Electric skateboard

monument

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Yes they're programmed to cut-out once you reach that speed.

Some of the fast e-bikes aren't. The induestry has been pushing things in the last few years.

There's models which require peddling but assist up to 35km/h and others up to 40km/h+. The rules or their strictness differs in different parts of Europe.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

No the OP but I just got a 2nd hand one online with 30 miles on it. Delivery by end of this month.

Can't wait. Do not give a flying shyte what the haters think.

ED E

Hugh Mungus wrote: »

No the OP but I just got a 2nd hand one online with 30 miles on it. Delivery by end of this month.

Can't wait. Do not give a flying shyte what the haters think.

V1 or V2? The 2s have much improved waterproofing which I'd be very much in favour of on this side of the pond.

My commute is about 7km and I've been drooling over the idea of going from two wheels to 4 tiny ones if I had the spare cash.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

V1. I've left my v2 order alone and I'll still probably get it in once they sort shipping. I can always sell the V1 anyway... I'm just looking forward to riding it for a week or two before the Weather turns to crap.

I created a few ebike threads here on boards in the cycling section and some bike snobs who dismissed ebikes tried everything to shut me up from spreading the e-bike word, and closed some of my threads because I gave links to sites that show how to convert your existing bike to electric, the excuse that I was using boards.ie to promote illegal bikes, but anyway, search for the threads yourselves, some interesting stuff.

Check out this link , it will explain all about DIY electric bike conversion, there is tonnes to know. https://endless-sphere.com/forums/

Some pedelec bicycles require insurance and a reg plate on the rear they can go up to 50 Kph and you need a license, a car license is fine.

The normal bikes cut off at about 28 Kph, and start to ramp down about 25 kwh.

power for a e-bike is limited to 250 watts, however sophisticated software used in the likes of the Bosch pedelec system are able to over come this, a Bosch pedelec is quoted as 250 watts but in reality is around 750 watts and is largely ignored by regulators.

250 watts is absolutely pathetic. And heavier riders would struggle greatly up steep hills. So a blind eye is turned to this practice.

I have a 2013 model and I absolutely love it but it is really for hilly terrain , the chain drive is quiet fantastic and uses the bike gearing for much better efficiency but it's the software that really makes the system work like it should. It makes you work, the harder you work the more power it knows you need.

These pedelecs like the Bosch and Panasonic chain drives will take the sting out of serious hills but you will sweat, they make you work and this is the whole Idea of them, but it means climbing the steepest hills or walking with a normal bike. They are great bikes and I love mine.

Here's mine, a 2013 model. Newer ones are more powerful with smaller batteries.

This is a haibike EQ trekking, made in Germany. Cost was 2,500 Euro's but if you cycle a lot but are not a die hard cyclist who likes to cycle 100 kms a day these are well worth the investment, just don't do something silly and buy a 50 Euro lock. Mine is covered on the house insurance too and the serial number recorded.

The above bike was able to pull me the whole way up Mount Leinster from the car park, and I still had plenty of battery.

Without this bike I never would make it on another bike and it was tough for me.

However for flat terrain these bikes will make general cycling a lot easier if that's what you want, if you don't want to pedal then you legally can't ride an e-bike in the E.U unless the motor cuts in when you pedal and off when you stop.

I build some mega fun bikes, 10 Kw peak.

plodder

Spent a day cycling in Germany recently and those electric bikes were all the rage, particularly among more elderly folk, who might not be up to it otherwise.

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

Some pedelec bicycles require insurance and a reg plate on the rear they can go up to 50 Kph and you need a license, a car license is fine.

To ride a moped, which is what these bikes are, you need an M endorsement on your licence this was removed from Irish B licences in Oct 2006.

Deleted User wrote: »

250 watts is absolutely pathetic. And heavier riders would struggle greatly up steep hills. So a blind eye is turned to this practice.

Until a moron on one of them ploughs into someone and causes serious injuries, then the blatant law breaking will be stopped.

plodder

They probably should be speed limited rather than power limited. [edit]I see they are. Never mind!

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

Until a moron on one of them ploughs into someone and causes serious injuries, then the blatant law breaking will be stopped.

What law breaking ? these bikes are fully certified. NO law broken.

plodder

plodder wrote: »

They probably should be speed limited rather than power limited.

Yes this is why most of these chain drive bikes are pulling way more than 250 watts is because they are speed restricted and full power is applied on hills where it's needed but still speed restricted.

