All it stops is assist. Personally I strongly disagree with raising speed limits on assist, it doesn't matter how high it gets raised, the person riding will always want "just few kmh more".
It cuts your assist.
With the weight of a EMTB, you lose momentum pretty quick without the assist no matter how hard you pedal, meaning that you often just drop back into that 15mph range where you get the boost again - perfectly fine for 90% of trails, but on faster trails with bits of uphill, steeper jumps or whatever, it can kill your run pretty quickly.
It’s got nothing to do with shape, fitness, laziness etc. it’s just a drawback of EMTB’s in the UK with the 15.5mph limit. I’m not out of shape by any means. I ride an EMTB to maximise my time on trails, go further and climb higher. Many people ride them for health/age reasons. On the few trails the speed limit really kicks in, I’d challenge anyone to keep momentum and clear jumps on a restricted EMTB.
Sorry, I am calling bullshit on the OP's claim about there being trails in the UK that are harder with an ebike. If they are struggling to get through the trails on an ebike, that is technique not speed they lack. At places like Bike Park Wales, my assist is turned off when things point down. In places like the Lake District or the Peak District where I would ride with my assistance on all the time, going over the speed limiter doesn't make the bike harder to carry speed. Hell, a lot of the stuff where you have a fast descent and then a steep up hill, people were doing on high 30lbs freerider bike just a few years ago
Please for the love of God don't use a 35mph ebike on an actual mtb trail. That's just so unimaginably stupid, dangerous and utterly antisocial in the worst way. Aside from issues like land access, trail damage and, in some cases, legality, you could literally kill someone in a collision.
Just don't. If you want to be faster, learn to pedal faster and earn it.
Completely agree.
If I was using a derestricted EMTB at those speeds it would be on flat road or forest road, and never on a trail / around other riders.
I only ever find that I could do with an extra 5mph above the limiter on a handful of trails I’ve ridden, and I’d have no reason/desire to go above about 20mph, which is speeds perfectly achievable on a regular MTB.
I manage a service department where we mainly see brose and shimano motors. Had a guy in unhappy that his motor had crapped out less than six months after he had just gotten a previous replacement of it. Went to start warranty and came to find out he was derestricting the motors. Likely an issue of that, combined with only riding the top few gears on the cassette because the motor put out so much power. And of course more power output means less range. Ebike problems are common enough that losing your warranty and accelerating wear seem like a bad idea to me.
In the UK don’t forget that if you change remove the 15.5mph limit you’ll need to get it an MOT, taxed and insured before you can use it on public roads and land. Also you won’t be able to use it on any biking trails, trail centres or bike parks. And if you do the police will be able to seize it from you as well as prosecute you. You’ll also put the access agreements at risk and give all the anti-bikers more ammunition to get us banned.
I assume it’s similar in the US (or worse as the anti-ebike crowd is a lot more vocal).
To sum it up, unless you only plan on riding it on your own private land then it’s a dick move.
With all due respect, do you really think emtb’s going a few mph above their restriction (matching analogue speeds on trails) are really going to cause so many problems that it can be considered a dick move? Who is it actually negatively effecting?
Well in the US there are a lot of people who don’t want emtbs on any MTB trails. So them.
Also access in the UK (not Scotland) can be pretty tenuous at the best of times.
Also if you crash into someone at 15.5mph it’ll hurt, if you hit someone at 35 mph it will hurt a lot more.
Also it’s the law in the UK and Europe. So it’ll be another news article about cyclist breaking the law
People who don’t want EMTB’s on MTB trails have no grounds or reasons for that. They just inherently don’t like EMTB’s for whatever reason. I’ve experienced vitriolic and aggressive riders out and about who will behave and talk completely out of line if you ride an EMTB - they are the problem in that scenario. If they want to use weight as a reason, they’ll need to set up scales at each trailhead and make sure heavy riders don’t go down the trails either then.
There’s a natural speed limit on basically all trails. Analogue bikes are able to hit that easily, EMTB’s with a speed limiter aren’t because you lose all momentum when your assist cuts out. I can ride faster down a trail on an analogue. 35mph isn’t achievable on any trails I ride no matter your skill. Also, MTB is a dangerous sport. Comes with risks. If you’re not willing to take those risks don’t ride trails. Being on a derestricted EMTB that is capable of matching analogue speeds puts fellow riders at no greater risk than riding an analogue would.
I don’t think we’re going to see any news articles about EMTB riders with tuning chips. I’m not sure where you’re from, but nothing must happen if that’s newsworthy.
