Amsterdam looking to set a 20kph speed limit on e-bikes

No souping up required really. Generally, the 25kph and 45kph scooters are exactly the same, only the 25kph scooter has a mechanical limiter that can be defeated. It is very easy, and very widespread. Hence the mobile rolling road test units the Dutch police have. Handy for the occasional bit of drafting though!

Geoff Ingram wrote:

I really don't understand. Ebikes stop electrical assistance at 25kph, and any rider on a road bike can easily top that

I doubt the "any" with the "easily". Which is the point, many riders, especially riding upright Dutch bikes, wearing regular everyday clothes, will not be riding at those speeds. But on an e-bike, then almost any rider will easily achieve the assistance limit.

Yup - it's just the same as cars.  With a motor it's much more likely you'll be at the higher end of the speed range, most of the time.  See cars - people tend to drive as fast as they will go - or stick to the Minimum Speed Limits...

I'm not seeing many unassisted folks holding 15mph to or from the shops - and that's in the UK where we've got the added "selection pressure" and "motivation" from riding with motor vehicles.  In the UK we often have "cyclists" - AKA the "fit and the brave" who are a particular subset of the general population.

I did say "road bike" for 25 kph, meaning someone in lycra exercising, while "slow bicycle riders" include Dutch style, BSOs and normal people just going places. I completely agree that 25kph on a Dutch bike in ordinary clothes certainly isn't that easy. But judging by the other comments too where I ride must be very different. For 1 thing I have virtually never seen one of these illegally modified ebikes. Maybe 1 a year. 

Geoff Ingram wrote:

...For 1 thing I have virtually never seen one of these illegally modified ebikes. Maybe 1 a year. 

Maybe a big city thing?  Edinburgh resident here - I see some very chunky looking food delivery machines, the odd foil-wrapped item in the centre of the frame (parked by one once and could see a full-on petrol engine in there!). Oh and some youths who drop me like yesterday's chips without moving their feet, departing over the horizon with a high-pitched whine.  Not that it's hard to drop me, just they were over 20mph in no time.

Not every day (that I'm sure of) but certainly most days I'd notice one or two.

I reckon if I sit on my balcony here near The Hague for 15 minutes with a cup of PG, I would spot at least one suspiciously fast e-bike. Most likely a Van Moof on boost, or one of those fat tyred monkey-bike style things.

Exactly Sriracha. I cycle alot in Amsterdam and I can tell you the fuzz will not be stopping riders on normal bikes no matter what speed. Its the leccy bikers that will get pulled over. And some mothers on electric cargo bikes, which although often cannot go over 25kmph - often ride that speed in places where it is really not sensible to do so. These same people are the people driving SUV's in other cities. When they get a leccy bakfiets they often ride with the same arrogance and self entitlement. 

Yup - it's the "numbers of people drive cars without care or consideration - are they going to change their nature on bikes?"

Not behaviour to encourage but "harm minimization" says it's a great idea to have an idiot on a bike rather than in a car.  Unless you have the cars completely separated from all other modes, everywhere - in which case let evolution run...

Indeed. Just saying everyone on a bike is not always a good altruistic cyclist trying to make the world a better place. Sometimes they are just twats like everyone else.