All UK legal electric bikes are limited to 15.5mph assisted speed. Anything beyond this is down to your own determination.
There are options available to ‘chip’ your bike like the devices from Speedbox or badass which interfere with the controller on the bike allowing it to propel you beyond the legal assisted speed limit. Riese & Müller also sell high speed (HS) versions of most of their bikes, which will assist riders up to 28mph.
But remember, applying either of these options will move your bike into the moped category and you will require a license, registration, tax, insurance and a motorcycle helmet. And if you go for the third party ‘chip’ then you will invalidate your Bosch warranty.
And lastly, motor manufacturers are now required to include anti tampering software. If triggered, your bike will go into limp home mode and you will need the help of your local bike shop to reset it. Find out more in our edemo Riese & Müller UK Buyer’s guide
Speeding legally
If speed is your thing there are two ways of getting there, legally.
- Downhill – e-bikes are heavier than their traditional counterparts and this combined with gravity rapidly drags them to the bottom of a hill. You will find acceleration when going down is quite exhilarating, but you will need powerful hydraulic brakes to scrub the speed before the pesky corners. It doesn’t take much for me to push my Supercharger 2 beyond 35mph.
- Least resistance – Traditional road bikes are fast on the flat because they slip through the air, have very little contact with the road and rigid frames to get all the power to the back wheel. If top end speed is what biking is about for you, maybe you need to to do it the hard way? Alternatively, try something like the Riese & Muller Roadster. You could even add drop handlebars and wear some lycra!
But if you think of a commute to work with hills and stopping and starting, the maximum speed you achieve on your comfortable Riese & Müller won’t ever beat a carbon road bike. But you’ll leave them standing at the lights, and sail past them up the hills, and all whilst wearing a suit!
Call me 01453 834300 or email [email protected]