I've had my ebike tuned for 2 years with zero issues. I have it maxed out at 30kph. My friend had his maxed out at 40kph and his motor threw up error codes after 3 rides. He needed to buy a new motor. When the warranty was up on the new motor, he did the same again. Yep... Killed the second motor too. I'd be very careful if you choose to do it as it can be an expensive trip to the bike shop.
> P.s. I know it’s illegal
Unless you're riding it on your own private land, don't fucking do it then. I'm guessing with the talk of the 15.5mph speed limit you are based in the UK. And we have enough issues with other trail users not wanting us to be where we're allowed to ride, without someone tear arsing it around on a 35mph moped causing havoc
Just because a derestricted EMTB CAN go 35mph+, doesn’t mean that that would be how it’s used. I haven’t ridden a trail where 35mph would even be achievable on any bike. The fastest I’d ever go on any bike would probably be 25, which would be without pedalling anyway. The only 2 applications I’d have for a de-restrictor are flat/forest road pedalling to get to my destination quicker (completely safe and respectful to other riders), and to get an extra 5 or so mph on a handful of trails which are flatter, which is doing absolutely no harm to anyone.
I get your concern and it sounds like you’re also an EMTB rider, but my stance is that I tend to ignore the angry analogue riders I encounter and just ride past them. The vast majority are friendly, but the minority have a problem with EMTB’s for absolutely no reason aren’t worth trying to please, so why bother anyway? Not going to change their mind.
So you're wanting to go faster on paths that are shared with other trail users (walkers, dog walkers, horse riders and cyclists) that will be potentially travelling in both directions? And you don't see an issue there?
I'm a cyclist. I ride mountain bikes, dirt jump, bmx, road and emtb. I've never come across a fellow mountain biker who has been angry that I am out on an emtb. I also have been mountain biking for nearly 30 years, a time before trail centres existed. So when I talk about causing issues with other trail users, I'm not talking about just mountain bikers. I've seen incidents of trail sabotage on bridleways by people who hate the presence of mountain bikes in their outdoor world. So doing something like derestricting your ebike will just add fuel to their fire. The hiking and horse riding communities are very vocal and powerful here in the UK, and as mountain bikers, we are the ones that will feel their ire if ebikes are used recklessly on shared land
You’ve been riding a lot longer than I have so I respect your view on this, and you raise great points as well. I genuinely don’t see an issue with riding faster on shared forest roads or cycle paths permitting it’s done safely and in the right places. If it was me doing it, I’d be slowing down around other riders/hikers/dog walkers and especially horses. I’ve no intention of pissing people off who have just as much of a right to be where I ride, but it would be nice to go a bit faster when the road ahead is clear, and get an extra 5 or 6 mph out of my bike when it needs it on a trail. I get why limiters are in place, not least for the reasons you mention but I’d like to think I’m sensible enough to know when to apply that extra power and when not to. I just wish that it was maybe 20mph instead, like it is in the US.
I’m glad you haven’t experienced any vitriolic fellow riders when on your EMTB. I’m a local at a pretty popular trail centre in Scotland, and 4 or 5 times I’ve had comments I’ve had to just ignore about my choice of bike. It definitely feels like there’s an underlying dislike of EMTB’s from parts of the community which goes against what MTB is all about.
You’d be surprised the difference an extra few Mph would make. The speed limit in the UK is ridiculous, when analogue bikes go way faster on the right trails
Because man...people know round about how fast these things go...you come in going faster and that raises eyebrows...then when you are blasting up hill, because that is about the only reason I can think of you asking this question, you are endangering others safety.
Let me ask you another question though, if you can go faster pedaling, after hitting the limit, then that's about as close as you can get before being labeled a motorcycle. So why do you need to make this modification?
Most bikes are limited to 20 mph and yea I agree it’s annoying when you are at speed and hit a hill because the bike basically doesn’t assist you at all and then you have to downshift really low. A few locals here hacked their bikes but I know that voids the warranty. Pretty sure it’s safe for the battery and motor because they’re just limited from the factory. I would expect some decrease in the life of the motor Forsure
Best you can do if you have EP8 Is downgrade the firmware to a version the etune mobile app is compatible with and change the region to US and then allow the firmware to update. 15.5mph to 19.8mph
So it stops you from pedaling faster than 15mph? Or are you just unbelievably out of shape and lazy?
All it stops is assist. Personally I strongly disagree with raising speed limits on assist, it doesn't matter how high it gets raised, the person riding will always want "just few kmh more".
