spinnanz

Here in NZ we have no laws on having a throttle or having to pedal so your ebike/moped definitions are moot here.

In the filmed path I CAN predict people/dog/kids coming out. It's my local path an the only place that can happen between the start and end of the video is approx 100m up from where I passed the runner and lady. If I don't know the path, I don't do 62kph, simple. I don't need to change my behavior because I already do. My speeds are dictated by the path, number of people and if I know the path or not

Correct that vintage bike brakes don't stop bikes too well. Also another moot point, I have modern brakes. This paired with alloy rims, I have brakes many times better than they originally were.
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veganbikes

No they are not moot because I am not coming from a legal definition, I am talking about the difference between an actual bicycle and something that has pedals but you use a throttle which is what you have.

Nostradamus??? I thought he had died in 1566 damn I guess I should give you a pass for all of this I don't know anyone who has lived to 518 years old and you are still getting out there. Good for you. I wish I could see the future and predict everyone's actions that would be super handy. Would make dating easier and eating at certain restaurants (no more food poisoning or poor service for me). I don't really know anyone alive who can really predict someones actions like that while screaming towards them on shared path but if anyone could it would be you Mr. Nostradamus.

Ok more modern brakes but still not really that great at stopping a very fast moving motorcycle. You really don't see many motorcycles that aren't using hydraulic disc brakes. Plus you are missing pads and shoes at the rear. Yes the front has most of your stopping power but on something that is heavy and fast, a single caliper brake just doesn't cut it and even with two I would still not be satisfied but hey I like to be in control. Especially when I am riding around anyone else or riding somewhere where my negligence could cause issues for beyond just myself.

Also it is a shared path again not your path, you should ride on it as such. If you wish to go real fast it looked like there was an actual road right next to it perfect for motorized vehicles such as yours. If I were going throttled though I think I would go for something like a Triumph Scrambler or some fun vintage HD or Indian motorcycle.

spinnanz

Agree its a shared path, hence when passing I'm donny 12kph, which is slower than a great proportion of pedal bikes. Admittadly there were no pads in the rear in the pics, but there are now. Speed is most definatly up, but weight, not really. The whole conversion has added 6kg, which is far less than the weight difference of a small and big rider. This bike is actually 4kg lighter than my partners alloy ebike.

That road next to the path is unsuitable for any bikes or ebikes as it has multiple lengths with no shoulder where its has roundabouts.

Id concede most of your comments if the video showed a busy path or one with blind corners, but it doesn't. Im more than happy to say sorry to anyone I've endangered, but I honestly don't see anyone I'd need to do that to.

2old

OP; it's not worth answering the haters and misguided individuals. I have an analogous situation in socal with several bike paths that are basically empty with long sight lines. When passing the few walkers or other bikes encountered, I ride slowly, sometimes not even using my motor. When the path is wide open, sometimes the bike is too. However, don't expect the narrow-minded to ever concur, and it's not worth trying. Save your energy for something that's feasible like developing peace in the Middle East or understanding women (JK).

veganbikes

Of course the road wouldn't be ideal for bikes or e-bikes but a moped would be excellent. You don't need shoulders when you have a throttle and higher speeds.

The video was short I haven't seen the whole path but have ridden enough that look somewhat like yours but I still wouldn't want to be going super fast, that is what the road is for. A multi use path like that is for everyone who uses their legs (or potentially arms in the case of hand cyclists or people doing cartwheels or something) to propel themselves forwards. Motorcycles and Mopeds have the roads. Plus if you attitude is such that going fast on a MUP is fine then who is to say it wouldn't become a problem on other paths or when this one is much busier or in some other case.

spinnanz

I'm sorry but what goes in your county isn't world wide. To say a MUP is only for person power only is not true given here we are legally allowed and encouraged to use them here, to lower traffic congestion. If its not legal in your part of the world, that's irrelevant.

My attitude is NOT that I can go fast all the time. That's clearly stated by me and even shown in the video. You are again ignorant of that in your statement that if the path was busier my speed would be a problem.

I can assure you 100% if the path was busier my speed would have posed no danger to anyone..... Because I would not have been speeding. You are clearly cherry picking what you consider to be bad (62kph) and ignoring the good (12kph past people) and picking that I speed everywhere. Why do you comment on the speed in the video but ignore the respectful passing other MUP users? You're blind or ignorant, both maybe?

veganbikes

You are encouraged on a multi use path to ride mopeds and motorcycles? That is some odd legal maneuvering and rather backwards but I know you didn't come up with that law. Though I am surprised that New Zealand would have allowed that as I don't think I have heard of many pedestrian type paths allowing throttled vehicles. The path shows a the international symbol for a pedestrian and a pedal bicycle so one would think that was what it was for.

