Electric bikes: the UK law

In Great Britain, You need to be 14 or over to ride an electric bike.

You don’t need a license, and they don’t need to be registered, taxed or insured.

Electric bikes meeting the requirements are called ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs). They can be either 2-wheeled bicycles, tandems or tricycles.

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The requirements for EAPC are:

• the bike must have pedals that can be used to propel it

• the electric motor shouldn’t be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph ( 25 km/h )

• the motor shouldn’t have a maximum power output of more than 250 watts

It must also display one item from each of the following:

• the power output or manufacturer of the motor

• the battery’s voltage or maximum speed of the bike

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If a bike meets these EAPC requirements it’s classed as a normal pedal bike. This means you can ride it on cycle paths and anywhere else that pedal bikes are allowed.

Other kinds of electric bike

Any electric bike that doesn’t meet the EAPC rules needs to be registered and taxed. You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.

Any electric bike that doesn’t meet the EAPC rules will also need to be ‘type approved’ to make sure it’s safe to use on the road.

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UK law & Throttles on e-bikes

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UK law has now fallen into line with the EU and that means electric bikes with full speed throttles will no longer be allowed, throttles will have to cut off at 4mph. The throttle will only work beyond 4mph if you are also pedalling.

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However we are allowed to sell off our remaining stock, and anyone who already has an electric bike with a throttle will be allowed to continue to use it. But there will be no more full speed throttles on any make electric bikes when these are gone.

 

However we can arrange for bikes to be retro fitted with full speed throttles. Please ask when purchasing your bike. But please note that adding a throttle in this way makes the bike not for use on the road. With a full throttle fitted, the bike should not be used on the road.

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LifeCycle will continue to manufacture the finest electric bikes that defeat the hills and headwinds, and that are effortless to ride, even without a throttle. But the advice is definitely get a bike with a throttle while you still can. 

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We will continue to make electric bikes that are an ideal form of transport, and that will help anyone to stay in the saddle, even with health or age related issue that would other wise prevent them from cycling.

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LifeCycle electric bikes make cycling so easy and so pleasurable, and you will be fitter without getting exhausted in the process, and now because you have found the place for the best electric bikes available, give us a call and we’ll tell you more.

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Click here to see the full range of our electric bikes.

 

De-restricted and over powered electric bikes

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The EU rules are that the maximum speed that an electric bike is allowed to achieve on the highway using the motor is 15.5 mph (25kph)

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Therefore all road legal electric bikes, no matter which make, which brand OR how much they cost are only able to achieve a maximum speed of 15.5mph (25kph).

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We can arrange for LifeCycle electric bikes to be fitted with a de-restrict switch that will enable our electric bikes to exceed this road limit speed. This is a free facility, please ask when purchasing your bike. But please note that de-restricting the bike in this way makes it not for use on the road. With a de-restrict switch fitted the bike must not be used on the road.

De-restricting makes the bike into an “off road” bike only, because it can then exceed the 15.5mph speed limit.

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We can also arrange for bikes to be fitted with full speed throttles

Please ask when purchasing your bike. But please note that adding a throttle in this way makes the bike not for use on the road. With a full throttle fitted, the bike must not be used on the road.

 

De-restricted and higher powered electric bikes, and bikes with throttles are great fun to use and really flatten hills, however as mentioned they are for off road use only.

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Electric bike world terms and conditions - Please click here to read these.

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Electric bike world privacy policy - Please click here to read this.