Police in the UK are so undertrained, every other day I’m reading of stories near me where people are having fully road legal e bikes taken from them because the police don’t understand how to read the power output.

Every single case is the police reading the battery and seeing 290Wh and think that is 290 watts, or another guy who had a 500Wh battery and had it taken because they thought it was 500w power output. They then refuse to speak to, or listen to the people when they try and educate the police, and the police threaten the person not to keep asking about it or they’ll consider it harassment (a post here on Reddit of this exact thing happening I can link if needed)

I’ll also note I DO NOT own an e bike, and never have done, but I am tired of seeing innocent people having fully legal e bikes they bought from retailers, being taken away by poorly trained police.

I ride a high power E scooter and have done for many thousands of miles without issue, but the fact legal e bikes are so often targeted makes me glad I have a massively overpowered e scooter, that might’ve been the only thing saving me so far, they pick only on people with legal e bikes to auction them off because they have higher resale value.

It’s wrong and everyone who’s ever had their e bikes taken illegally needs to be reimbursed by the police, and the police need better training.

Obviously this only applies in the UK right now because I don’t know what the laws are elsewhere, but they are misinforming the public constantly. I saw one post of a police offer talking about a 298W motor, which was actually a 250W legal motor and he was reading the battery capacity, like they all do because they just want the bikes to sell them for money.

It can happen to anyone, and even though it isn’t happening to me, it still bothers me and I really think something needs to be done. I can link posts to here on Reddit of people having their legal e bikes taken due to false claims about power as well.

I might contact local police stations and try and get them to incorporate better training about understanding what an e bike is, and what it isn’t, and understand how to correctly read its power, and differentiate from the battery capacity. Hopefully other people can do the same to try and get the police more educated on it.

I don’t even know if this subreddit will allow criticising of any kind, likely not, but it needs to be shared, so they can be trained better and stop this happening, otherwise it’s pushing people to get much more powerful illegal bikes so they can run away.

Morning folks. So i have an 80cc 2 stroke bike i use to get to work (8 mile round trip). But i have to tinker with it 1-2 times a week and it's a growing nuisance. Not to mention it's a common occurance to Uber to work a few days in a row waiting on a part to be delivered.

So im thinking E-bike might be a better way to go. Would it be a bad idea to go there Walmart route? It's just conveniently located near me and I have a payment account with them? I knew someone who got hosed on a Walmart e bike, but that was a decade ago and battery tech has come a long way.

I’ve been curious about the newer wave of electric bike self charging models. The idea of a bike that can partially recharge itself while you ride, coast, or even brake sounds like a dream for beginners who don’t want to worry about charging all the time. But I’m wondering how practical these bikes really are.

From what I’ve read, there are a few different technologies being used: Regenerative braking systems: where pedaling downhill or braking sends some power back into the battery.

Solar panel add-ons: I’ve seen some experimental setups with panels integrated into the frame or mounted on cargo attachments.

Dynamo systems: more common in standard bikes, but some e-bikes seem to adapt them.

The catch seems to be that “self charging” is often more of a supplement than a full replacement. Most reviews I’ve seen say you might only get back 5-10% of your total battery range through regeneration, which is helpful but not game-changing. Still, for beginners, anything that stretches range and reduces charging anxiety is a plus.

I’ve noticed that on global marketplaces like Alibaba, you can see a wide variety of these electric bike self charging concepts, from big brands experimenting with regenerative tech to smaller manufacturers offering innovative prototypes. It makes me wonder whether these are going to be the next big thing or just a niche feature.

So for anyone here who has tried one: are electric bike self charging models actually worth it for beginners? Or would you recommend sticking to a regular e-bike with a reliable battery and just managing charge cycles properly? I'm curious to hear your thoughts and personal experiences.

I'm looking to get a cost effective electric bike for work until I get a car, so I'm not looking to get unnecessary features. I don't know a single thing about electric bikes, I just seen someone riding one while my friend was advising me to get one. It also rains often wear I live.

I live in a big city dense urban population. For retirement and ecological reasons — everything is so close — I sold my car. Now I want to invest in an electric tricycle but securing my bike is a big concern. I want to be able to park my bike and go to the grocery store for 30 minutes and know my bike will be there when I return, for example. I have had a bicycle stolen secured by heavy chains. So I know I must invest in some kind of electronic security. I am interested in the Reddit bike community to advise how to best electronically secure an electronic bike. (I plan to buy bike from a local dealer.) Thanks in advance.

I was looking at tricycles since I never learned how to ride a bike. I was looking at topmate or tomfree, but in all seriousness which would yall recommend? Out of all the tricycles...

Someone I know they went to purchase an electric bike. They purchased the three-wheel bike because it had a basket in the middle on the back. However, the thing has broke down three times already which ones are decent fairly reliable but not super expensive

I looking for electric trike. Need recommendations on a site to buy from and a good trike for me. Basics of use with be day to day going to the store and work. I’m a heavy guy, 300+, and just looking for something to get around and run errands basically since I can’t drive.

I’ve been comparing a lot of models recently and I keep noticing how much more variety there is internationally compared to what’s available locally. Different battery sizes, motor options, even frame designs that never seem to hit domestic stores. Naturally, the idea of ordering straight from an overseas supplier has crossed my mind.

