Ebike Law

jim o doom

The max speed with assistance of 25 kph is a bit of a head-scratcher. I've hit more than that on a regular race bike going down a not very steep hill on a decent race bike with no assistance.

ED E

jim o doom wrote: »

The max speed with assistance of 25 kph is a bit of a head-scratcher. I've hit more than that on a regular race bike going down a not very steep hill on a decent race bike with no assistance.

It made sense in 2008 when anything capable of 30 was a monster.

magicbastarder

jim o doom wrote: »

The max speed with assistance of 25 kph is a bit of a head-scratcher. I've hit more than that on a regular race bike going down a not very steep hill on a decent race bike with no assistance.

you'd hit that on an ebike too on a downhill though? not sure that the speed you can reach on a bicycle on a downhill has any bearing on how much assistance an e-bike should give.
the assistance is limited to 25km/h; the bike itself isn't. though it obviously will be harder to get to 30 then than a race bike would.

Gerry

Utter Consternation wrote: »

I cycle in Dublin everyday and have a regular ebike. I'd spot a chipped one a mile off and there doesn't seem to be that many about.

I see plenty regular commuters on ebikes plodding along at 25kph. The few
chipped bikes i've seen look like they're conversion kits applied to regular bikes.

I'm just relating my experience. Most e bikes that I see are getting up to let's say 35kmh and with very little effort, despite having wider tyres, flat bars etc.i would say almost all of them.

magicbastarder

I certainly wouldn't say most are doing that. They're much easier to spot than unchipped e-bikes though so could be selection bias.

jim o doom

magicbastarder wrote: »

you'd hit that on an ebike too on a downhill though? not sure that the speed you can reach on a bicycle on a downhill has any bearing on how much assistance an e-bike should give.
the assistance is limited to 25km/h; the bike itself isn't. though it obviously will be harder to get to 30 then than a race bike would.

Aha, I misunderstood how the whole worked. So the assistance cuts off when you hit 25kph, I erroneously thought it would not be legal to travel over 25kph on one of these yokes, thanks.

beauf

I see the odd one going veryfast most are just staying at fast cyclist speeds.

It not like they enforce cars, so why enforce bicycles.

Utter Consternation

beauf wrote: »

I see the odd one going veryfast most are just staying at fast cyclist speeds.

It not like they enforce cars, so why enforce bicycles.

Hmmm. I beg to differ. I was cycling up the South Quays on Wednesday evening and had an eye on a motorcylist Garda driving slowly behind me. He ignored a UPS van stuck right in the cycle lane before the lights at O'Connell Bridge and then pulled over a pleb on a Dublin bike who ran a red light down by the Ha'penny bridge.

At least we know where their priorites are.

beauf

jim o doom wrote: »

Aha, I misunderstood how the whole worked. So the assistance cuts off when you hit 25kph, I erroneously thought it would not be legal to travel over 25kph on one of these yokes, thanks.

When I'm on my heavy MTB fully loaded (and I'm not light) with panniers. On a steep hill or even a decent gradient I can spin out in top gear (pedals go around so fast I can't pedal) I must be doing 30+ easily, fear of hitting anything makes me rein it in considerably.

Anyone decently fit on a decent light bike, will go as fast if not faster than a legal ebike. Same person on an eBike will maintain a decent speed.

beauf

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Hmmm. I beg to differ. I was cycling up the South Quays on Wednesday evening and had an eye on a motorcylist Garda driving slowly behind me. He ignored a UPS van stuck right in the cycle lane before the lights at O'Connell Bridge and then pulled over a pleb on a Dublin bike who ran a red light down by the Ha'penny bridge.

At least we know where their priorites are.

Not that I think parking in bike lanes should be ignored, or that its doesn't case a safety issue for cyclists, it does. But running a RL while not it self dangerous, doing where there's a high volume of pedestrians, and a pinch point is a bit dumb. Also lack of awareness if he never checked behind.

Utter Consternation

beauf wrote: »

Not that I think parking in bike lanes should be ignored, or that its doesn't case a safety issue for cyclists, it does. But running a RL while not it self dangerous, doing where there's a high volume of pedestrians, and a pinch point is a bit dumb. Also lack of awareness if he never checked behind.

A total dumbass, it was as plain as day that the garda was behind us. If there's one place you should be looking over your shoulder, it's down those fcuking Quays, because god knows what is coming behind you.

Now it did seem however that the Garda was intentionally trying to catch a cyclist out. He had ample opportunity to pass us by but tucked in behind our group of bedraggled cyclists.

beauf

Sounds like it was.

Kaisr Sose

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Now it did seem however that the Garda was intentionally trying to catch a cyclist out. He had ample opportunity to pass us by but tucked in behind our group of bedraggled cyclists.

Good for the Garda. Its only though being thought a lesson arising from your behaviour that you have any chance of a change in the behaviour of that cyclist. More garda needed like them, for all red light running, of which cyclists do not comprise the majority/largest sample, and my absolute pet hate for cyclists, no lights.

