict, following European and Asian trends, I guess further that the majority of bikes used as transport will be power assisted within five years.
A quote in USAToday gives some idea of what's ahead. "The E bike is the forerunner of the electrification of all personal transport." Our course if you ride mainly to go fast or work out, this is not relevant to you. Adding an E assist to your bike makes as much sense as adding electric motors at Fitness First, no sense at all!
But just getting about, not working out, will become a major part of cycling and then the E bike, in the sit up configuration, will the bike of choice.
mike Rubbo http://situp-cycle.com
Tags: E, bikes, changes, gegulations, in, sit, the, throttle, up
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Paul on -
.....and I am yet to have one of those CF things last anywhere near the 2,000 hours claimed.
I still have maybe a dozen standard globes lef tin my stash, from a pre-ban shopping spree at bunnings
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Permalink Reply by phil taylor on -
I concur. They last nowhere near what is claimed - not even close. Also, I find about 1 in 8 of them fail very early indeed - sometimes after only a few weeks.
The same is true of rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries and the like. They claim up to 1000 recharges but I think 100 is much more like it.
Its so easy to make claims about things like this which are almost impossible to verify. Who makes meticulous records of how long each light in their house is switched on or how often a remote control using AA batteries is used? The manufacturers know this and know they can get away with almost any outlandish claim. Its really all BS.
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Permalink Reply by phil taylor on
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I guess if no one will do the bigs things, small things are all that is left. Even they are better than doing nothing at all - perhaps.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Amos on
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Paul - you're completely wrong there. It is apparently a legal 200w bike and does have pedals which must be used when they are filming.
I watched some of the videos and they change the battery every 30k and sit on 30kph solo or 40 when slipstreaming the motorbikes.
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Permalink Reply by Andy Stretton on -
Stephen, the question still remains, wtf would you do it? Having someone drive a car with a wind generator stuck on top to charge batteries for an e-bike (no matter what size the motor) is the most ludicrous thing I've heard, this is utter crap and simply promotes ignorance of technology and a belief that you can get 'energy' for free. He'd be better off simply staying home.
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Amos on
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Mate when I read it I was just stunned. I couldn't believe it! I posted this on BNA. I'll reproduce it here.
Goal… travel from Brisbane to Birdsville by push bike.
Option 1.
Preparation.
Buy MINI, rebuild it and add wind turbine and charging electrics. Purchase two motor bikes, electric pushbike, 12 lipo batteries, 100 litres of green paint. Effort required 300 man days and cost (excluding labour) $150,000
The event. 1600k from Brisbane to Birdsville.
Time taken - 7 days or 28 man days (excludes journalists time).
Fuel used - 640 litres (20l/100 for mini, 10l/100 per bike - total of 40l/100)
Grand totals - Cost $150,000 (excl labour), Effort of 330 man days, Energy input 1600 litres petrol plus massive inputs during fabrication, Reusability - e-bike hung in front office to establish green credentials, motorbikes used on weekends for trail riding in bush, mini moke taken to trade shows.
Option 2.
Preparation.
Buy $5000 10 year old Camry plus $300 inverter for charging. Purchase electric bike plus spare battery. Effort required 5 man days and cost (excluding labour) $10,000
The event. 1600k from Brisbane to Birdsville.
Time taken - 7 days or 14 man days (excludes journalists time).
Fuel used - 160 litres (10l/100 for support camry)
Grand totals - Cost $10,000 (excl labour), Effort of 19 man days, Energy input 160 litres petrol plus. Reusability - good. Camry sold, inverter used in 4x4 when camping, e-bike hung in front office to establish green credentials.
Option 3.
Preparation.
Go to LBS and buy touring bike plus camping equipment. Effort required 5 man days and cost (excluding labour) $3,000. Find fit cyclist volunteer to pedal while organiser manages remotely because organiser is too obese to pedal to shops let alone Birdsville.