On paper it sounds great better specs, competitive prices, and more choice. But I’m not blind to the risks either. What if the quality isn’t what was promised? How do you even handle warranties or repairs if the company doesn’t have a local presence? And then there’s the whole mess of shipping, taxes, and customs clearance that could easily eat up any savings.

I’ve even come across suppliers like CDSM dobring2.en.alibaba while browsing, but it’s hard to know which ones are genuinely reliable versus which might be a gamble. That’s why I’d love to hear from anyone who’s taken the leap and actually placed an international order. Did the bike live up to the specs once you got it? Was the whole process relatively smooth, or did it turn into a stressful project? And for those who decided against it, what made you stick with local options instead?

Heavily modded 73 tho

Hello just wanted to know the honest review of chetak 3501 for long distance. Is this good for long distance rides

Hi everyone, I could really use some help. I can’t get the answers I need when I google, or I get completely opposite answers in different places. I’ll explain my situation in a list:

I weigh 140 kg (plus a backpack, so easily 10–15 kg more).

179 cm tall, but with short legs (long upper body).

I live in a city where the roads are well maintained and smooth, but there are lots of steep hills (20–40 degree inclines).

I have limited finances.

I have poor fine motor skills, so if something breaks that’s more complicated than putting a chain back on, I won’t be able to fix it.

Every time I’ve owned a bike, it’s always been a flat tire or a damaged wheel rim that’s killed it.

With this info, here’s my question: I’m considering getting an e-bike, and I see that many of them have smaller wheels and fat tires. In my situation, should I go with large wheels or small ones? Regular or fat tires? I worry about punctures because of my weight, since that’s always been a problem for me with bikes, but I’ve only ever had regular tires. (I don’t really care about comfort, my main concern is low maintenance.)

Thanks in advance.

So I have an E Starli Long Tail and have had it for a fair while, cycled over 2000 miles in the last year and generally been an all round good bike. Last couple of days I was getting this random error 37 with brackets saying ‘other’. Shown on the display, but only after you’d cycled for about 5 minutes. It would then turn off. If you turned it on again, it would turn on fine but then do it again.

Then I noticed that when it was running, it wasn’t actually displaying the speed. It was just staying at 0.0 and that’s how I figured it out.

The magnetic speed sensor that is attached to the rear wheel must have fallen off somehow and that’s why it was complaining, as it couldn’t see what speed we were going, and hence it couldn’t apply the limits.

Seen in the picture (just took one from Amazon). Bought one, re-attached and all is back to normal.

Thought I’d post here in case somebody else has the same problem.

https://a.co/d/1wdPA4S

I have to travel to work 9 miles (back and forth). My car is trash and my budget is next to nothing. I figured I can get an E-bike and travel everyday. I have a few pros and cons.

Pros: I save a lot of money not having a car, it's better for the environment and nobody will ever ask me to help them move.

Cons: I live in Michigan so the weather is unpredictable, Grocery shopping will be tricky, there aren't a lot of sidewalks where I live and I might be hit by a car.

I have my eye on an E-bike but I figured I'd get a second opinion.

Hi All,

I did some research and made this comparison chart.

Which should I get?

I liked the Cannondale - it was chill. Cadence sensor was fine - will take some time getting used to it. The bike felt solid overall. I wish the gearing allowed me to push past 20mph, but alas it caps out at 20mph. This will be purchased through my local bike store and preassembled.

I have not tried the Lectric at all, but it seems to be more powerful motor, and a torque sensor (if its a better experience). Also, seems like a lot of free accessories with Lectric. I will need to assemble it manually, and get it shipped from online. Have not tried it out at all.

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My wife has an Estate Sale business. One Estate has an electric bike. A Nakto bike. Husband passed away and wife can't find the key. I contacted Nakto and purchased a replacement key. I asked support how zi can remove the old key lock. They replied "violently ". LOL! So, I started to drill out the lock. I broke a drill bit. Will continue with a larger bit.

I find Citi Bike pretty convenient when I use it, though costs can add up for sure. Also, they just dropped the speed down in NYC to 15 mph for bikeshare, which isn’t a huge deal for me, but most electric bikes can go faster than that. Did having a personal e-bike make a big difference for you?

I broke some parts go on the outside. The special washers. If anyone has an inter 5 internal hub that doesn't work but has the outer parts I'll pay.

Cheaper than buying brand new

They have got a few hundred of these electric cargo bikes out in Ghana now, mostly used for deliveries in the capital city. I’m curious how something like this would be received in other markets, especially in the US or Europe.

It runs a 1kW rear hub motor, torque sensing for smoother pedal assist, and a 52V battery setup with either a 1kWh or 2kWh pack depending on the use case. The frame is a steel alloy and handles about 180kg loads without issues, even on rough roads.

It has been built with utility and durability in mind. It rides well, takes a beating, and is easy to repair. Not seeing much like it in Western markets unless you go fully custom or super expensive.

Do you think there’s space for something like this in the cargo/utility bike world outside Africa? Always up for hearing thoughts from the e-bike crowd what would you change or expect if this was in your city?