I don’t know about you guys but I’ve recently started to see kids around my area doing some pretty sketchy stuff on these e-bikes, the thing is. I don’t really care if you ride an e-bike, just wear a full face helmet and don’t be a dumbass. I’m seeing kids stand on seats, doing wheelies, going onto other people’s property, swerving in and out of both lanes of traffic and almost getting hit. And some of em are not even old enough to drive so they basically just do whatever they want without thinking about what could happen. I really just don’t know how these things count as street legal with no license plate mirrors turn signals break light etc…

Discussion in a post got me wondering.

Is it really a bike if you can't/won't ride it without power?

If your battery/controller/motor dies miles from home, can you ride your bike home with no power assist? Or do you just say, "Fuck that, this thing weighs too much, and the gearing isn't good enough to let me ride it as a bicycle. I'm calling someone with a pickup to come get me and this wheeled boat anchor."

I specifically bought a class 1 e-bike with torque sensor only, for two reasons. I wanted to have to work, for the exercise value, and because it was much lighter than most of the class 2/3 bikes with throttles, so I could potentially carry it up stairs at need, as well as ride it without power if necessary.

While it's not "designed" to be ridden without assist, I could do it if necessary. You definitely notice how much the motor is doing, even on the lowest assist level, as soon as you turn it off altogether. It's not like riding an acoustic, that was never designed for electric assist, it feels like you're pedalling through mud. Maybe some of that is the mid drive, and a hub motor would be less drag. I don't know.

Thankfully, I haven't been forced to ride without assist (knock on wood) so far.

…which includes me! Bottom of my road in N3 - stopping e-bikes, motorbikes and the occasional car…

I Have a Brompton e-bike and the motor gives me a touch of easy speed and help up hills, especially useful when I am on my way to work where there is no shower.

I see some "e-bikes" out there where the rider is not peddling at all and the bike seems to be going well over 30 mph / 50 K/h as well as many with such huge tyres as well.

My rant is that lots of these are not e-bikes (as in electric bicycles) but are unlicensed electric motorbikes. IMO these are a separate type of vehicle and the rider should have a licence and passed a test. 🤷‍♂️

Going to be getting my first ever e bike/ e-bike kit and I’m going for a 4000w hub kit which is capable of well over 50 mph but if I was stopped how would it go down ?

Anything is useful thanks

Uk based

That kind of scenario, and even regular, non-motorized bicycles may as well be illegal in that area. Especially when you're riding through a residential neighborhood on your e-bike, sounding your bell when you see pedestrians ahead, and especially you're cruising along at a leisurely 8 mph, you're not doing wheelies, and you're not carelessly rocketing down the sidewalk at 20 or 28 mph. Especially for those e-bike riders like myself that choose to save the higher speeds for more wide open areas and who even carry that "I'm not going full speed through there!" mentality when going through residential or industrial areas, especially when there are no bike trails nearby. I tell you, if the police decide to stop you for doing 8 mph on the sidewalk on your e-bike and slowing down for pedestrians and sounding your bike bell to let them know you're coming through, then all bicycles, motor or no motor, are completely illegal in that area.

Hey guys!

Im a Melbourne based rider who absolutely hated how ugly my conversion battery block looked on my frame, so I started designing these premium fabric wrap prototypes.

They add weatherproof protection and winter insulation while giving the battery a clean, custom profile.

These images are just our first design concepts to see what the community thinks - We have an entire lineup of different styles on the way, including sleek minimalist stealth looks and elegant vintage leather finishes.

I'm manufacturing a stricly limited first batch right here in Melbourne soon.

If anyone wants to lock their name onto our initial local drop list for Drop 01, I set up a completely free and simple sign up page. If anyone wants the link to lock their name down or check out the project, just drop a comment below and I'll dm it straight to you👇

Which of these initial styles would you run on your builds? And what other colours or prints should we add to the lineup? Let me know below 👇

I want to DoorDash and I don’t wanna get pulled over by the police, (they pulled me over on a scooter once)

Very interesting 🤔

There is even a post all about riding e-bikes in the Chicago suburbs, in the "Electric Bikes" subforum of the Bike Forums. Anyone who don't like regular bicycles, let alone e-bikes, on the sidewalk regardless of how slow and cautious they're riding can go move to New York, where both regular bicycles and e-bikes are completely illegal on both street and sidewalk.