The event. 1600k from Brisbane to Birdsville.
Time taken - 16 days or 16 man days as no support crew required (excludes journalists time).
Fuel used - 0 litres
Grand totals - Cost $3,000 (excl labour), Effort of 21 man days, Energy input NIL. Reusability - NIL - you don't think he got to look like that by riding - the 4x4 is a way better way to get around. Bike and camping gear put in shed - no marketing potential.
Preferred option is first as it is the greenest and it's best for marketing. And so it was!
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Permalink Reply by Paul Martin on -
That's brilliant!
...but sadly is probably *exactly* their thought process. It's just publicity for their company - not very good value for money though!
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Permalink Reply by Maurice Wells on -
y'all some harsh critics :)
each to their own hey? Sorry to sound like Jesus here but who here hasn't done something energy inefficient, irrational or bad value for money in their lives? The guy might have a lot of reasons to do what he's doing and I didn't see him asking anyone else to justify why they got out of bed. He's clearly into toys that involve experimenting with new ways to waste energy and riding so the trip seems to make sense. And staying on a bike seat for 200km per day through bumpy roads, motor assisted or not, is a bit of a feat that he'll no doubt find physically challenging.
We are planning a 14 day Darwin to Adelaide e-bike trip in October to coincide with the World Solar Challenge. No mokes involved but I know the most challenging part will be staying on the saddle all day.
If you guys are enjoying the discussion of Watts and Amps and kg and horsepower, you may enjoy the e-vehicle forum endless sphere's thread on this trip as the seasoned e-bike geeks spotted brand, make and motor power of the stealth bike he's pictured with from a mile away. Naturally the sentiment on the subject of a wind turbine mounted on your mini is the same as here :)
Btw, the ride, and our one, is peanuts compared to what this high school achieved on a street legal, fully faired, recumbent, solar boosted electric bicycle. Darwin to Melbourne in 11 riding days.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Martin on
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It just keeps getting better!!! LOL
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Permalink Reply by phil taylor on
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I am sorry to have to say this, but I think the electric bicycle laws are framed by people who want to deliberately limit the appeal of e-bikes. The government does not want to lose its gravy train of road tax and license revenue. For example driving licenses are much more about making money than anything else - why does it have to be renewed all the time? They know full well that allowing say a 500 watt motor size would not make much difference to top speed, even if the speed were not limited (a few kph on the flat is is all due to wind resistance). But every person who gives up a car and starts using an e-bike to commute is costing the government thousands up thousands in lost road tax, insurance and petrol tax revenues. That's the real reason the people making the rules have decided to limit the bike to 250 watts - they know it is next to useless for all but fit people living in flat areas - but that suits them. Its nothing more than a gesture to make the government look greener is all it is. Its all rather pathetic.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Parker on -
Almost two years, what has happened to these very sensible changes?
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Permalink Reply by phil taylor on
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I personally do not view these changes as sensible. Increasing the power is certainly a step in the right direction, but by only 50 watts? The increment is so small its rather doubtful that you would notice the difference.
I fail to see how making pedelec mandatory is an improvement, This would seriously disadvantage elderly or infirm users, the people who potentially could derive the most benefit from an electric bicycle in the first place. For example, it would be important for someone with a knee injury to be able to stop pedaling when their knee begins to ache, and have the bicycle get them back home without having to pedal. Young, fit people do not need power assist - they can pedal their bicycles. Its mainly unfit, elderly, or injured people who need an electric bicycle, and pedelec does not work well for these types of people. The other main candidates for an electric bicycle are those using it in hilly or windy areas (or both), and I don't see 250 watts being much of an improvement over 200 on steep hills or against fast headwinds.
Personally, I would rather they stay with the existing laws, the 200 watt limit and allowing riders to move without pedaling. An extra 50 watts would be better - 200 watts is so low that any extra is welcome - but pedelec is a serious problem that the extra 50 watts do little or nothing to compensate,
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