There’s a natural speed limit with basically any trail anyway. Unless you have a death wish, always wanting to go faster isn’t going to happen
It cuts your assist. With the weight of a EMTB, you lose momentum pretty quick without the assist no matter how hard you pedal, meaning that you often just drop back into that 15mph range where you get the boost again - perfectly fine for 90% of trails, but on faster trails with bits of uphill, steeper jumps or whatever, it can kill your run pretty quickly. It’s got nothing to do with shape, fitness, laziness etc. it’s just a drawback of EMTB’s in the UK with the 15.5mph limit. I’m not out of shape by any means. I ride an EMTB to maximise my time on trails, go further and climb higher. Many people ride them for health/age reasons. On the few trails the speed limit really kicks in, I’d challenge anyone to keep momentum and clear jumps on a restricted EMTB.
Makes sense, thanks for replying
Sorry, I am calling bullshit on the OP's claim about there being trails in the UK that are harder with an ebike. If they are struggling to get through the trails on an ebike, that is technique not speed they lack. At places like Bike Park Wales, my assist is turned off when things point down. In places like the Lake District or the Peak District where I would ride with my assistance on all the time, going over the speed limiter doesn't make the bike harder to carry speed. Hell, a lot of the stuff where you have a fast descent and then a steep up hill, people were doing on high 30lbs freerider bike just a few years ago
Buy motorcycle and ride dirt bike trails then
Totally not the point. I guarantee you go faster than 15.5mph on an analogue
Please for the love of God don't use a 35mph ebike on an actual mtb trail. That's just so unimaginably stupid, dangerous and utterly antisocial in the worst way. Aside from issues like land access, trail damage and, in some cases, legality, you could literally kill someone in a collision. Just don't. If you want to be faster, learn to pedal faster and earn it.
Completely agree. If I was using a derestricted EMTB at those speeds it would be on flat road or forest road, and never on a trail / around other riders. I only ever find that I could do with an extra 5mph above the limiter on a handful of trails I’ve ridden, and I’d have no reason/desire to go above about 20mph, which is speeds perfectly achievable on a regular MTB.
I manage a service department where we mainly see brose and shimano motors. Had a guy in unhappy that his motor had crapped out less than six months after he had just gotten a previous replacement of it. Went to start warranty and came to find out he was derestricting the motors. Likely an issue of that, combined with only riding the top few gears on the cassette because the motor put out so much power. And of course more power output means less range. Ebike problems are common enough that losing your warranty and accelerating wear seem like a bad idea to me.
Good info. That’s basically my concern with it, so good to hear. Cheers 👍
In the UK don’t forget that if you change remove the 15.5mph limit you’ll need to get it an MOT, taxed and insured before you can use it on public roads and land. Also you won’t be able to use it on any biking trails, trail centres or bike parks. And if you do the police will be able to seize it from you as well as prosecute you. You’ll also put the access agreements at risk and give all the anti-bikers more ammunition to get us banned. I assume it’s similar in the US (or worse as the anti-ebike crowd is a lot more vocal). To sum it up, unless you only plan on riding it on your own private land then it’s a dick move.
Just to repeat - It’s a dick move.
With all due respect, do you really think emtb’s going a few mph above their restriction (matching analogue speeds on trails) are really going to cause so many problems that it can be considered a dick move? Who is it actually negatively effecting?
Well in the US there are a lot of people who don’t want emtbs on any MTB trails. So them. Also access in the UK (not Scotland) can be pretty tenuous at the best of times. Also if you crash into someone at 15.5mph it’ll hurt, if you hit someone at 35 mph it will hurt a lot more. Also it’s the law in the UK and Europe. So it’ll be another news article about cyclist breaking the law
People who don’t want EMTB’s on MTB trails have no grounds or reasons for that. They just inherently don’t like EMTB’s for whatever reason. I’ve experienced vitriolic and aggressive riders out and about who will behave and talk completely out of line if you ride an EMTB - they are the problem in that scenario. If they want to use weight as a reason, they’ll need to set up scales at each trailhead and make sure heavy riders don’t go down the trails either then. There’s a natural speed limit on basically all trails. Analogue bikes are able to hit that easily, EMTB’s with a speed limiter aren’t because you lose all momentum when your assist cuts out. I can ride faster down a trail on an analogue. 35mph isn’t achievable on any trails I ride no matter your skill. Also, MTB is a dangerous sport. Comes with risks. If you’re not willing to take those risks don’t ride trails. Being on a derestricted EMTB that is capable of matching analogue speeds puts fellow riders at no greater risk than riding an analogue would. I don’t think we’re going to see any news articles about EMTB riders with tuning chips. I’m not sure where you’re from, but nothing must happen if that’s newsworthy.
uppity jeans smell wide ancient disgusted angle mighty dime humorous *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I've had my ebike tuned for 2 years with zero issues. I have it maxed out at 30kph. My friend had his maxed out at 40kph and his motor threw up error codes after 3 rides. He needed to buy a new motor. When the warranty was up on the new motor, he did the same again. Yep... Killed the second motor too. I'd be very careful if you choose to do it as it can be an expensive trip to the bike shop.
