evblazer

"24) "Electric bicycle" means a bicycle that:

(A) is designed to be propelled by an electric motor, exclusively or in combination with the application of human power;
(B) cannot attain a speed of more than 20 miles per hour without the application of human power; and

(C) does not exceed a weight of 100 pounds."

Ok sooo pertaining to B. If I'm reading that right as long as I'm required to put effort into pedaling for the motor to work I can go as fast as I want? Which if even arguable is the best news ever since I moved to Texas
Trying to kick up my average speed on my long commute (perhaps just on the way home and exercise on the way in) so I'll be pedaling at all times.

Edit: I don't expect to do like 25mph average but if I kick it up to 30mph on a sprint (which I can do without assist) I'd like to be legal to have assistance.

chicbicyclist

B basically just says that the bike cannot go more than 20mph on the motor alone. You can go over if you supplement it with your pedaling.

However, it doesn't mean that your motor's power and maximum speed can go as high as you want to be(20mph+ infinity) just because you are able to pedal along with it.

Abneycat

I wonder what sort of loopholes you could find in this? Could you design a system which was pedal assist directly to say, 200%? That way, say that you were moving at 30mph. Well hey, only 2/3rds of that is your motor moving you that speed, which is still only 20mph, or at least by the most basic numbers it is. That would let you move 30, while having your motor contribute 20, and still have the assist all the way up!

True fuzzy math.

evblazer

I just found the wording to be different then expected and oddly non anti power assist bicycle. I wouldnt' feel safe going faster then I could pedal and some places even that wouldn't be safe. I definately would be going 20mph+ especially in the flats.

Back in Connecticut there was a maximum top speed (although it was 30mph) and a maximum 50cc equivilent. It seems both states aren't to shabby.

cerewa

In many locations, I think there is a specific provision that says that the motor must completely stop supplying power at any speed above 20mph. (or some other specified speed.)

In Texas, it is possible that they have no such law, and it is also possible that a law like that is out there, in an entirely different section of the code.

It is also possible that the established court interpretation of the law is something much more reasonable than what the words seem (to me) to say, i.e. "if it goes 70mph and 99% of the power is supplied by the motor, that's fine as long as some power is being supplied by pedals".

JeanCoutu

Yeh, somehow I doubt you could convince the court that your motorcycle is an electric bicycle because there's a 20mph speed limiter when you don't turn the pedals... I interpret it in two ways:

First that you can have an absurdly powerful singlespeed motor, say the cspc max of 750w, and run it so it's pretty much revved out at about 20mph on the flats. This way you could get tons of torque at low speeds, good for hills and stuff. But then Texas is mostly flat, right?

So the second way would be to get a motor that drives through the gears, so on it's own it'll get you to about 20 mph on the flats while still giving you all it's got when you're at 25mph... Using the Kreuzotter calculator mixed with the types of bikes I see most often in my day to day cycling, and plugging in an estimate of my max continuous power (~330w), gave some interesting results:


Mountain bike, seems as though about 1/3 of people I see on the streets are riding one of these, barely creeping along at 15mph or so.

Motor output for 20mph: 270w
My max cont. Pout ~300w: 20.8mph
motor + my output = 570w, 26.4mph
570w up 10% slope: 12.8mph


Mountain bike with wide high pressure slicks, I see only a couple of these per day. Usuaully they're equipped like other roadies, except they're on a MTB with flat bars and look silly.

Motor output for 20mph: 245w
My max cont. Pout ~300w: 21.7mph
motor + my output = 545w, 26.9mph
545w up 10% slope: 12.5mph


Road bike ridden on the hoods, about 1/3rd of the bikes I see are this. Oddly Kreuzotter dosen't have a setting for riding on the hoods, and the closest it has to offer is on the tops, so it's what I used. But riding the hoods gives better aero then the tops:

Motor output for 20mph is 235w
My max cont. Pout ~300w: 22mph
motor + my output = 535w, 27.2mph
535w up 10% slope: 12.7mph


Road bike, using the drops. About as common as mountain bikes with slicks:

Motor output for 20mph is 175w
My max cont. Pout ~300w: 24.8mph
motor + my output = 475w, 29.5mph
475w up 10% slope: 11.7mph


Long wheelbase recumbent. This one is not common, but all the bents I've seen in action so far were LWB type things that looked equipped for touring, so it's fair to include this here:

Motor output for 20mph is 235w
My max cont. Pout ~300w: 22.1mph
motor + my output 535w 27.5mph
535w up 10% slope: 11.4mph


So you're pretty luck to have rules like that, consider that the "cuts at 32km/h" variant, while still very generous compared to the rest of the world, is much more restrictive.




Also, keep in mind the Connecticut law contains nothing at all about ebikes. The part you're refering to discusses mopeds.

https://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=803&Q=244576
Mopeds - A "bicycle with helper motor" (also known as a moped or noped) includes all vehicles propelled by the person riding the same by foot, or by hand power, or a helper motor having a capacity of less than fifty cubic centimeters piston displacement and not rated more than two brake horsepower and capable of a maximum speed of no more than thirty miles per hour and equipped with automatic transmission. The bicycle with helper motor is prohibited from operation on sidewalks under Connecticut State Law Title 14 Sec. 14-286.

https://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/pub/Chap2...#Sec14-286.htm
Max 2HP, max 50cc, driver's lisence or special lisence required, it is not allowed to be operated faster then 30mph.


If that's what you want, know that mopeds exist in Texas too, they're defined in 541.201:

(8) "Moped" means a motor-driven cycle that cannot
attain a speed in one mile of more than 30 miles per hour and the
engine of which:
(A) cannot produce more than two-brake
horsepower; and
(B) if an internal combustion engine, has a
piston displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less and connects to
a power drive system that does not require the operator to shift
gears.





Aww, can't resist anoter sim. This time for a clydesdale, out of shape. I'll assume 200lbs and able to sustain ~150w. on MTB w/ high pressure slicks:

Motor only power for 20mph: 270w
Clyde's max cont. Pout ~150w: 16mph
Motor + clyde's output = 420w, 23.6mph
420w up 10% slope: 8.3mph

Compared with myself on same:
Motor only power for 20mph: 245w
My max cont. Pout ~300w: 21.7mph
Motor + my output = 545w, 26.9mph
545w up 10% slope: 12.5mph

nycphotography

Noooo you install a "rev limiter" on the electric power which cuts in at 20mph... but is disengaged with ANY input from the pedals.

I could easily visualize 40mph so long as you are putting at least 10 watts into the pedals... just enough to disengage the rev limiter.

That's in theory. But everyone knows that in practice FIRST you get your license plates... THEN you do your mods. Ever seen a moped scoot past at 55mph? I have.

nycphotography

oh crap, sorry for the bump... I had gone to lunch and didn't realize I was looking at search results from a year ago, rather than current topics.

countersTrike

California laws are similar. I was much faster without the motor but could not maintain it. It was geared way down to meet the 20 mph ruling. It held speed and accelerated well, so I didn't complain too much.

I sure hope law enforcement looks the other way when it comes to (C). At 110 pounds it is impossible to easily lighten that 9' monster.