Your attitude was speed, the video is titled 'speed run OVERVOLT" and the title picture is of 62KPH. I mean I get it building a functional speedy moped out of an old bike would be something to talk about. If I were into that sort of stuff yeah I would probably have posted about it as well but I wouldn't then backtrack and say no the speed wasn't my main focus. The video was not geared towards respectful passing you ended up having to stop semi quickly because of what happened and then went right back to throttle and the video from the title and your post here wasn't about that. When I hear speed run and overvolt, I don't think reasonable and respectful. Maybe it means something else in Kiwi English but I doubt that highly.

spinnanz

Yes, the use of ebikes, be it throttle or pas are actively encouraged on dedicated cycle ways and shared paths. We have no law to separate a hand throttle bike or an automatic pas type system bike, you can buy bikes here with one or the other, or both. Anything with a petrol engine is banned from all cycle ways and MUPs.

We also have no ebike speed limit, but must stay under the posted vehicle speed limit of the attached road (in the case of using a bike lane on the side of a vehicle road). In the case of a MUPs, there is also no formal speed limit but we must adhere to passing others safely, which I do.

Basically I'll ignore anything you've said because it's full of statements against things I have not done and you have no evidence that I would. When you find video of me passing people dangerously or doing 60+ around blind corners, feel free to get your inner Karen out and comment.

veganbikes

Throttled bikes are actively encouraged? I will doubt that.

Maybe no posted limits on MUPs but on the NZTA website they do mention this:

• you must ride carefully and be considerate of others on the footpath
• you must not ride at speeds that put other footpath users at risk

Also they do mention an example of things that are mopeds and one of them is:
Cycles designed primarily to be propelled by an engine not the muscular energy of the rider

We could argue semantics but in your video you moved your legs for all of 3 seconds in the 51 seconds of riding and the other video on your channel of you riding the bike you moved your legs a couple times but it looked like more to change position as you went backwards a few times. Seems more of a Moped to me? The guy from Ninebot admitted they put cranks on their scooter so they could define it as a bicycle which is quite shady as you really didn't want to use the cranks they were awful.

It is easier to ignore than to just say "hey maybe I should ride as if other people exist and keep my moped activities to the road and if I am on a path maybe just stick to pedaling and if I need assistance pedaling that is fine so long as I am being respectful". You act as if you have posted more than this in this thread and you are a model person but it is a speed run (your words) and your are overvolted (again your words) doesn't sound like someone who is safe and caring. I am going by what I have here from you so if things were significantly different I feel like we would have seen that.

Yes please do call me a Karen it is easier as well, no need to confront your own actions just use the latest buzzword. As a cyclist and someone who owns and rides an e-bike keeping everyone safe is in my best interest and keeping what I own as legal as possible is also in my interest. People hot rodding it and acting as if the path is their own personal path and they allow others on it to be nice is just not sensible.

I will say though please continue to do tricks and do what you can to wreck those Lime scooters. I did re-watch that video a few times, people at least around here but probably in your neck of the woods as well do tend to leave them anywhere usually in the middle of the walkways.

spinnanz

Nzta says to ride with consideration to other MUPs users.

Please screen shot the video and show the bits where I passed other MUPs users without consideration. Given that you can't, it proves I am considerate of others when I encounter them. Where there are no other MUPs users, I have no one to be considerate of so therfore can't be called inconsiderate.

Again you go on about not pedalling. It's not a legal requirement here so I don't understand why you have an issue with it.

If you want to assume my behavior based on a video title rather than the actions in the video, you are a muppet. It can "seem" like a moped all you want but by legal definition here in nz, it's not and I am legally allowed to ride on the MUPs.

If anything it sounds like the UK has far too strict ebike laws and nz has too lax.
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veganbikes

You had to slow down rather quickly because of the stuff you claim you predict. Not really super safe but ok.

I am really curious how the motor vehicle you don't pedal and that goes 62kph and is "overvolted" is somehow not a moped? Would you prefer I call it a scooter? Yes it is not a gas powered moped but a rose by any other name is still a rose.

"If you want to assume my behavior based on a video title..." What do you expect here do you really think with a title like that you are some hero of the bike path? I love you are just grasping desperate trying to claim you are OK somehow going fast and "overvolting" your bike on a multi use path path. A sensible person would have said "yeah maybe I shouldn't do a speed run on the path I should have done that on the road with other fast motorized vehicles". I get it maybe the NZ government isn't actively out after you but it is still not a reason to go fast on a path used by pedestrians and cyclists. If it were a motorcycle route or you were on the street, sure go fast go wild put on your Hell's Angels jersey and play Steppenwolf but it is a multi use path and while yes you did slow down enough to weave through them you might be distracted or something like that incident could happen again even less predictably and your attitude throughout this has shown you don't care. Again you are just trying to claim well in that few seconds during the video I was the "great grand hero of the revolution" - John Mallory (from the film Duck...You Sucker aka Fistful of Dynamite aka Once Upon A Time...The Revolution) but the title and your attitude is not one of hey maybe I should be more careful it is I overvolted my bike and it goes fast and I am OK because I slowed down that one time.