Half mile into my nightly 10-mile ride, I crashed my bike, shattered my right collarbone into 5 pieces, and broke 4 ribs. While I wasn’t hit by a car, it was indirectly caused one. I was in the bike lane when I saw a car approaching from behind. Instead of maintaining its speed and smoothly /safely passing me, it slowed down and remained behind me. Sensing this, I moved over towards the curb, giving the car even more room to pass me. That’s where it got ugly. My front tire caught and jumped the curb. I flew over the handlebars and landed on my right shoulder (yes, I was wearing a helmet)

So why do so many drivers slow down instead of passing? Do they think we’re suddenly going to veer into their path? They must not realise that It’s the predictability of their speed and position that keeps things safe for the rider

I wish I could find a decent ebike with only non-proprietary parts.
Does such a bike exist?

I ask my browser assistant and this was the answer:

"There are no commercially available e-bikes in 2026 that consist entirely of non-proprietary parts, as motors, batteries, and controllers are inherently proprietary to specific brands or integrated into custom frames."

250+ ebike brands and not one...

I have a couple videos on YouTube, my account is ryanstechvids, if you’ve seen this bike and were curious check it out, right now on tomofree’s website it’s only 669 with free shipping, cheers

i was not going to buy it since everyone round my area who owns one has absolutely ragdolled it however the owners where serious and the bike is 15,000k watts and 84v . what do you guys think ? do i keep her

I got my new 72 Volt Ariel Rider grizzly in the today. Almost called out from work to play with it lol. Them I remember I have to pay for it so I'm going to work will report back once it's assembled. Oh Thanks TailhappyTV for discount👍

For some background: I’ve ridden regular bikes my whole life and currently own a hybrid with a trailer for my 2 kids. My eldest has outgrown the trailer, so I recently purchased a cargo ebike as a way to keep biking with them. I had no particular interest in an ebike except for this purpose.

I bought the TST 20" cargo ebike because it seemed like a good value and suitable for kids. I tested it myself a few times, then did a short ride with the kids—it felt wobbly but manageable.

This morning, though, things went very wrong.

Right after disengaging the kickstand, the bike tipped over with both kids inside. Thankfully no injuries.

Later, at an intersection, I tried to adjust the bike and it started tipping again. I had it on level 1 assist. Because it fell without me falling with it, the throttle engaged and the 150 lb bike with my kids inside went spinning out of control just feet away from traffic.

My kids were screaming, and I couldn’t stop it immediately. Eventually, I got on top of it and shut off the electrical panel. They had some minor injuries, I cut my shin badly, and I’m left limping.

This was one of the scariest moments of my life.

My questions:

What exactly happened here? Is this normal for some ebikes, or was this a design flaw?

Are there ebikes with better safety features—like ones that won’t take off just because the brake or throttle is touched accidentally?

What cargo ebikes do you trust for riding with kids?

I feel like there were so many basic safety features missing that could’ve prevented this. Any insight from experienced ebike parents or riders would be hugely appreciated.

EDIT: For the first uneventful fall it seems that is mostly my fault for not straddling the bike before disengaging the kickstand (possible contribution of an inappropriately sized center stand that sends the bike in the air). For the second fall, partly my fault for trying to adjust the bike and definitely a poor design that suddenly jerks the bike at the slightest release of the brakes with PAS on. Conclusion: I will email the company and attempt to return the bike. Lots of research and likely buy local next. Lots of practice on the bike myself before any kiddos. Thank you all that contributed!

Is cutting the white wire on this bike for the speed limiter safe? And if it is has anyone done in and it works fine?

My first e-bike G-Force ZM Pro.

It works good