As for the UPS vehicle, unfortunately the concession to park short term on a double yellow for loading/unloading also trickles down to being permitted to block a cycle lane to deliver/collect (*unless they were not parked up, in which case the Garda should have pulled them too)

Chips Lovell

Utter Consternation wrote: »

He ignored a UPS van stuck right in the cycle lane before the lights at O'Connell Bridge...

If it's delivering or collecting something, it can park there for up to 30 minutes.

Utter Consternation

Chips Lovell wrote: »

If it's delivering or collecting something, it can park there for up to 30 minutes.

Are you sh1tting me?? Wow. That was just after 5pm, right at the peak of evening rush hour.

AndrewJRenko

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Are you sh1tting me?? Wow. That was just after 5pm, right at the peak of evening rush hour.

It depends.


A driver can stop on double-yellows to load or unload for up to 30 minutes. They can't stop on a clearway or a mandatory cycle lane.

Utter Consternation

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It depends.


A driver can stop on double-yellows to load or unload for up to 30 minutes. They can't stop on a clearway or a mandatory cycle lane.

Is it a mandatory cycle lane? Pardon the divergence from the OP. I was on an electric bike at this stage though.

Chips Lovell

Solid white line = mandatory
Dashed white line = non-mandatory.

I believe the lane on the south keys approach O'Connell Bridge is dashed.

Hurrache

Guys in an unmarked garda car pulled over a lady who looked like she cycled through the pedestrians lights at the Spire infront of them this evening. Stupidly busy place to do so.

ReReg Numpty

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

eBikes are a huge benefit for older people, people with disabilities who would have limited power and stamina, cargo bike riders, people carrying heavy loads.

In summary, they're great. Don't create an 'us and them' situation.

What a finely tuned moral compass you have. You'll have no problem at the pearly gates, that's for sure.

They have nothing to do with cycling. This is the cycling forum, about cycling culture, right?

Or is it just a platform for virtue signalling?

beauf

"ReReg wrote:

...They have nothing to do with cycling. ...right?

Wrong.

beauf

Hurrache wrote: »

Guys in an unmarked garda car pulled over a lady who looked like she cycled through the pedestrians lights at the Spire infront of them this evening. Stupidly busy place to do so.

She must have been too busy dodging the drug dealers and junkies. Priorities eh...

RobbieMD

beauf wrote: »

She must have been too busy dodging the drug dealers and junkies. Priorities eh...

Yeah the guards shouldn’t bother with enforcing the Road Traffic Act. Damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

Kaisr Sose

Hurrache wrote: »

Guys in an unmarked garda car pulled over a lady who looked like she cycled through the pedestrians lights at the Spire infront of them this evening. Stupidly busy place to do so.

That happens multiple ntines times every hour there.Not being challenged by the multiple garda on duty in this arar of town also happens every single day)

AndrewJRenko

ReReg Numpty wrote: »

What a finely tuned moral compass you have. You'll have no problem at the pearly gates, that's for sure.

They have nothing to do with cycling. This is the cycling forum, about cycling culture, right?

Or is it just a platform for virtue signalling?

If you have a problem with the topic being discussed here, you can:


1) not click into the thread, or
2) report the thread to a moderator.


Take your pick.

Corca Baiscinn

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

eBikes are a huge benefit for older people, people with disabilities who would have limited power and stamina, cargo bike riders, people carrying heavy loads.

In summary, they're great. Don't create an 'us and them' situation.

Dead on! You can add "people on longer commutes" to that. Think of the freedom of avoiding crowded P/T & congested roads in favour of a cheap reliable journey. Ebikes and not ecars are the major EU success story, sales absolutely soaring.

Person you were replying to seems to imply everyone should be "people like me" but human beings come in a variety of guises as you pointed out

Kaisr Sose

Chips Lovell wrote: »

Solid white line = mandatory
Dashed white line = non-mandatory.

I believe the lane on the south keys approach O'Connell Bridge is dashed.

What with this Mandatory cycle lane? ðŸ˜

Corca Baiscinn

Hurrache wrote: »

I can see why in fairness, less exertion, longer distances, pretty much normal clothes and no need for a shower when arriving at the office.

I've inadvertently got into commuter races with a couple, some i can keep pace with, others just blast away like a motorbike, can be a dodgy enough thing to do particularly when on confined routes like the canals.

Exactly! Especially useful if your office doesn't have a shower!

Corca Baiscinn

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

What with this Mandatory cycle lane? ðŸ˜

Mandatory, continuous white line - cars not allowed to enter, dashed line, they may.

Causes confusion because of the years of legal lack of clarity in rules of the road as to whether cycle lanes were or weren't mandatory for cyclists to use.

beauf

RobbieMD wrote: »

Yeah the guards shouldn’t bother with enforcing the Road Traffic Act. Damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

Nope they damn themselves by being selective for no good reason.

Last time I checked enforcement was something like 2 cycling fines per day for the whole country. Of course you cant trust the stats or the reporting of them either. Maybe they do a lot more, or a lot less.

I'm glad they clarified their position on the NCT issues anyway.