On a steep hill you won't be going the speed limit anyway even under full power this is why the pathetic speed limit is ridiculous.

You could have 2 Kw and the same applies.

P_1

plodder wrote: »

They probably should be speed limited rather than power limited. [edit]I see they are. Never mind!

I'd wager you could fit some telemetry that recognises the gradient you're cycling and limit the power accordingly. That way you can get up those hills without paying the suffering toll (whimp ) but not reach downhill fun speeds going through the general traffic.

Edit, I see they already seem to, carry on, nothing to see here...

Chuchote

Electric skateboard sounds like fun. Wouldn't catch me doing a big speed on it, though; if it's for commuting, you can sail in happily at 15km/h and be able to avoid potholes, seams, crazy drivers, etc.

What's needed is to separate cyclists from traffic, there are loads of back lanes in Ireland's towns and cities that can be solely for cyclists.

I cycle in Germany any time I go over and the cycle lanes are terrific, just simply amazing and such a pleasure to ride on.

ted1

StereoSound wrote: »

Sorry Gard didn't know I needed a drivers licence for my skateboard..

I see people with electric bicycles in around the city centre every now and then so I'd love to talk to someone riding an electric bike to find out if they get hassle about them.

Electric bikes are regulated.
They must be less than 250W, the engine must have a max speed of 25kmh and can only operate when the rider is pedalling, and have no throttle

eeguy

Del2005 wrote: »

Until a moron on one of them ploughs into someone and causes serious injuries, then the blatant law breaking will be stopped.

that doesn't make any sense. It's been established that they're already speed limited.
The wattage refers to the power available to the motor.

So a 250W would get a light cyclist up to speed quickly, and would struggle with a heavier cyclist or a loaded bike, especially on a gradient.

More powerful motors have no trouble getting up to speed regardless of the weight.

It's like this , with 250 watts it would struggle with the extra weight of the bike and any rider. Especially a hub motor.

A chain drive would utilise 250 watts much better due to the gearing.

Bosch know that 250 watts is useless and people wouldn't buy the bikes so they pull around 750 watts at max power, usually climbing hills.

You could have 2 Kw and it would pass any legal test because what is restricted is acceleration and speed and power is used for hills.

Once the bike has it's legal certification then there is nothing at all to be worried about and the Bosch driven e-bikes fully comply to all laws once they have their cert.

There's no way a 250 watt e-bike would pull me up Mount Leinster all the way to the RTE mast. Anyone familiar with that knows the gradients are up to 25% possibly more at stages. And at that I'm not going to break speed records but it means the difference between being able to get up the mountain or not and this is why electric bikes are so good and useful.

I'm sure the Panasonic chain drives are the same though I have never tested one.

I am still impressed with the Bosch every time I take it out though I didn't get much opportunity the last year. When I haven't been on the bike in a while on my old bike I'd say, na, too windy, not going out, or na, not going this way too many hills, on the e-bike I can go anywhere I want.

Some of the newer Bosch drives have more torque and would be better again.

plodder

Deleted User wrote: »

What's needed is to separate cyclists from traffic, there are loads of back lanes in Ireland's towns and cities that can be solely for cyclists.

I cycle in Germany any time I go over and the cycle lanes are terrific, just simply amazing and such a pleasure to ride on.

Off topic, but funnily enough.. The place I went cycling the last time over there was Cologne, and there was a lot of shared space between cyclists and pedestrians. It was very busy on a saturday afternoon and faster racing cyclists were quite a menace. One boy (or actually girl) racer passed me and nearly took a pedestrian out of it, she was that close.

Del2005

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What law breaking ? these bikes are fully certified. NO law broken.

Why is a blind eye turned if they are legal?

Del2005

eeguy wrote: »

that doesn't make any sense. It's been established that they're already speed limited.
The wattage refers to the power available to the motor.

So a 250W would get a light cyclist up to speed quickly, and would struggle with a heavier cyclist or a loaded bike, especially on a gradient.

More powerful motors have no trouble getting up to speed regardless of the weight.

I've seen plenty of people using them going up hills without pedaling, that requires tax insurance licence etc. which the morons never have.

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

Why is a blind eye turned if they are legal?

They are not illegal once they get their certification.

A blind eye is turned I would assume because it's a ridiculous law and everyone knows it, 250 watts is completely useless in steep hills where power is Needed.

