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You can already buy an electric motorbike today that isn’t pedal assisted, and they’re pretty much the same price as a good e-bike.

Why force normal cyclists and pedestrians to deal with these much faster vehicles in cycle lanes and pavements when we already have roads, and conflicts between road users today is already problematic.

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I average about 10mph or 16kph on my e-bike, and gets passed by routinely by 'normal' cyclists going faster than my pace. E-bike users do not necessarily ride faster; I use one to help with the many hills in my area, not to go fast. I don't think it'd be fair to force me to use roads and mingle with cars just because I use an e-bike.

Even at the cutoff of 25 km/h you will get passed by roadies all day long.

I think our perspectives are in complete agreement, and your comment proves that allowing e-bikes to go faster than 25kph, or operate without use of the pedals isn’t necessary.

I’m certainly not advocating that e-bike should mix with cars. I’m saying the than an e-bike that assists beyond 25kph, or doesn’t require peddling, isn’t an e-bike. It’s just an unlicensed motorbike pretending to be an e-bike.

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