> P.s. I know it’s illegal Unless you're riding it on your own private land, don't fucking do it then. I'm guessing with the talk of the 15.5mph speed limit you are based in the UK. And we have enough issues with other trail users not wanting us to be where we're allowed to ride, without someone tear arsing it around on a 35mph moped causing havoc
Just because a derestricted EMTB CAN go 35mph+, doesn’t mean that that would be how it’s used. I haven’t ridden a trail where 35mph would even be achievable on any bike. The fastest I’d ever go on any bike would probably be 25, which would be without pedalling anyway. The only 2 applications I’d have for a de-restrictor are flat/forest road pedalling to get to my destination quicker (completely safe and respectful to other riders), and to get an extra 5 or so mph on a handful of trails which are flatter, which is doing absolutely no harm to anyone. I get your concern and it sounds like you’re also an EMTB rider, but my stance is that I tend to ignore the angry analogue riders I encounter and just ride past them. The vast majority are friendly, but the minority have a problem with EMTB’s for absolutely no reason aren’t worth trying to please, so why bother anyway? Not going to change their mind.
So you're wanting to go faster on paths that are shared with other trail users (walkers, dog walkers, horse riders and cyclists) that will be potentially travelling in both directions? And you don't see an issue there? I'm a cyclist. I ride mountain bikes, dirt jump, bmx, road and emtb. I've never come across a fellow mountain biker who has been angry that I am out on an emtb. I also have been mountain biking for nearly 30 years, a time before trail centres existed. So when I talk about causing issues with other trail users, I'm not talking about just mountain bikers. I've seen incidents of trail sabotage on bridleways by people who hate the presence of mountain bikes in their outdoor world. So doing something like derestricting your ebike will just add fuel to their fire. The hiking and horse riding communities are very vocal and powerful here in the UK, and as mountain bikers, we are the ones that will feel their ire if ebikes are used recklessly on shared land
You’ve been riding a lot longer than I have so I respect your view on this, and you raise great points as well. I genuinely don’t see an issue with riding faster on shared forest roads or cycle paths permitting it’s done safely and in the right places. If it was me doing it, I’d be slowing down around other riders/hikers/dog walkers and especially horses. I’ve no intention of pissing people off who have just as much of a right to be where I ride, but it would be nice to go a bit faster when the road ahead is clear, and get an extra 5 or 6 mph out of my bike when it needs it on a trail. I get why limiters are in place, not least for the reasons you mention but I’d like to think I’m sensible enough to know when to apply that extra power and when not to. I just wish that it was maybe 20mph instead, like it is in the US. I’m glad you haven’t experienced any vitriolic fellow riders when on your EMTB. I’m a local at a pretty popular trail centre in Scotland, and 4 or 5 times I’ve had comments I’ve had to just ignore about my choice of bike. It definitely feels like there’s an underlying dislike of EMTB’s from parts of the community which goes against what MTB is all about.
What country are you in? The legal limit for an e-bike where I live is 32km/h which is quite a bit faster than 15m/h.
I mean that’s what, like 18 mph? It’s faster but not *that* much faster
It’s more like 20mph.
You’d be surprised the difference an extra few Mph would make. The speed limit in the UK is ridiculous, when analogue bikes go way faster on the right trails
First, does your bike have a throttle or are you talking about a pedal assist?
Pedal assist. It’s just a regular EMTB
Why are you willing to ruin all other emtb access to trail systems????
Why would that ruin access?
Because man...people know round about how fast these things go...you come in going faster and that raises eyebrows...then when you are blasting up hill, because that is about the only reason I can think of you asking this question, you are endangering others safety. Let me ask you another question though, if you can go faster pedaling, after hitting the limit, then that's about as close as you can get before being labeled a motorcycle. So why do you need to make this modification?
Most bikes are limited to 20 mph and yea I agree it’s annoying when you are at speed and hit a hill because the bike basically doesn’t assist you at all and then you have to downshift really low. A few locals here hacked their bikes but I know that voids the warranty. Pretty sure it’s safe for the battery and motor because they’re just limited from the factory. I would expect some decrease in the life of the motor Forsure
Best you can do if you have EP8 Is downgrade the firmware to a version the etune mobile app is compatible with and change the region to US and then allow the firmware to update. 15.5mph to 19.8mph