Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

E bike insurance possibly on the way

2»

Comments

  • #32
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,716 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »
    Then you have your fast e-bikes, capable of speeds of up to 45 km/h assisted, need a moped license, insurance, number plate, helmet, etc...
    To me this distinction is entirely sensible. What if it was weight? Some pedelecs would need a license and some fast ebikes wouldn't because of very heavy or light build.
    It would just create a mess.

    but it's weight that makes a moving object more dangerous - they can already go faster than 25km/h, just not using the motor. I don't think either option is particularly enforceable TBH. Under the current legislation you need license, registration, insurance etc for a solo-wheel, which is ridiculous.


  • #33
    TheJak01
    Registered Users Posts: 61 ✭✭TheJak01


    loyatemu wrote: »
    but it's weight that makes a moving object more dangerous - they can already go faster than 25km/h, just not using the motor. I don't think either option is particularly enforceable TBH. Under the current legislation you need license, registration, insurance etc for a solo-wheel, which is ridiculous.

    The weight of the bike is pretty inconsequential when it comes to a collision though. A rider at 100kg on the worlds lightest bike will still weight more than an average cyclist on an e-bike, so insuring based on bike weight doesn't make a huge deal of sense. Insuring based on power output or speed, while not perfect, is reasonable.

    I think e-bikes are brilliant for getting people cycling that otherwise wouldn't be. However, I also think thats their biggest drawback. People can (and will) cycle at the 25km/h in all situations without having had the experience required to travel at those speeds in certain traffic situations. Cycling at a 25k/h average on a commute is a fair whack for most unassisted, and I'd hazard a guess that most doing those sorts of speeds will have been cycling for a reasonable amount of time, so have the experience to cope with those speeds. I guess the alternative is to require some kind of license, but that would cause people to not cycle in the first place, and is the greater of two evils.

    FWIW, my dad wanted a 45kmh pedelec imported. He's not cycled in 20 years. It'd be suicidal commuting in Dublin at those speeds without any experience on a bike on the roads - so I recommended against it. I think the current situation for the 25kmh bikes is fine as it's a difficult but manageable speed for most, but putting people travelling 20kmh quicker than the rest of the traffic on their lane, without any experience to manage it would be carnage. I've no problem them being treated as and legislated for like mopeds - perhaps make the license a little easier or just have them sit a course - but it makes complete sense to me.


Advertisement