Electric bikes

If you’ve not ridden an electric bicycle yet, chances are you know someone who has. Or maybe someone rode past you on one and you thought it was a conventional bike. Changes in permitted power output means you’ll likely be seeing more, and better, electric bikes coming your way (or riding past you).

If you’ve been lured by an electric bike, my colleagues and I would like to hear from you, as I’ll discuss a little later. But first, for the uninitiated, let’s start with the basics: what is an electric bike?

An electric bike has motorised assistance that allows the cyclist to ride further with less effort. Think of it as having a reliable tailwind to help you on your way up hills.

A change of gear

Motorised assistance will cut out at 25km/h. You can go faster than 25km/h, but you need to be pedalling – the battery will not provide any extra push.

While some countries, and some states of the US, allow electric bikes of up to 1,000 watts, any bicycle powered by an auxiliary motor that exceeds 250 watts in Australia will be classified a motorbike and must be registered and ridden by a licenced rider.

In addition to further clarifying the definitions of electric bikes, the government’s changes to permitted power outputs have brought Australia inline internationally.

While 50 watts more may not seem a big increase, it’s potentially a game-changer for electric bikes.

For riders, it means going up hills will be a little easier, with extra torque, although the top speed will still cut out at 25km/h and the distance you can ride with electric motor assistance will be about the same.

Get in touch

Our findings will assist to develop future policies aimed at increasing the safety and sustainability of the transport system, including electric bikes.

Whether the electric bike provides a stepping stone from the car to a pedal bike remains to be seen. But the individual benefits that can be gained by reducing people’s reliance on cars and increasing their physical activity will also help reduce congestion and vehicle exhaust pollution on our roads.

While some bicycle models are clearly electric bikes with a battery pack plain to see, many of the models are not visibly electric and are difficult to differentiate for other road users.

As with all cycling activity, the question of safety also impacts electric bike riders and feeds into the issue of adequate and connected bicycle facilities on and off roads, as well as behavioural issues with other road users.