What are High-Speed Electric Bikes and how can they benefit me?
An introduction to high-speed ebikes
We all know that eBikes have the potential to improve people’s transportation around our towns and cities of the future. eBikes have made inner-city transport so much easier for those looking to move quickly and safely through our streets. And yet we continue to see traffic clogging up our roads, which is adversely impacting the quality of life of the people who live in and around our towns.
To combat this issue, we are now seeing the introduction of high-speed eBikes, otherwise known as ‘S-Pedelecs’ which can be used as an alternative to cars, motorbikes and mopeds to help free the growing landscape of our cities. These electric bikes can gain you assistance of up to 28mph (45kmph), making travel time far quicker between destinations and making longer journeys more feasible.
A survey conducted by sme-news.co.uk displaying worker’s commuting experiences in September 2019, revealed that the average mileage of a commute across the UK per day is 23 miles, whilst some 14% of commuters travel over 42 miles a day. In Greater London specifically, the average trip was 20 miles, and took a whopping 85 minutes, at a speed of just 14mph, with some people paying the highest prices for fuel and monthly season tickets for public transport.
Whilst standard electric pedal-assist bikes can quicken the journeys from A-B, travelling distances of up to 20 miles on a pedelec can sometimes take too long, which means people usually commute by car or train rather than by a bike. High-speed eBikes are designed to not only dramatically reduce the amount of mopeds, motorbikes and cars on our clogged roads, but most importantly (and in light of the above statistic) make it easier for someone who is travelling distances above 10 miles a day to go to their destination in a quicker, far cleaner and less-anxiety induced way than traditional methods of transport. Speed pedelecs can complete the urban mobility mix for our future.
So what is a Speed Pedelec and what are the laws surrounding them?
Speed Pedelecs are a certain category of electric bike that can assist the rider up to 28mph (an additional 12.5 mph more than the current eBike legal limit at 15.5mph) by using a motor with a higher cut-off speed. You still have to pedal to gain assistance. Currently S-Pedelec’s are treated as being in the light moped category (L1e-B) and require registration with the DVLA should you wish to use them on public roads. At Fully Charged we stock speed pedelecs from Moustache and Riese & Muller.
Speed Pedelecs that are built off the Bosch eBike System are complete to an exceptionally high level of build quality, with specialist components that can tackle such speeds; these include hydraulic brakes, higher quality tyres and integrated lights, horns, mirrors and number plate mounts to ensure full conformity to DVLA standards and under L1e-B classification. The bike must be taxed (which is free, due to them producing no emissions) and needs a helmet that is rated for use up to 28 mph, like the Bern Hudson.
It is highly recommended that Speed Pedelecs are registered with the DVLA and individuals choosing not to do so, do so at their own risk. We are here to help guide you through the registration process, which is simple and inexpensive.
Steps for Registering a High-Speed eBike
1. First of all of course, you need to find yourself an HS eBike. Our eBike experts can discuss with you the options and arrange a test ride.
2. Your chosen HS eBike will come with a ‘Certificate of Conformity’ which shows that the bike has passed rigorous regulations. You’ll need the information from the CoC later.
3. We can provide you with relevant forms from the DVLA and these must be completed using information from the CoC.
4. Send everything, including a cheque for £55 to the DVLA, including also some basic proof of address/ID.
5. The DVLA will review your application and issue you with a V5C registration document (which takes around 2 weeks). This tells you your new registration number.
6. Tax the vehicle. (There’s nothing to pay!)
7. Purchase a standard numberplate to affix to the rear of your bike.
8. The last thing to do is to arrange some insurance.
Our eBike experts can guide you through the process to make it as painless as possible - and you’ll be enjoying the benefits of your High-Speed eBike in no time!
Why ride a Speed Electric?
Speed pedelecs enable riders to integrate themselves more easily into the existing infrastructure than normal racing cyclists and eBikes themselves. Markus Riese, Co-Founder of Riese and Muller, recently wrote in his article Fast ‘transport revolution’ thanks to HS bikes that ‘Cyclists have a choice on an HS (high-speed) bike, they can ride more quickly in the general flow of traffic.’ Riders on an HS eBike can adapt their speed to the respective traffic flow, resulting in greater safety for the rider and for the traffic around them. Most importantly, this is an opportunity to make environmentally friendly mobility attractive over longer distances here in the UK.
It is no doubt true that during this post-Covid era, and during a time in which the British government is drastically improving infrastructure for its citizens to move faster across the UK, that many commuters should consider a high-speed alternative for an electric bike.
Fully Charged has a wide variety of high-speed electric bikes available to test-ride from our London Bridge showroom, the comfort of your home or office or for immediate delivery online. Here’s our top picks:
Riese and Muller Superdelite Rohloff HS
The highest-specification long range, all terrain electric bike on the market Featuring state-of-the-art DualBattery technology.
Riese and Muller Load 75 Rohloff HS
For the perfect family adventure.
Moustache Friday 27 FS Dual Speed
Equipped with full suspension, dual 1125Wh Bosch batteries and a Performance Speed motor, the Friday 27 FS SPeed is at the very pinnacle of the eBike world.
Moustache Friday 27 FS Speed
Equipped with both front and rear suspension, the Friday 27 FS Speed is capable of taking on whatever the concrete jungle throws at it and more.