If you got what I was saying again you would just say "hey yeah maybe I should be more careful" that is what a sensible person would do. Because something isn't explicitly illegal or posted doesn't mean you should do it.

2old

OP, we have the same situation in CA with individuals who don't or won't adhere to state law. Class 1 (20 mph PAS), Class 2 (20 mph throttle) and Class 3 (28 mph PAS, but must ride on the road or a bike path contiguous to a road) by state law are called bicycles. However, there are individuals that call them everything up to and including motorcycles.

veganbikes

A Class 1 and 3 are standard bicycles and you have to pedal them, easy peasy. Class 2 is limited to 20mph throttle and is the most grey of areas in the U.S. Beyond that you are outside of the law completely and unless on private property or have the proper licensing are technically illegal. If you will note the OP is going nearly 40mph (62kph) and is really only using a throttle so the U.S. Class 2 wouldn't apply as he is well beyond that and proud of it.

2old

Nothing grey about a signed state law. Also, the discussion isn't about the legality of his vehicle, but whether others were endangered by it. Additionally, I believe he said the bike was a bike by NZ statutes. It's the law in that country which prevails.

spinnanz

You can call my electric bike whatever you want, your interpretation of it is based on the law in your country. Over here, in terms of the law a "moped" is 50cc scooter producing less than 2kw of power. This is an old term going back to when 50cc bikes also had to have pedals, hence the name motor + pedals = moped. I don't consider backing off the throttle a full 10 seconds before being behind the other MUPs users as having to "slow down rather quickly". Maybe our interpretation of time is different or you are older so need extra reaction time?

spinnanz

Correct. We currently have no class 1/2 system for ebikes.

This causes some dismay from nz bike owners who buy very decent euro/us spec bikes with the speed limit programed into them, when the cheap Chinese ones have no speed limits.

veganbikes

No again not based on the law of my country based on what it is and how you are using it and what I posted from your countries Transportation Administration: "Cycles designed primarily to be propelled by an engine not the muscular energy of the rider " You are going fast purely by throttle (connected to motor) but you do have pedals hence the name motor + pedals = moped. You said it yourself : )

spinnanz

its 100% designed to be pedalled. I just choose not to.

Also the definition of a moped in my country is in relation to a cycle with an ENGINE not exceeding 50cc. Not an electric motor..... Admittedly those laws and definitions were actioned many years ago before electric bikes of today. But until that laws updated, I have an ebike.

At the end of the day, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. If the law changes, I'll follow that law. Maybe

veganbikes

100% Designed to be pedaled yet you have a throttle which removes the pedaling from the equation? I am not so great at math but I can see something doesn't add up. A vehicle designed for pedaling would be pedal assist ONLY. A vehicle designed with a throttle and also has pedals is a moped. Not bad to have a moped just not something that needs to be on a pedestrian path especially not going at higher speeds. The built roads for higher speeds.

2old

OP, my wife and I were riding merrily along at 35 mph on our MTB's today on a trail with more "traffic" than seems to be on yours. Guess we're in a class that should be on the highway dodging cars too.

veganbikes

Did I ever say someone should ride on the highway? The answer is NO If you are going at higher speeds you should be on the road but generally in the U.S. at least mopeds and bicycles are not allowed on highways and even if allowed you probably shouldn't ride on them anyway unless an emergency. But yeah the MUP is not designed for going at high speeds. You have become the big honkin' SUV in this situation blasting past you creeping ever closer in your lane not giving a "F" about you on a bike. If you don't feel safe on the road then you have to afford the right for others to feel safe on the path. If it is a pure cycle path and not for pedestrians at all then going a little faster probably wouldn't be such an issue.

If you are actually on MTB trails going at speeds like that (non-downhill but on downhill trails you wouldn't really need to use the motor at the point) then you are the reason a lot of people hate e-bikes and are trying to keep them off of MTB trails hurting those who are trying to ride and enjoy them. We have an uphill battle trying to keep access to MTB trails in general and intentionally destroying them or causing issues on them is not helping.

I get it past presidents have normalized the selfish mentality as being OK but that doesn't mean we have to accept it or follow it. We can respect other spaces and other people and still enjoy life. I was on a MUP recently and didn't feel the need to go crazy fast and had a really excellent time and going really fast wouldn't have enhanced that in any major way. We can all have fun together or we can just be big ole' SUVs driven by someone on their cellphone who believes that the road is 100% theirs and theirs alone and give everyone else a big fat middle finger.

2old

Please note there's no "e" in MTB.

GP210

It is like converting vintage car to electric !

spinnanz

I'd do that too if it made a car more practical for me!

Ed Wiser

I add a switch kit to my old Peugeot as I am an old fart and the gearing was not too my liking as 68 year old. Just use it to help me up a few hills in petal assist only. Not into the whole super fast ebike stuff.