I can't say if any other bike maker applies a 250 watt limit or not, I would assume some do and some don't.

If they start forcing a 250 watt limit then no one will buy these bikes in the numbers they do, don't get me wrong, there are poor quality bikes sold with 250 watts but I guarantee they're not claiming many hills on them especially those crap hub motor bikes, hub motors at not bad but they need a lot of power and to be internally geared and not direct drive or gearless.

The most important limits and those that make any sense are those that limit acceleration and speed. But even 25-28 kph is a bit low. You can freewheel down a hill at 60 kph.

Del2005

Del2005 wrote: »

I've seen plenty of people using them going up hills without pedaling, that requires tax insurance licence etc. which the morons never have.

I wouldn't be too worried about that, and I wouldn't call them Morans, plenty of motorists driving and texting are doing a lot more harm and pedestrians that walk glued to their phone with headphones stuck in their ears. But let's worry about the Euboea rider that doesn't pedal.

eeguy

Del2005 wrote: »

I've seen plenty of people using them going up hills without pedaling, that requires tax insurance licence etc. which the morons never have.

On what type of bike? I haven't that much experience with different brands, but everyone I've seen requires you to at least make the pedalling motion, otherwise they'll have a throttle or some other speed control and that's a different product all together.

Del2005

[Deleted User] wrote: »

They are not illegal once they get their certification.

A blind eye is turned I would assume because it's a ridiculous law and everyone knows it, 250 watts is completely useless in steep hills where power is Needed.

I can't say if any other bike maker applies a 250 watt limit or not, I would assume some do and some don't.

If they start forcing a 250 watt limit then no one will buy these bikes in the numbers they do, don't get me wrong, there are poor quality bikes sold with 250 watts but I guarantee they're not claiming many hills on them especially those crap hub motor bikes, hub motors at not bad but they need a lot of power and to be internally geared and not direct drive or gearless.

The most important limits and those that make any sense are those that limit acceleration and speed. But even 25-28 kph is a bit low. You can freewheel down a hill at 60 kph.

How can they be certified if they produce more power than allowed? If the bike produces more power than allowed then its a Powered Two Wheeler and requires insurance, licence etc. until the law is changed.

Del2005

eeguy wrote: »

On what type of bike? I haven't that much experience with different brands, but everyone I've seen requires you to at least make the pedalling motion, otherwise they'll have a throttle or some other speed control and that's a different product all together.

The illegal type. Other countries have less restrictive legislation that allows non pedal assisted bicycles and like all restrictions in this country most people ignore our law as its inconvenient for them having to pedal.

magicbastarder

are there any of these e-bikes which don't plug into the mains? i.e. a bike which buffers the input from the rider, or reclaims energy on downhill slopes and braking? too complicated to get onto a bike?

eeguy

magicbastarder wrote: »

are there any of these e-bikes which don't plug into the mains? i.e. a bike which buffers the input from the rider, or reclaims energy on downhill slopes and braking? too complicated to get onto a bike?

Too expensive and inefficient. The energy reclaimed isn't worth the cost.

Del2005 wrote: »

I've seen plenty of people using them going up hills without pedaling, that requires tax insurance licence etc. which the morons never have.

Del2005 wrote: »

The illegal type. Other countries have less restrictive legislation that allows non pedal assisted bicycles and like all restrictions in this country most people ignore our law as its inconvenient for them having to pedal.

How can you get tax and insurance and a license on a bike that's illegal in this country?

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

are there any of these e-bikes which don't plug into the mains? i.e. a bike which buffers the input from the rider, or reclaims energy on downhill slopes and braking? too complicated to get onto a bike?

You would only ever replace a tiny fraction of the energy you take out but regenerative braking is very useful for hills and greatly reduces the wear on brakes.

As for a "buffer from the rider" this would create drag and defeat the purpose for the rider who wants life easier but hopefully still wants to put in effort.

One some bikes depending on the type of motor used regen isn't possible or easy to achieve.

Del2005

eeguy wrote: »

How can you get tax and insurance and a license on a bike that's illegal in this country?

They don't meet the criteria for an assisted bicycle, which don't require licence, tax or insurance. It's legal to ride with the correct licence, tax, insurance and approved helmet.

Who really cares ? you could get hit by a cyclist riding 28 mph. Different if you're riding at 50 kph on a footpath.